November 2007
|
DISTURBING NEW PROBE REVEALS
“SUFFERING ON AN OLYMPIC SCALE”
IN CHINESE ZOOS
 |
A filmed investigation by a British team has exposed the sickening cruelty of zoos in China and sparked a worldwide campaign for the 2008 Olympics host nation to draft urgent animal protection legislation. |
The team of UK eco-investigators were sent to zoos and safari parks across China by international animal welfare group One Voice: `What they found reduced these experienced professionals to tears,’ says One Voice founder Muriel Arnal. `China wants to impress the world with a memorable summer Games - its zoos are memorable only for their barbarism.’
The investigators found animals suffering in some of the world’s worst captive conditions, in zoos often on the doorstep of China’s new ultra-modern Olympic facilities. Their findings include :
· Animals beyond count forced to live in tiny, dirty, barren cages and enclosures - many in solitary confinement - and driven to mentally disturbed behaviour by their extreme captivity
· Terrified animals forced to perform degrading tricks by trainers armed with metal spikes
· Visitors buying and throwing live chickens to the big cats for amusement, sometimes down specially-made chutes or hatches in safari park tour coaches
· Already-traumatised animal inmates being taunted and mocked by visiting families on an alarming scale.
At Chonqing Safari Park in the team filmed its regular “Animal Olympics” show, a sickening parody of the real Games that included two bears in boxing gloves goaded into hitting each other for three agonising rounds to audience laughter.
At Qingdao Zoo in tortoises are used for target practice: visitors throw coins into their money-strewn tank attempting to hit their heads “for luck” - elastic bands tied round the stricken animals’ necks prevent them from retracting their heads.
One Voice has launched an on-line petition calling on China to end its zoo cruelty by drafting general animal welfare legislation: currently it has none whatsoever. `A recent survey part-funded by One Voice showed that the Chinese people overwhelmingly want a welfare law too,’ says Ms. Arnal. `It’s obscene that a super-power hosting the world’s greatest sporting event can continue to permit sentient creatures to be abused en masse for entertainment.’ |
© One Voice |
|
|