Authorities in Iraq announced this week that nine lions due to be transferred from Uday Hussein’s private zoo to South African wildlife rehabilitation centres will not be released ”in these unstable times”.
The Mail & Guardian reported in late May that an agreement had been reached between animal welfare groups, the coalition forces and the post-war civil administration in Baghdad to evacuate the lions from Hussein’s private menagerie and return them to Africa.
The move, due to have taken place in mid-July, would not have been merely symbolic. The main zoo in Baghdad is already overcrowded, with 10 lions sharing one compound. A lioness rescued from an entertainment centre is expected to give birth to cubs soon.
Squabbling between various international and South African welfare groups, as well as objections from international zoo associations, put an end to the relocation plans.
There are allegations that one welfare group even hired a private guard of 20 soldiers, who raided the zoo’s premises and threatened staff.
Staff at the zoo, who are being paid by international welfare groups, are protective and jealous of the animals in their charge. They have staged public demonstrations with placards proclaiming, ”Iraqi lions for the Iraqis. Don’t take our lions!”
Two months ago, when welfarists first started helping the zoo, the animals were abandoned, shell-shocked and starving.
During the invasion of Iraq by coalition forces, the animal population in the zoo crashed from 838 animals to just half a dozen. Most of the inmates were poached for food, or to be kept as exotic pets.
Since the end of the conflict, many of the animals have been rescued from around Baghdad. The zoo now houses 86 animals, made up from 25 species.
The rescue efforts of the welfarists have received widespread international media coverage. They have also led to some heated exchanges between groups who are raising public funds to support the rescue.
”The new Iraqi government has decided that in these unstable times no animals will be transferred out of Iraq,” the Baghdad zoo said in a statement.
It is not clear whether Hussein’s nine lions will now be moved to the Baghdad zoo, which plans to open to the public later this month.
Meanwhile, the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria signed an agreement this week with Save China’s Tigers — the international organisation that aims to save the highly endangered South China tigers from extinction.
The agreement will see tiger cubs brought to South Africa in August, raised and rehabilitated here and eventually returned to reserves being established in China.
The first release in China is being timed to coincide with the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Save China’s Tigers originally signed agreements with local conservationists the Varty brothers. Relations broke down late last year, also leading to allegations of heavy-handed behaviour by privately hired security guards and a series of court actions.
The Vartys are continuing with their own tiger rehabilitation project involving two Bengal tigers in the Free State.