Every year, on October 4, we mark the World Animal Day in about 66 countries. We, Armenians, are informed about this day via the news feed but forget to celebrate. The World Animal Day is not just a holiday. This day should be considered not so much festive as an important motivation for one more day to keep the animals in the spotlight and raise the problems that are solved in favor of the animals. This day in the Armenian calendar can be considered not so much as a protection but as a day of indifference and inattentiveness against animals which perhaps is continuous for about decades.
This problem obviously became evident since 2010 when the animals appeared in a desperate situation in Gyumri private zoo or even the beasts faced the problems of survival and extermination which initially bothered not so much to the zoo director Stepan Vardanyan but the animals of the zoo. Gyumri City Hall also remained abstained from organizing initiatives to save 7 animals of the zoo: Masha and Misha bears, 3 lions and 2 hyenas though Gyumri municipality spokesperson Sona Arakelyan said that the municipality is negotiating on transferring the animals to the zoos in Yerevan and Armavir cities.
Unfortunately and not accidentally, this problem drew the attention by the Head of the international department of Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS), Tagmar Meyer and Daily Mail periodical by calling it “the world’s saddest zoo.” Internationalizing the desperate condition of the zoo once again proved that Armenia’s local authorities represent incapable and inactive power. The recent press conference talked about the future fate of the animals in this private zoo in Gyumri. Deputy Minister of nature Protection, Khachik Hakobyan said that the problem that was raised back in 2015 eventually was resolved thanks to the cooperation of Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), the World Veterinary Service partners, local and other global partners.
“We were having problems with the Zoo in Gyumri, in particular, three lions and two bears were in very poor conditions, there were problems with nutrition procedure that were due to the deterioration of financial situation of the owner of the Zoo and I would like to state that today the problem has been fully settled,” – said Mr. Hakobyan. He informed that the bears Masha and Misha were moved to the Yerevan zoo in January, have passed a medical examination, chipped, vaccinated and now they are in the recovery phase. When talking about the lions, Mr. Hakobyan noted that the animals were moved to the “Caucasian Reserve” located in the neighborhood of Khosrov Reserve, where they passed a first medical aid, vaccinated and chipped.
The final shelter of the bears would be in Romania, in “Romanian Shelter” and the lions – in the UK. The poor condition of Gyumri Zoo once again shows that the discrimination against wild animals is increasing day by day. Animals or furious beasts behind the bars of the abandoned zoo, this problem should be made public. Founder of FPWC Ruben Khachatryan thinks that this problem received public and global nature after the alarms by Daily Mail magazine and other global organizations. Ruben Khachatryan noted that what is important here is to find an ultimate shelter for the animals so that they would be safe and healthy.
He said that the bears will move to Romania in the near future, but regarding the transportation of the lions, he could not give specific terms. Eventually, raising one of the most important problems of the zoo in the Armenians press became as a news, which for the global periodicals, it was a tool for disgrace and call for soberness. Director of Peak Wildlife Park Zoo (UK), Colin MacDougall, said that he has arrived in Yerevan for the problem of Gyumri Zoo that has become in the spotlight of the international community. In his words, the Peak Wildlife Park Zoo will host the lions that still cannot be transported to Great Britain due to health problems.
The desperation condition in the Gyumri Zoo is the part of the whole which unfortunately is not obviously transferred to the public and gradually leads to animal slaughter and destruction of nature. The same situation exists not only in Gyumri but also Armavir and Hrazdan zoos and why not, the Yerevan Zoo in the future, becoming another motive for inattentiveness and disgrace. We do not need the disgrace to understand and evaluate the public problems of the country. These problems should not be globalized by becoming a cause for shame in the international and global arena rather have a solution inside the country to be truly a holiday for the sake of the world protection day of nature and animals.
Maro NALBANDYAN
Let’s face it, when it comes to animal care we Armenians don’t give a rats ass. No compassion whatsoever. Close that darn Gyumri zoo and be done with it.