Wednesday November 4, 2009
Zoos a protector of animal rights
THE letter “Zoos must stop breeding animals” from Jason Baker, director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), Asia Hong Kong (The Star, Oct 31) is an anti-thesis to current global environmental education of the important role of zoos around the world.
The concerns raised by Jason Baker is understandable.
However, his extreme advocacy that zoos must stop breeding animals is unrealistic given the important role played by zoos in the protection and rehabilitation of animals, particularly endangered species, as a result of industrialisation.
In both developed and developing countries, zoos in fact complement the United Nations’ environmental awareness efforts and national environmental education in a big way, apart from the ubiquitous National Geographic animal programmes shown on television.
Developing countries do not have the luxury of expansive grassland inherited by African countries to breed animals in their natural surroundings.
However, geographical disadvantage should not be an obstacle.
By adopting global best practices in zoo management and animal breeding policy implemented by well-known zoos in developed countries, and followed by their counterparts in many Asian countries via technical assistance, the living quality, breeding and treatment of animals kept in zoos have seen gradual improvement in recent years.
Recent allocation of animal conservation parks and its expansion have minimised negative environmental impact on animals in the wild/natural habitat and zoos.
In this regard, they have performed tremendously well in their responsibility as an advocate of animal rights at both the national and global platforms.
JEONG CHUN PHUOC,
Shah Alam.
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