No Kenyan Wildlife for Thailand Zoo
The Kenya and international coalition against the export of wildlife to Thailand, thousands of concerned Kenyans and NGOs around the world strongly oppose the Kenya government’s intention to export 300 of Kenya’s free-ranging wild animals to Chiang Mai Night Safari zoo in Thailand. We believe Kenya’s wildlife should remain in the wild in Kenya for the benefit of all Kenyans.
They are part of our magnificent national heritage. Outlined below are the reasons behind our concerns:
While Thailand was nearly kicked out of the CITES Convention, Kenya has achieved international recognition and respect for its conservation policies that have directly led to an increase in wildlife based tourism. This move to export wild animals threatens to negate Kenya’s unique position and could lead to a damaging decline in tourist numbers.
Kenya has always guarded against the exportation of its flora and fauna. By exporting these 300 animals, Kenya will be supporting bio-piracy which it has always stood against. That would be a dangerous precedent.
Kenya’s wild animals have adapted to our local environment over millennia. There are very real dangers in taking them to an alien environment where they will be susceptible to potentially fatal diseases (Zoo tigers in Thailand have recently been hit by Avian Flu resulting in the death of around 100 animals), let alone the trauma of capture, break up of family groups, tranquilization, transportation which all amounts to unbearable and cruel distress.
The exercise of capturing animals, caging them, and transporting them over long distances is a procedure that should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary for the benefit of the animals. The capture of wild animals for overseas zoos, which will result in excessive stress on these animals and risks high mortality is neither essential nor necessary for the Kenya wildlife.
July 29, 2005
Posted in: Thailand