Taipei Zoo death rate

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http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/04/23/203147

 

Councilor fears zoo is deathtrap for animals

 

CNA

Taipei Times Wednesday, Apr 23, 2003,Page 4

 

The death rate at Taipei Zoo was called into question by zoo officials

and

City Councilor Wang Shih-chien yesterday when Wang accused the zoo of

putting revenue ahead of the welfare of its animals.

 

Wang said that, following the deaths of two of the zoo's main

attractions --

a koala and an elephant -- he has conducted an investigation and found

that

the death rate of animals at the zoo is as high as 10 percent.

 

Wang said that given that the zoo brought in more than NT$104 million

last

year, the management has no excuse for not taking better care of the

animals.

 

He said that he is concerned about whether other animals in the zoo are

being treated well following the death earlier this year of Lin Wang,

the

Asian elephant that had been a favorite with everyone that visited the

zoo.

 

Taipei Zoo statistics show that 232 animals in five categories have died

 

since 2002, or nearly 10 percent, which Wang said was " simply stunning. "

 

He said the statistics show that the number of visitors to the zoo

totaled

4.14 million last year -- fewer than the 5 million visitors over the

past

three years -- during which time the zoo introduced such big attractions

as

koalas and king penguins.

 

Zoo spokesman Chao Ming-chieh said that the 10 percent death rate is

similar

to zoos in the US, Britain and Japan. If the figure tends to be high

when

compared with other privately owned zoos in Taiwan, it is because it

keeps

larger and older animals.

 

 

 

--

Dave Neale

Animals Asia Foundation

 

Find out more about the historic China Bear Rescue by visiting the

Animals Asia Foundation website at http://www.animalsasia.org