Once one of West Africa’s most stunning zoos, Abidjan’s menagerie became a sad victim of the country’s political turmoil but help from South Africa could give it a facelift and its animals a new lease on life.
Boasting more than 200 animals from about 50 different species, the zoo suffered from lack of attention and funding during the crisis years that the former jewel of West Africa has gone through, losing out on international tourism.
”Since its creation very few shelters and cages have been built, putting at risk the lives of animals exposed to bad weather,” deplored the zoo’s director, Ayekoue Yapo.
About 100 animals died in three years, said Yapo, lamenting the fact that the establishment has to make do with a €50 000 annual budget, which is insufficient to feed, look after and protect the inmates.
Elephants, lions, chimpanzees and crocodiles live in delapidated shelters mainly built in the 1930s. The enclosing wall and its fence are in ruins and risk collapsing. The only vehicle available, that is supposed to do the 50km round trip of the zoo delivering food to the animals, breaks down daily.
To give the inmates a new lease of life, Yapo intends to establish ”true relations” with a Pretoria zoo, and re-energise his project thanks to financial support from South Africa.
A €150 000 rehabilitation programme of the Côte d’Ivoire zoo was launched in 2001 but never implemented because of the political crisis.
Two South African veterinary surgeons visited the zoo in August 2004, under a mission coordinated by the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (Paazab) to help look after the animals, many of which were in distress.
The two specialists treated the lions, Lea, Simba and Loulou, as well as the chimpanzees Judith and Bras, stopping an inexorable wave of deaths that had reduced the animals from 320 in 2002 to 231 three years later.
The South African support should also allow the installation of a 20ha special zone to accommodate species like a 100-year-old tortoise that weighs more than 100kg.
The South African experts will also work to increase the number of animals, and plan to start a breeding programme for the elephants Taya, Azagny and Canne, the true stars of the establishment.
The team also plan to try and increase the numbers of the endangered white-naped central African guenon.
”The death of this monkey would constitute a great loss for Abidjan Zoo,” said Julien Irie, who takes care of the animals.
A small buffalo was born on December 22 and was named Christmas, as well as a new monkey and a hind. This year, the zoo awaits the arrival of another buffalo. And a baby chimpanzee, baptized Fanta, was found in the national park of Tai on the western border with Liberia.
Once located on the western outskirts of Côte d’Ivoire’s economic capital Abidjan, the zoo is now found within city limits, encircled by hundreds of concrete buildings erected during the wild urbanisation of recent years. – AFP
