I was just reading in TIME Magazine about the recent death of a captured snow lion in Afganistan and the deaths of 11 Siberian tigers at a zoo in China. Both types of cats are very rare, and it saddens me a great deal to read about each case. It is easy to forget about the importance of animal welfare considering everything else that goes on in the world, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
In the case of the snow leopard, I think it’s interesting that the man who was called to rescue him is quoted as saying, “My guess–and it is just that–is that it died from shock.” Now this man, Richard Fite, is a veterinarian from New Hampshire who serves as an adviser for the US Department of Agriculture in Afghanistan and was called in to help rescue and care for the snow leopard. But the article also mentions that Fite was more accustomed to treating farm animals and noticed the snow leopard seemed sick. Now, I’m sure he did everything he could, but why, if he was not used to treating exotic animals, did he not call someone else in to properly treat the snow leopard? So, no, it probably didn’t die of shock; it probably died because it was already sick when it ended up in the hunter’s trap in the first place and just did not get treated properly. This saddens me even more because it most likely could have been saved had it been appropriately treated in time. And the fact they decided to release it back into the wild when it was obviously not well enough…? I just cannot understand their thought process here. I’m sure the animal was in a state of shock at being captured and held and not understanding what was happening to it, but it just seems to me that a better course of action could have been taken on all counts.
While all zoos keep animals in captivity, many in the US do a good job of providing the animals with nice living conditions and proper food. So it can be easy to forget that other countries may not hold the same standards for their animals. Most zoos here also try to educate visitors about the plight of endangered animals and other protection issues. It seems this particular zoo in China does not. The picture of the tiger in its extremely small cage is so sad. The fact that it has to live in a cage at all in this day and age is cruel, inhumane, and enraging. And 11 of them from just one zoo are now dead due to forced malnutrition and horrid living conditions? That is unconscionable.
Please consider donating to one or more of the following organizations if you are able to. I wouldn’t normally solicit readers or anyone for that matter for a specific cause but, in this case, donating to wildlife organizations is often the only way that animals can get help when they are in desperate need the world over.
Wildlife Conservation Society
World Wildlife Fund
American Humane
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