East London residents still outraged over zoo conditions
Despite charges being withdrawn against the East London Zoo, pending further investigation by the police, community members remain outraged, with a petition to shut the zoo down reaching over 10000 signatures in two days.
The petition calls on Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) to close down the now infamous zoo due to the bad condition it's in, and relocate its animals.
Charges were originally laid by the NSPCA last year following the deaths of a pair of Gibbons, who died of TB despite the organisation originally requesting that Peanut, one of the Gibbons and the carrier of the disease, be euthanised.
New charges were then filed when William, a Chacma baboon, had to be put down after the wounds in his paralysed hind legs became infected and infested with maggots.
The Dispatch reported last week that the animal cruelty charges laid by the NSPCA against the curator Alison Roux were recently withdrawn, triggering a response from Buffalo City Municipality spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya, who had earlier labelled reports leading up to the charges as “dramatic” and “a publicity stunt”.
At the time, NSPCA inspector Arno de Klerk, said: “This was not the only animal that was found suffering. It is completely inconceivable that the municipality would downplay such a severe case of animal cruelty. It is inexcusable.”
Today, BCM had not responded to DispatchLIVE's questions. However, last week, Ngwenya told the Dispatch that after visits by NSPCA inspectors, BCM had acknowledged “challenges” faced by the zoo and had carried out a “clear programme of action” to rectify them.
He said BCM would continue to “allow” the NSPCA entry into the zoo, which he said had visited the facility the previous week.