Castellar Zoo (English) from Igualdad Animal on Vimeo.
SPAIN (Agencies) The treatment given animals in Spain is worrying the European Commission. It therefore initiated proceedings yesterday on the treatment given animals at abbatoirs and threatened Spain with fines for those who live in zoos. As to the latter, the fines could be into the millions becausethe country ostensibly does not meet European regulations about the care of the animals nor on authorization for the zoos themselves. Spain was already fined because those zoo regulations were not being met in several regions (Aragón, Asturias, Balears, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Extremadura and Galicia) and proof has not yet been received that the proper "authorization is being issued, nor that the zoos that did not meet the required standards had been closed," according to an EU communiqué published yesterday. Recently, there have been demostrations all over Spain against animal cruelty, which followed a report issued by a pressure group called Igualdad Animal (Animal Equality) in which several zoos, including those of Jerez and Castellar (above), were condemned for the quality of care and space. Igualdad Animal demanded the closure of the zoos in their report because the animals suffer at "physical and psychological level, their facilities do not meet their needs, there is nowhere for them to look for food and there is no live vegetation nearby. We have chosen to show the Castellar zoo documentary because it is in the Campo de Gibraltar. However, zoos all over the country were included in it.
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ReplyDeletefollowing the article on Castellar Zoo I would like to add something in their defense!
We visited the zoo with my grandchildren 3 weeks ago and were very impressed with the dedication and hard work of the staff there. Granted some of the accommodation for animals looks small but there is a lot of ongoing work to improve this. When you learn that the majority of the animals/ birds there have been either dumped on their doorstep or rescued from apartments in the likes of Sotogrande, you quickly begin to admire the staff for looking after animals and birds that have been purchased or obtained by thoughtless members of the public and then abondoned by them when they become too large or difficult to look after.
So instead of knocking the zoo, why don't you go along there and give them your support by paying admission fees and helping them to support the animals.
Look out for Graham - he gave us a tour and allowed to get up close and personal with several of the birds and animals - an experience neither us or our grandchildren will forget.
Val