8/7/10
PRESS
RELEASE
AFAR would like to condemn yet again the keeping of wild animals in captivity
for entertainment purposes. The 10 year old Penguin stolen from the Zoo
and dumped in the City centre is yet another example of the dangers posed
to wild animals by Zoos. Zoos are a remnant of bygone days and merely
a continuation of the outdated Victorian menageries of the past. They serve
no purpose other than that of commercial gain.
Dublin Zoo is no stranger to controversy and bad management as we recall some of the other sad events in the past that have befallen animals, birds and mammals imprisoned in enclosures in Dublin Zoo.
We list some of them as follows:
Shootings:
A rhino who escaped inside the Zoo and a wolf were shot dead by Zoo staff.
Poisonings: Penguins were
poisoned by toxic paint in their enclosure.
Choking: A hippo choked on
a tennis ball in the Zoo.
Driven Mad: AFAR led a campaign
in 1998 to get 2 sad psychotic Polar Bears returned to Canada with the assistance
of International Animal Rescue.
Thefts: A Macaw bird was stolen
from the Zoo.
Animal Fighting: A Rhino killed
a Zebra.
Escapes: Orangatan made
an escape bid leaving her baby behind.
Blinding: Sealions went blind
from the toxins in their pool.
Zoos are unable by their nature to exist without causing prolonged suffering to animals. I urge anyone who visits the zoo to really look into an animal's eyes. Do they deserve life imprisonment without ever committing a crime?
Soundbites below:
Bernie
Wright is press officer of the Alliance for Animal Rights (AFAR)
http://www.afarireland.org
Phone 0872651720
