1.
Zoo check campaign by ALIVE
There are 95 zoos and 68 aquariums that belong to JAZA(Japan Zoo Aquarium
Association) in Japan. In addition to these, there are almost 50 small zoos
adjoining parks managed by towns etc. and private zoos where animals are
kept in poor conditions.
The number of visitors
to zoos has been decreasing and this
condition continues. ALIVE, stablished
in 1996, promoted a zoo check as
its' first campaign. This has caused
big social repercussions and has
been reported by major newspapers
and TV media.
I was invited as a
speaker at the meeting for keepers
or zoos. Since we promoted this campaign,
the importance of enrichment has
been widely recognized.
Unfortunately only
few groups work on the zoo issue
as their main activity. ALIVE has
too many issues to work on to keep
promoting the zoo campaign through
the year.
2. Bear park
investigation
Since 1991, ALIVE has cooperated with WSPA to investigate bear parks including
the promotion of a campaign. I collected petitions demanding the protection
and the ban of trading bear gall when the CITES conference was held in Kyoto.
After then I submitted the petitions to the Ministry of Environment and held
a press conference.
In 1997 Mr.Watkins
visited Japan to investigate these
parks and since then ALIVE has been
working on this issue.
I deeply appreciate
WSPA, that has made every possible
effort to save bears that are kept
in these miserable bear parks. Bear
parks, as well as zoos, have had
a reduction of visitors so that some
of them have had to reduce business
or close the facilities. However,
bear parks that are included in a
travel tour course keep the same
poor conditions. That is why ALIVE
thinks that excluding them from travel
tours will be the most effective
way to close them.
3. Activity to
stop the importation of wild animals
to zoos and other
facilities
ALIVE investigates the issue of wild animals that are imported into Japan.
We cooperate with international animal protection groups to stop the importation
and to prevent smuggling.
Sea otters
In 1998 August, 6 Alaskan
sea otters were imported to 3 Japanese
aquariums 2 of them died just after
being imported. We promoted then
a campaign to stop the importation
in cooperation with HSUS(USA) and
EII.
In 1999 December, 2
aquariums applied for capturing 5
Alaskan sea otters to FWS. At this
time too, we worked with HSUS and
EII to stop the importation in 2000
February.
In 2002 July, the plan
to capture 2 killer whales in Russia
to send them to Nagoya airport aquarium
was stopped. IKAN and other group
mainly worked on this issue.
Orangutangs
In 1999 June, a pet
shop in Osaka smuggled 4 babies orangutans
and gibons. ALIVE, in cooperation
with JWCS, worked on concerned areas
and especially with the Indonesian
Embassy. As a result, they were brought
back to a rehabilitation facility
in Indonesia in 2002 February. Moreover,
we collected petitions demanding
a severe punishment to send a court.
We do not know if this was effective
or not, however, after all, the smuggler
was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months.
Our next work is to revise the law
so that it will make such a kind
of pet shop close its business.
Elephants
In 1999 March, 3 African
elephants were planned to import
to Fuji Safari Park from South Africa
and Botuana. We worked on this issue
with South Africa SPCA and could
prevent it.
In 2000 May, 27 ivory
(500 kg) was smuggled into Japan
via Singapore. We demanded the concerned
authorities to strengthen control
and prevent this crime from being
repeated.
In 2002 August, we
found that a Japanese journalist
had a plan to send SriLankan elephants
to Croatia as a gift. We worked on
this issue with LIFE, an animal protection
association in Croatia and stopped
it. In 2003 May, FOKSI, an Indonesian
NGO contacted us about the issue
of importing 5 Sumatran elephants.
We worked together to prevent it.
4.Activity to
oppose against the transfer of
monkeys, that are kept in zoos
and in parks for wild monkeys,
to the facilities for animal experimentation
Most Japanese zoos keep Japanese monkeys, which are captured in the wild.
There is a bad habit that surplus monkeys are transferred to facilities such
as university medical dep. as animals for experimentation.
In 1998 April, 37 Japanese
monkeys, that were being kept in
Shiroyama park, Niigata city, were
transferred to a facility for animal
experimentation.
ALIVE criticized Niigata
city because of this irresponsible
act. In Many parks for wild monkeys,
where people feed them, the same
thing happens.That is why ALIVE criticizes
the act of feeding wild animals.
In 1998 February, at the hall of the winter Olympics in Nagano, we promoted
a campaign for the protection of wild monkeys and against their transfer
to facilities for animal experimentation.
In 2000 July, we demanded
that Oita city not transfer wild
monkeys, that were being kept in
a park for wild monkeys near Takasaki
mountain.We succeeded in suspending
this plan temporarily.
In 2000, we investigated
the real condition of wild Japanese
monkeys and found out the fact that
pest hunted monkeys were also sold
to the facilities for animal experimentation.
In 2001,the Diet picked
up this issue and as a result, the
transfer of wild monkeys for experimentation
was stopped.
However, people have started trying to use the monkeys that are kept in zoos
for perimentation. We are promoting an opposition campaign against this movement.
5.For
revising a standard for zoos
and an establishment of a law
for zoos
ALIVE has worked on revising the law concerning the protection and control
of animals for a long time through activities such as positive lobbying.
In 1999 December, the
law was revised for the first time
in 27 years.
However,this revision was far from perfect. Therefore we have started again
to work on the next revision, that is supposed to be done 5 from now in 2004.
Accompanied with the
revision,the standard relating to
the keeping and custody of animals
for exhibiiton, etc. will be revised
this year. We are going to give our
opinions to a draft for the revision.
Moreover, we are also
continuing to work on establishing
of a law for zoos through lobbying.
Some Diet members support our activities
on this issue.
I was invited as a speaker at the meeting for keepers or zoos. Since we promoted this campaign, the importance of enrichment has been widely recognized.
Unfortunately only few groups work on the zoo issue as their main activity. ALIVE has too many issues to work on to keep promoting the zoo campaign through the year.
2. Bear park investigation
Since 1991, ALIVE has cooperated with WSPA to investigate bear parks including the promotion of a campaign. I collected petitions demanding the protection and the ban of trading bear gall when the CITES conference was held in Kyoto. After then I submitted the petitions to the Ministry of Environment and held a press conference.
In 1997 Mr.Watkins visited Japan to investigate these parks and since then ALIVE has been working on this issue.
I deeply appreciate WSPA, that has made every possible effort to save bears that are kept in these miserable bear parks. Bear parks, as well as zoos, have had a reduction of visitors so that some of them have had to reduce business or close the facilities. However, bear parks that are included in a travel tour course keep the same poor conditions. That is why ALIVE thinks that excluding them from travel tours will be the most effective way to close them.
3. Activity to stop the importation of wild animals to zoos and other
facilities
ALIVE investigates the issue of wild animals that are imported into Japan.
We cooperate with international animal protection groups to stop the importation and to prevent smuggling.
Sea otters
In 1998 August, 6 Alaskan sea otters were imported to 3 Japanese aquariums 2 of them died just after being imported. We promoted then a campaign to stop the importation in cooperation with HSUS(USA) and EII.
In 1999 December, 2 aquariums applied for capturing 5 Alaskan sea otters to FWS. At this time too, we worked with HSUS and EII to stop the importation in 2000 February.
In 2002 July, the plan to capture 2 killer whales in Russia to send them to Nagoya airport aquarium was stopped. IKAN and other group mainly worked on this issue.
Orangutangs
In 1999 June, a pet shop in Osaka smuggled 4 babies orangutans and gibons. ALIVE, in cooperation with JWCS, worked on concerned areas and especially with the Indonesian Embassy. As a result, they were brought back to a rehabilitation facility in Indonesia in 2002 February. Moreover, we collected petitions demanding a severe punishment to send a court. We do not know if this was effective or not, however, after all, the smuggler was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months. Our next work is to revise the law so that it will make such a kind of pet shop close its business.
Elephants
In 1999 March, 3 African elephants were planned to import to Fuji Safari Park from South Africa and Botuana. We worked on this issue with South Africa SPCA and could prevent it.
In 2000 May, 27 ivory (500 kg) was smuggled into Japan via Singapore. We demanded the concerned authorities to strengthen control and prevent this crime from being repeated.
In 2002 August, we found that a Japanese journalist had a plan to send SriLankan elephants to Croatia as a gift. We worked on this issue with LIFE, an animal protection association in Croatia and stopped it. In 2003 May, FOKSI, an Indonesian NGO contacted us about the issue of importing 5 Sumatran elephants. We worked together to prevent it.
4.Activity to oppose against the transfer of monkeys, that are kept in zoos and in parks for wild monkeys, to the facilities for animal experimentation
Most Japanese zoos keep Japanese monkeys, which are captured in the wild.
There is a bad habit that surplus monkeys are transferred to facilities such as university medical dep. as animals for experimentation.
In 1998 April, 37 Japanese monkeys, that were being kept in Shiroyama park, Niigata city, were transferred to a facility for animal experimentation.
ALIVE criticized Niigata city because of this irresponsible act. In Many parks for wild monkeys, where people feed them, the same thing happens.That is why ALIVE criticizes the act of feeding wild animals.
In 1998 February, at the hall of the winter Olympics in Nagano, we promoted a campaign for the protection of wild monkeys and against their transfer to facilities for animal experimentation.
In 2000 July, we demanded that Oita city not transfer wild monkeys, that were being kept in a park for wild monkeys near Takasaki mountain.We succeeded in suspending this plan temporarily.
In 2000, we investigated the real condition of wild Japanese monkeys and found out the fact that pest hunted monkeys were also sold to the facilities for animal experimentation.
In 2001,the Diet picked up this issue and as a result, the transfer of wild monkeys for experimentation was stopped.
However, people have started trying to use the monkeys that are kept in zoos for perimentation. We are promoting an opposition campaign against this movement.
5.For revising a standard for zoos and an establishment of a law for zoos
ALIVE has worked on revising the law concerning the protection and control
of animals for a long time through activities such as positive lobbying.
In 1999 December, the law was revised for the first time in 27 years.
However,this revision was far from perfect. Therefore we have started again to work on the next revision, that is supposed to be done 5 from now in 2004.
Accompanied with the revision,the standard relating to the keeping and custody of animals for exhibiiton, etc. will be revised this year. We are going to give our opinions to a draft for the revision.
Moreover, we are also continuing to work on establishing of a law for zoos through lobbying. Some Diet members support our activities on this issue.
Some animals were patently ill or injured, others lacked a leg or were impeded in other ways. This is of course not to argue that such animals should be removed from sight, but it was evident that no medical treatment was given. The danger of contagious diseases was also present.
Kiosks were selling animal feed with which visitors would entice the animals to approach their cars. "Feed the wild animals," ran the educationally dubious message.
Light haired animals
All the animals on display were of a whitish colour. The majority was kept in enclosures with neither trees or bushes which might have afforded shade or shelter. Had their hair possibly been bleached by UV rays and acid rain? Even the lion in its den was white.
According to zoo director Kumakubo's book "My life 300 years", on sale at the kiosks, he collects albinos. Whether lion, tiger, peacock or monkey, he gets it if it is white, and tries to make it breed. However, since albinos are rare, breeding them carries the risk of genetic degradation.
Kumakubo-san's business plan does not contain any educational or zoological aspects, it is simply to collect rare animals.
The problem of safety
Not to spend any money on the park seems to be part of the business plan. The fences are shoddily made from scrapwood, and it is easily imaginable that animals will escape during an emergency.
Last year's floods in Nasu for instance, left clear traces in the park, suggesting that large quantities of faeces might be washed into the river. On the other hand, a fire can also not be excluded.
Carcasses from diseased animals used as feed
Mr. Kumakubo is licensed by the prefecture to purchase dead animals from livestock breeders. He dissects the carcasses and feeds them to the carnivores in the park. Again, feeding meat considered unfit for human consumption to animals clearly carries the risk of disease.
"Safari" remains an unnatural concept
When we visited the safari park, the temperature was unusually low and snow was falling. In the sleet, two hippos were lying on their side in the mud. Their whole skin was covered with cracks. The lion likewise was getting wet.
The author Fujiwara Eiji, who in his book "The lion of the snow country" first criticised the state of Japanese zoos, quite rightly questions the wisdom of moving lions, which normally inhabit dry, hot savannahs, to an area embedded in snow clad mountains.
Neither Tohoku nor Nasu safari park are members of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquaria, they are one man shows run by an eccentric 68 year old individual. The mere thought of what will happen to all the surplus animals when Kumakubo-san dies makes one shudder.
These safari parks seem to have been profitable for long years, and the visitors have made Kumakubo-san a rich man. So let's avoid these zoos and spend our next free day in a more enjoyable and educational place.
