World zoos to help beastly Kabul menagerie
Date: 30-Nov-01
Country: SWITZERLAND
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) set the goal of raising $35,000 to keep the neglected Kabul zoo going for the next half year.
Reports from journalists entering Kabul after the withdrawal of hardline Taliban rulers painted a sorry picture of the zoo, with its blind and lame lion, bloody-nosed black bear and staff who went unpaid for months and often had to beg for food for their charges.
There are now 19 species in the zoo, down from 40 a decade ago before it became a frontline target during fighting between mujahideen factions in the 1990s.
Warriors ate the deer and rabbits and shot its sole elephant. Shells hit the main building, shattering the aquarium and leaving much of the park in ruins that the Taliban - with their strict brand of Islam - never repaired.
"We got a lot of calls from the public because of (the reports). Now that there is a chance to get to Kabul and provide help, we thought we would do something, although Kabul zoo is not a member of our association," said WAZA director Peter Dollinger.
He said $35,000 might not sound like much money, but would go a long way to help out. "It is a rough estimate, but a zookeeper in Kabul makes $2 a day, so this goes rather far."
Donations marked Kabul Zoo Appeal can go to the Cologne Zoo in Germany, the Federation of Zoos in London, or the North Carolina Zoo Society in the United States.
