East London animal lovers staged a protest march at the troubled East London Zoo on Saturday calling on Buffalo City Metro (BCM) to improve the conditions of the facility or shut it down.
The protest, organised by Nicol Spink and Gabrielle Naidoo, saw the public voicing their opinion on the conditions faced by animals at the local zoo.
This protest march comes shortly after charges relating to cruelty to animals, which were brought by the SPCA against the East London Zoo, were withdrawn.
An online petition has since been signed by the public calling for the rescue and relocation of the animals, and for the historic zoo to be condemned and closed.
Among many of the complaints were the size of the enclosures and wellbeing of the animals in the facility.
“We will put pressure on the municipality to do what is right for the animals,” said Naidoo.
Spink said she was in favour of the zoo shutting down and the animals being relocated to sanctuaries.
“The last time I came to the zoo I was a child and it was so depressing to me then that already I wanted to set the animals free – so I suppose this is life’s way of turning full circle. Hopefully we are now finally going to make a change to these animals’ lives,” she said.
“Animals should not be in cages but should be running free in sanctuaries,” said Qhawe Mbutho, one of the young people protesting.
Wendy Kretschmann, another protester, said if BCM wanted the zoo to continue operating there had to be consistent accountability.
“We need to hold our municipality accountable. We cannot wait for bad things to happen to the animals before we act.
“We need a zoo for the children and education but it has to be better maintained and the animals well taken care of,” Kretschmann said.
The senior manager of the East London Zoo and Aquarium, Siani Tinley, who was appointed in November, sent out a statement to the organisers acknowledging that the standards of the zoo needed to be raised.
“I was appointed to create a turnaround strategy which focuses on husbandry, security, staff and welfare.
“A study which is set to conclude at the end of January is being conducted to assess the condition of the zoo and that is why there was no call for donations from the public,” Tinley’s statement read.
It adds that the study is almost complete and that its outcomes will be put forward to council, which will then implement the turnaround plan.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya told the Dispatch earlier that the city “acknowledged the challenges that the zoo has faced and had devised a very clear programme of action to rectify these”. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
EL animal lovers demand better conditions at zoo
The protest, organised by Nicol Spink and Gabrielle Naidoo, saw the public voicing their opinion on the conditions faced by animals at the local zoo.
This protest march comes shortly after charges relating to cruelty to animals, which were brought by the SPCA against the East London Zoo, were withdrawn.
An online petition has since been signed by the public calling for the rescue and relocation of the animals, and for the historic zoo to be condemned and closed.
Among many of the complaints were the size of the enclosures and wellbeing of the animals in the facility.
“We will put pressure on the municipality to do what is right for the animals,” said Naidoo.
Spink said she was in favour of the zoo shutting down and the animals being relocated to sanctuaries.
“The last time I came to the zoo I was a child and it was so depressing to me then that already I wanted to set the animals free – so I suppose this is life’s way of turning full circle. Hopefully we are now finally going to make a change to these animals’ lives,” she said.
“Animals should not be in cages but should be running free in sanctuaries,” said Qhawe Mbutho, one of the young people protesting.
Wendy Kretschmann, another protester, said if BCM wanted the zoo to continue operating there had to be consistent accountability.
“We need to hold our municipality accountable. We cannot wait for bad things to happen to the animals before we act.
“We need a zoo for the children and education but it has to be better maintained and the animals well taken care of,” Kretschmann said.
The senior manager of the East London Zoo and Aquarium, Siani Tinley, who was appointed in November, sent out a statement to the organisers acknowledging that the standards of the zoo needed to be raised.
“I was appointed to create a turnaround strategy which focuses on husbandry, security, staff and welfare.
“A study which is set to conclude at the end of January is being conducted to assess the condition of the zoo and that is why there was no call for donations from the public,” Tinley’s statement read.
It adds that the study is almost complete and that its outcomes will be put forward to council, which will then implement the turnaround plan.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya told the Dispatch earlier that the city “acknowledged the challenges that the zoo has faced and had devised a very clear programme of action to rectify these”. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
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