Yesterday, the British DailyMail referred to the terrible situation of the zoo located in the beginning of Ani district, Gyumri, calling it the saddest zoo in the world. DailyMail’s reference stirred the whole world. In its e-site, the British newspaper has posted a video of the zoo prepared by Aravot.am, numerous businessmen and concerned people around the world are writing letters to our editorial offering their assistance.
Yesterday, the American CBS television contacted Aravot.am with a request to use our material and try to organize an aid for the animals. However, even a fundraising is organized on the Facebook page under the heading “Help to save the animals in Gyumri” and the number of “SOS Gyumri Zoo Animals” Facebook group members is growing. Today, early morning, the flow of the groups photographing the Gyumri Zoo and the representatives of individual organizations visiting the zoo is endless, they come to take photos of the animals, make notes and depart.
Despite the international uproar, the owner of the zoo, Styopa Vardanyan, who is ill and unable to get out of the house is unaware of all this. On hearing about the reference of the international organizations from us, he was both happy and sad, noting that he feels ashamed all over the world. “No one has contacted me, I am unaware, I hear it from you, but I must say that there is now a wonderful guy by the name Arsen Vardanyan, who volunteered to come and feed my animals. In addition to Arsen, no one does anything, nothing has been done at the state level, even though you know that the Ministry of Nature Protection had set up a Committee. The only people who work for the zoo are Arsen and his volunteers. We are working on the medical documents to send the bears in Romania, we have already agreed on this, we are going to give the bears to their zoo, they have 50-60 bears, they collect bears. We are waiting for them to come and take the bears with them, but the fate of the lions is still unknown. I am so sad that you cannot imagine, they are my animals and were born in the Gyumri Zoo, I do not want them to die, of course, I’m not going to let them die but I wish there would be at least a little care for them to keep them in Armenia. Isn’t it a shame for the whole Armenia to be unable to take care of three lions and one bear? Isn’t Armenia so helpless to be unable to keep 5 animals? I feel ashamed, I had never felt so bad, you are unable to take care of two bears, both the mayor and the Prime Minister…
This is not a topic for fun that the whole world is involved. Director of the Yerevan Zoo, Mr. Khachatryan, is a member of wildlife fund, so how do you defend that the animal dies of hunger and go outside as you do not want to help. You could at least do something and transfer them to the Yerevan Zoo, there is a doctor there, there are conditions there, each animal costs ten thousand drams per day to eat, it is not a big deal for which we feel ashamed all over the world. You are keeping 7-8 lions, and adding these two lions would not make a change, you have the lions – we have the lioness, it is not a big deal for you that you do not take them. I do not want them to take my animals, I cannot imagine how bad I feel,” said the owner.
Today, visiting the zoo, we learned from the employee Hovhannes Madoyan that one of the bears, Misha, has been recovered recently, he had got sick because of eating frozen cabbage. Many efforts were applied to normalize the health condition of the bear. Five sleepless nights were spent for milk, medicines and eggs to recover. The Zoo staff member Hovhannes Madoyan said that even though voluntary Arsen Vardanyan is constantly supplying with food, but they have to feed the lions one time to make the food enough for all. The have to feed the animals after 16:00 pm so that they would feel full and do not get cold at nights, if they stay hungry, they will get cold.
According to Hovhannes Madoyan, the bears’ food is not sufficient too, you need to give different meals for keeping them healthy. He was upset that the kindergartens are not working now to ask for preparing a lap at least for the bears. The Zoo employee was puzzled that a small town like Armavir has a zoo, but nobody thinks of the Gyumri Zoo. We also spoke to the Shirak marz representative of the UN Armenian Association, voluntary Arsen Vardanyan. He said that seeing the poor condition of the animals, 2-3 months ago they formed an initiative group called “Save the Animals”. Now, with the help of the Armenian Environmental network representative Seda Ozmenyan and our compatriot living in Spain, they are able to obtain some food: meat and vegetables.
Incidentally, the meat, according to our interlocutor, should mandatorily pass a medical check. The go to the villages to obtain food and to the market in the evening to collect useless and fresh fish for the animals. “Currently, we have encountered problems related to the health condition of the animals: digestion, a special treatment of the lion against intestinal worms, we had purchased medications. Treatments were carried out by the recommendations of the specialists,” said Arsen Vardanyan. He says that all this is a manifestation of a goodwill, it cannot be forever, it is necessary to find a way to rescue the animals.
Arsen Vardanyan also said that an agreement has been signed to transfer the bears to Romania but the process is delayed due to the lack of passports for the animals. Arsen Vardanyan also said that after the publication of the British DailyMail, the reaction obtained a new impetus but our interlocutor wonders whether the international media should refer that people in Armenia should pay attention and respond to the situation.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
