Letter: Shameful animal performance

Fri, 04/11/2008 12:32 PM  |  Reader's Forum

I am an Italian lady who lives in Bali. Five months ago I visited the newly opened Marine & Zoo Safari, near the east coast. I will neither linger over the fact that the place is far from animal-friendly, nor will I describe the appalling display of concrete, generously yet unnecessarily scattered all over the site.

The thing that most disturbed me and my friends was the sight of many animals in very poor conditions, including several that were clearly ill. We were later told by the management they were rescued animals still under the stress of the recent move to the new habitat. Fair enough, recovery is hardly an overnight matter.

A few days ago I felt perhaps it was time to go back and see how the situation had evolved and if things had improved. Barely, I am afraid. To be fair, there were less sick animals but still many, and even the healthy ones looked rather... catatonic and not very cheerful.

Anyway, the sight is so depressing that you wish to reach the exit as soon as possible, even bypassing the shop where there was that cute toy you meant to buy on your arrival.

Before doing so though, there is another attraction that cannot be missed: the white tigers... and that was the final straw. A beautiful white tiger was chained on to a sort of stage inside a building.

The chain was very short, I assume for safety reasons that, I am sure, the tiger did not understand. It was clear the poor animal was very tired and intimidated, yet, two attendants kept preventing him from laying down on the floor by cornering (a very scary situation for any animal) and threatening him, one guy armed with a huge marine rope and the other with a tiny one more suitable for kicking the animal on the nose.

It was a reenactment of the notorious method of torture during which a prisoner is not allowed to sleep until he confesses his ill-deeds or "disagreements" or he goes mad. The two attendants wanted the animal to jump onto a fake trunk so visitors could take better photos and shoot their flashes directly into the tiger's eyes at a closer range.

It was about 3 o'clock p.m. Another staff member told me the game started in the morning; in fact, the animals are kept on this stage for at least 8 hours in a row. I just blew up and although I hate physical abuse I found it very difficult not to put my hands on the twosome who kept giggling throughout the shameful performance, out of sheer stupidity, I hope.

Many onlookers applauded my vehement complaint and I report this not for my pride but as evidence that my disgust was shared by many other visitors.

It is a fact that the vast majority of people do not like to see animals suffer. The management and the staff of the Marine & Zoo Safari must understand this and make sure all animals in their care are treated in the best possible manner, always. Hopefully this will happen before one of the white tigers loses his patience one day and tears apart one of his caretakers or, God forbid, the zoo keeps losing customers.

FIORENZA DAL CIN
Seminyak, Bali

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