THE Animal Party supports the protest by 269life Animal Liberation Cyprus against the incarceration of animals in zoos which will take place on Sunday in front of the Limassol zoo, the party announced on Friday.
With its announcement, the party wants to add another dimension to the big issue concerning zoos, dolphinarium and any other premises which host wildlife, they said.
“It is clear that we are in no way in favour of the incarceration and lifelong capture – which we consider synonymous with the abuse – of wild animals in cemented, crappy cages,” the announcement said.
“Animals should be able to express normal behavior and fulfill the role that nature has entrusted them to play within natural ecosystems. The protection of a species can be effective only in their natural environment and provided it is accompanied by the protection of the entire ecosystem. It is also a myth that zoos promote environmental awareness and protect species threatened with extinction.”
The Animal Party has a list of questions for all zoo managers in Cyprus, the minister of agriculture and all government departments dealing with the environment and nature on the subject.
How many species of animals are housed in the zoo, the destination of the planned visit?
How did these animals come to be in the zoo, and how is their origin documented?
How many of the animals are included in the list of threatened species?
How many births and how many deaths occurred during the last five years?
What were the causes of death?
What is the average age?
Where are the animals taken when they get sick or when they are older and are no longer a ‘pleasant’ sight for the public?
How many of the species included in the list of threatened species were born in the zoo in the last five years?
How much of the zoo’s annual income is spent for the purpose of protecting natural habitats?
How many representatives of threatened species born in the zoo were released into their natural habitat in the last five years?
“Animals were born in the wild, that is where they belong,” the statement concludes.
The protesters will meet at 3pm on Sunday at Nero Café on the Molos promenade in Limassol. From there they will march to the zoo. They will remain there until the zoo closes at 5pm. For more info see https://www.facebook.com/269lifeAnimalLiberationCyprus/
