A tiger or a bear which turns around
the same place, or a elephant which
keeps on wagging its nose -- If you
see such animals in a zoo, they can
be believed tobe under mental stress.
In Europe, "Zoo Check Campaign" is
successful, which is to investigate
abnormal behavior of animals and
accuse the responsible institution
to make them improve unsuitable living
environment for animals. Finally,
a professional Zoo Checker visit
Japan to examine the actual conditions
here. The investigation has been
made for a week until July 30. This
project is implemented by the united
efforts of Japanese and British citizens'
groups. These groups plan to announce
the investigation report officially
and request the government and the
zoos to improve the present conditions.
With
the cooperation of Japan and
UK citizens' groups,
10 zoos have been checked
"The enclosure for elephants
is too small. The Mongoose is pacing
up and down the cage, this is apparently
abnormal behavior." Mr. John
Gripper (66), a veterinarian from
UK said at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. He
is one of 30 official zoo investigators
who are authorized under the British
law. He was taking pictures and taking
detailed notes whether the space
is wide enough, the floor is not
concrete but covered with soil, or
water is flowing.
He visits a total of 10 zoos from
Kanto through Shikoku districts with
a few Japanese volunteers without
any appointments.
In the zoos in Kanto and Central(Chubu)
districts, the party saw many animals
showing strange behavior such as
two Japanese black bears (driveling
white-collar-bears) which keep shaking
their heads in a small cage and monkeys
which are tearing off their own fur.
Also in Tennohji Zoo in Osaka, a
tiger and a polar bear walking up
and down in their enclosures caught
the party's eyes. Still the enclosure
is equipped with a pond for bathing,
and trees and grass are planted,
and so "This is not so bad for
the zoos in the middle of big city" commented
Mr. Gripper. He questioned the staff
earnestly about the breeding of scarce
species and their way of dealing
with too propagating animals.
After the investigation in Japan,
Mr. Gripper said "Some zoos,
even among public institutions, need
improvement concerning their small
spaces and too artificial environment
for animals."
This project is realized by a citizen's
group "ALIVE"(represented
by Fusako Nogami, Tokyo) in cooperation
with "Born Free Foundation" (established
in 1984 in London) well known as
a promoter of Zoo Check Campaign.
British zoos are authorized by self-governing
bodies. Every 4 years, all the zoos
in UK have to be visited and examined
by official inspectors and if advice
on environmental condition are given,
the condition should be improved
within 6 months. The authorization
could be revoked if no improvement
is confirmed.
"Born Free Foundation" has
got professional inspectors to check
more than a thousand zoos mostly
in Europe and USA and they accuse
all the institutions. They are going
to make a report on this visit in
which each zoo's name is shown, and
in September the leading members
will visit Japan to present some
definite plan for improvement to
the government and the institutions.
"ALIVE" made a leaflet
on Zoo Check and plans a study meeting
for common people. The director,
Ms. Nogami said "In Japan, rather
many animals are suffering from poor
living environment of zoos or any
other amusement parks. We don't have
any rules and regulations of animal
keeping environment, either. We would
like a lot of people to know the
actual conditions."
On the other hand, the former director
of Ueno Zoo, Asabu University Professor,
Mitsuko Masui commented, "I
have known Zoo Check Campaign since
a certain time in 80s and have supposed
that it will come to Japan sooner
or later. Some people criticize the
campaign as overprotection of animals,
but Japanese zoos are not perfect.
For example, the movement of arranging
the environmental condition for animals
according to their ecology
