By Fareedah Mohammed Munir
Since childhood, I have been enthusiastic about nature and I was fortunate to have parents who nurtured my love for animals. I was neck deep in toys, movies, books and clothes about animals and dinosaurs. Visit to zoos in new cities was a family affair and we always left feeling intrigued. However, recent visits to zoos in Nigeria, did not give me that satisfaction. Instead, it was sadness with conflicted feelings about animals in captivity. As a biologist, I can confirm that five Nigerian zoos I have been to are in deplorable conditions, unfit for any living being. We can see so in pictures and videos of Nigerian zoos on social media. The animal entrapment that they are, serves no purpose, neither for education nor conservation.
We are currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction of biodiversity on Earth, but this time, mankind is the catastrophic catalyst. Humans are escalating extinction exponentially with human activities like poaching, habitat destruction and pollution. I was about six years old when I first read about extinction, and I recall the sadness of learning the Tasmanian tiger was wiped out by humans. Unfortunately, more species are on the brink of extinction.
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According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Nigeria has 148 animals and 146 plants on the threatened species list. Furthermore, 26 animals and 28 plants on the list are endangered and five are critically endangered. Cheetahs, zebras and giraffes no longer exist in the wild and leopards are in minute numbers in reserved areas.
Over decades, due to public consciousness and awareness, the concept of zoos worldwide has evolved to be animal-focused, moving away from human profiting business that exploits animals. Nowadays, animal welfare is a priority with requirements to declare a zoo ETHICAL. An ethical zoological garden promotes conservation and influences public interest in wildlife. The animals should have companionship, proper nutrition, veterinary care and an interactive environment. Research is vital in ethical zoos, contributing to knowledge about animals.
In an ethical zoo, official documents and health records are available for each animal. Regulated breeding and purchases have conditions that consider genetic diversity to avoid inbreeding. Catching young animals from the wild is unacceptable, as it fuels the atrocious illegal wildlife trade. An animal population should be able to sustain itself through procreation. The usual sight in Nigerian zoos of having a single animal in a cage defeats this purpose. Without proper accreditation, government and private zoos will result in the exploitation of animals and premature death.
The following are few ethical zoo requirements:
1. Animal enclosure: Animals should not be kept in uncomfortable small spaces without proper barriers. This is torture for creatures meant to be in nature with vegetation. In such harsh settings with no withdrawal shelter, they are exposed and stressed, which manifests as stereotypical behavior found in disturbed captive animals, like pacing. Exhibits are designed to resemble a natural habitat to encourage natural behavior. There are global design guidelines of measurements for specific species. Sadly, the spaces I have seen in our zoos are nonstandard and unacceptable.
2. Feeding: A proper feeding program is needed to prevent starvation and malnourishment. Unhealthy animals are susceptible to disease. Feeding times should follow a strict schedule to avoid aggressiveness that may cause harm to other animals or the carer. Record keeping is necessary for statistics, accountability and research.
3. Medical care: There ought to be specialist veterinarians making routine checks. Some of the animals I saw had visible fungal infections. Recently Shadow the lion, in a small Kaduna park, died from pneumonia he contracted after being trapped in his flooded enclosure for days. His lungs were damaged, but not once did a vet examine Shadow when he lost appetite and weight. It took social media outrage to draw attention to the endangered lion’s plight, in which Wild@Life international NGO cared for him. Ethical zoos work with scientists and veterinarians to develop programmes for health, feeding, enrichment, rehabilitation and reintroduction.
4. Hygiene: It is necessary for an environmental impact assessment to ensure the animals are not in disaster-prone areas. Zoos are not built in areas that are at risk of floods or landslides. Animal enclosures must be free from filth because an unhygienic enclosure increases the risk of disease, including diseases that can cross over to humans. In Nigerian zoos, it is common to see hippos and crocodiles in filthy water and snake pits and monkey cages littered with plastic bottles and wrappers.
5. Staff: There are job opportunities in zoos, like curators, landscape architects, veterinary technicians, publicists and horticulturists. Dedicated and qualified staff keep the zoo productive. Zoo guides are expected to know about the animals. The ones I came across were quite clueless.
6. Programs & Publicity: Zoos need a mission statement. Presentations, videos, posters and infographics are productive ways to educate. Likewise, social media, television and school programs raise awareness. Government organisations ought to give accreditation based on animal care programs, accountability, financial stability, disaster management and safety measures.
Alternatively, preferably zoos are sanctuaries, which are safe spaces for abused, neglected and abandoned animals. Animals in poor conditions are taken to sanctuaries to rehabilitate and live free from exploitation. Sanctuary spaces are often bigger than zoo enclosures. Therefore, the government has a role to play in assuring our zoos either upgrade to ethical standards or relinquish the animals to a sanctuary.
Furthermore, a hotline to report illegal wildlife trade is important. It is frustrating to see sea turtles sold in traffic. Seeing civets strung by the roads, owls killed as witches, or manatees pounded to death show how little educated we are when it comes to such magnificent creatures. Misinformed people have argued that human welfare comes before animals. However, I believe we have enough people to speak up for different causes. After all, it is also a religious duty to be kind to animals. Ultimately, Nigeria must not be left behind in the global effort of safeguarding biodiversity.
Farida Munir can be reached through [email protected]
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