More thoughts on the latest Taiping 4 news story

[Guest guest]

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2003/7/15/features/5804992 & s

ec=features

 

Some interesting twists appear in the above news story dated 15Jul03,

including:

 

1. Reiteration of a point I made in a previous email, about claims that

Pretoria Zoo has had a successful gorilla breeding program. This is false,

unless you think 3 out of 4 gorillas dying in the past 10 years is

" successful " . I've since learned there may have been up to 2 gorilla births

in the 1980's, but the gorillas did not survive infancy, per the

international gorilla studbook. Hardly what I'd call " successful " by any

standards....

 

2. Taiping still feels it's entitled to future offspring of the Taiping 4

from Pretoria, which could be part of the " bilateral agreement " referred to

in these news reports. Will this agreement be made public, or will the

officials keep this secret, to avoid having tough questions challenge them?

 

And one of my predictions is already taking place, as now South Africa is

claiming to " rescue " these gorillas, as history is being re-written:

 

" SA rescues kidnapped gorillas

http://www.worldonline.co.za/news/news_center_030709.630540.html "

 

So far I haven't heard from the director of WAZA or any CITES officials

regarding the 10 points raised in my previous email, except an email

refuting that there were any behind-the-scenes dealings (my point #4) by any

zoo. Apparently, I was mistaken and Pretoria did NOT solicit these

gorillas until the director of WAZA suggested they do so. According to Mr.

Dollinger in an email to me and several others 14Jul03:

 

" WAZA recommended to the CITES Secretariat (Geneva) the

National Zoo of South Africa as a suitable place " in case the gorillas would

have to be confiscated and could not be returned to their country of

origin. " This recommendation was made in consultation with the International

Gorilla Studbook Keeper. At our request, the National Zoo made a formal

submission, ... "

 

So I stand corrected on this detail, but the fact remains, the Zoo Gorilla

Studbook Keeper and the head of the WAZA were behind the application of

Pretoria to get these gorillas, dismissing the Sanctuary solution, using the

financial stability and " power " of the zoo world as an easy way to sway the

Malaysian officials, who would naturally be " concerned " with sending

gorillas to a sanctuary struggling due to lack of support (from the zoo

world, ironically).

 

The more I look into this case, the more discouraged I am. I have wonderful

friends and colleagues in the zoo world, who are being painted with the same

tainted brush as their more dubious colleagues in the zoo world, who feel

this kind of situation is " normal " or ok, as long as gorillas are added to

the captive zoo population. One even claimed if these gorillas didn't enter

the captive gene population, the future of all gorillas is in doubt, since

sanctuaries don't deliberately breed (using birth control, not

castration/sterilization as suggested to inflame this point). If

sanctuaries and zoos would work TOGETHER, perhaps a viable and realistic

solution could be found, with the animals' benefiting.

 

But it still looks like the animals, with no voice, are at the mercy of the

people with agendas of their own.

 

Sigh.

 

Jane Dewar