Chinese tigers go to school in South Africa!

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Channel 24

NSPCA threatens Pretoria Zoo

11/12/2003 19:42 - (SA)

 

Johannesburg - The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals (NSPCA) has threatened to charge Pretoria National Zoo for

contravening the Animal Protection Act.

 

Inspector Rick Allan announced on Thursday this was in response to an

article published in the Pretoria News on a " re-wilding " project for rare

and endangered South Chinese tigers.

 

The tigers are encouraged to hunt live chickens, which are released into

their cage, in an effort to " rekindle their natural instincts " , reported

the newspaper.

 

Allan, manager of the NSPCA, has written a letter to the Pretoria National

Zoological Gardens threatening to lay charges if they do not immediately

stop the practice of feeding live chickens to the tigers. He said it

contravened the terms of the Animal Protection Act.

 

David Shorrock, executive director of the South China tiger foundation,

said he was unaware they were doing anything unlawful. " I would be

surprised if we were contravening laws because our management plan was

created by Gus van Wyk, an expert in the field, " he said.

 

Pretoria Zoo had provided land for the project, but was not involved with

the design of the tiger management programme.

 

Will be returned to China

 

Apparently, there are only about 90 South Chinese tigers left, of which

about 60 are in captivity. The two cubs at the zoo actually belong to the

Chinese government and are part of a conservation initiative. They will

eventually be returned to China and it is hoped they will breed, and their

offspring will be able to survive in the wild.

 

Allan said the importance of the re-wilding programme was not a reason to

make an exception. " We can't bend the law " , he said, " but maybe we can find

alternatives to the problem " .