According The Guardiens, Armenia is considered one of the 5 countries engaged in trade of wild animals. Exotic animals are sold in the black market, the sale of which is prohibited, because these animals are threatened with extinction and are listed in the Red Book. According to some sources, Armenia is considered a transit country for the buy-and-sell of these animals. Being a member of the “European Association of Zoos”, where there is a new approach to animals, the animals have no value, and being an elephant or a mouse, is counted in their balance as one unit, and it’s done for not encouraging the buy-and-sell of animals and making it a business.
But, next to it, there is a black market that people are breeding, selling and turning it into a business. The “Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora” (CITES) is neglected in Armenia, to which Armenia joined in 2009. CITES regulates the trade in endangered animals, import and export. Even Bonobo monkey species are coming to Armenia. This animal is in the list of endangered animals and it is found only in some zoos of the countries in the world, which cost quite high in the black market. It happens also that if you have money, you can buy all kind of animal, and there are individuals who are truly able to bring a parrot, snake, monkey or a tiger registered in the Red Book.
However, today, the goal of our article is not talking about violations of the Convention. There is a risk that the Ebola virus may penetrate into Armenia together with the imported animals, which has already taken thousands of lives worldwide. Some species of prohibited animals come out from African countries.
In the conversation with “Aravot”, Head of sanitary and epidemiological inspection Department at the Ministry of Health, Liana Torosyan, said that still in August the Ministry of Health had applied to the Ministry of Agriculture to ban the import of animals, especially the primates to the Republic of Armenia, including from the transit country. “Hunting in African countries, carcass meat of many animals is prohibited, we must be very careful not only during the import of animals. People who want to spend the Christmas holidays in African countries should not go, thereby reducing the risk, with which the virus can be penetrate into Armenia,” said Liana Torosyan.
“Aravot” talked to Hovhannes Mkrtchyan, Head of Food Safety State Service Veterinary at the Ministry of Agriculture, about the standards of import. He clarified how the procedure for import of wild animals is performed. “Business entity or individual entrepreneur submits an application at the food state service, which clearly states the name of the country he imports, as well as the number and species of wild animals. We, first of all, check the epidemiological situation of given country, whether an epidemiological case is registered or not, and whether this country is open for us or not, and if all the provisions of our requirements are met, then we give a permit,” said Mr. Mkrtchyan.
According to him, given the threat of Ebola virus, it is disallowed to bring wild animals from 4 African countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Congo and Libya. At the border control point, according to Hovhannes Mkrtchyan, the animals will be clinically examined by veterinarian – inspectors, and if there is any suspicion about infected and quarantine diseases, the animals would pass a quarantine and veterinary procedures right at the Bagratashen border control point, such as sampling, examination and taking the temperature to understand whether there is a disease or not, and only after then, the animal will be allowed to enter the territory of Armenia. “If such measures are not conducted at the border control point, the animals are staying in the territory of the entrepreneur under the supervision of specialists of the Inspection Service for 30 days,” said Mr. Mkrtchyan.
As to where from the animals of Armenia’s zoo are imported and whether we have animals imported from African countries, “Aravot” tried to find it out from the Zoo Director Ruben Khachatryan. This year, the Yerevan zoo was supplemented with new animals: 5 lama and one elephant, which, according to Mr. Khachatryan, are imported from Israel and Georgia. The zoo director assures that the animals are brought from the European zoo where the risk of being infected with infectious diseases, including Ebola, is low. “The source of the origin of the animal should be identified: where it was kept and brought up, also the animal should have a health certificate,” mentioned Ruben Khachatryan.
According to him, every country should have a place for quarantine for the sake of the safety of its country, which will be equipped with doctors, laboratory and other conditions. “It is a costly pleasure, but if you allow bringing animals, then you should be careful, knowing well that if it’s Africa, then everything can happen,” mentioned Mr. Khachatryan. According to him, the European Association of Zoos rules of procedure envisages a quarantine center equipped with doctors, laboratory and other conditions, where the newly imported animal passes an inspection. According to him, all the countries where there is no equivalent structure, any infection may be penetrated through animals.
Anush MATEVOSYAN
