From ASPCA News Alert -
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Things are finally looking a little brighter for the
residents of the Kabul Zoo. Although the buildings and displays were
ravaged by heavy artillery in 1992 and 1993--and many of the animals who
weren't eaten for food were beaten with sticks and pelted with rocks by
bored Taliban soldiers--19 of the original 37 species have survived,
including monkeys, wolves, a bear and a 45-year-old one-eyed lion named
Marjan. The big cat was blinded when an Afghan fighter threw a grenade
at him in the early 1990s. "He is as old as I am," zoo director Sheragha
Omar recently told the Associated Press. "The poor beast has no mate. He
is aging fast. Mostly, he is traumatized from his brush with death. But
we cannot let these animals die," continued Omar. "It is our Pashtun
honor. We do not count up the cost. Our duty is to save them."
Late last week, the UK-based World Society for the
Protection of Animals (WSPA) was able to get funds directly to the zoo
via a British newspaper. The money will provide ongoing veterinary care
and food for the zoo's animals for the next three months. WSPA is also
preparing to mobilize an animal-disaster relief team to visit the
country at the earliest opportunity. It is suspected that large numbers
of livestock may have been killed or injured as a result of the
conflict, and that rabies may become more of a problem. Says John Walsh,
WSPA's international projects director, "The current crisis in
Afghanistan has become a terrible tragedy for the people of the region
and their animals. In situations like this, WSPA has a long track record
of working to address the problems facing the livestock and pet animal
populations. During the previous conflict in Afghanistan, a WSPA team
visited the Kabul Zoo and provided medical treatment for the animals
there." For the latest updates on the situation, and to find out how you
can help,
visit WSPA online.
http://www.wspa-americas.org/
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