Minister of the
Economy, Trade and Industry
Mr.Shoichi
Nakagawa
(competent dept.: Trade
and Economic Cooperation Bureau,Agriculture
and Marine Products Office)
Dear Sir,
We, a nation wide association that
watches the traffic of wild animals
and checks the facilities for animals
such as zoos, would like to demand
that you refuse to permit the import
of 2 Asian elephants from Thailand
because of the following reasons.
According to The Jyunkan Miyazaki
newspaper, 2 young elephants from
Thailand are going to be imported
to "Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo" in
July to express thanks to a Japanese
NGO, that has been planting trees
in Surin.
The elephants will be also a memorial
stuff of the 80th anniversary of
the Miyazaki municipal government's
enforcement.
1. Concerning the origin of elephants
Asian elephants are under the regulations
of CITES, except when they are subjects
of scientific study in zoos, because
they are a species under threat of
extinction. In the case of Asian
elephants, CITES demands it should
be proved that they have not been
in the wild for 3 generations.
The zoo said that the elephants
were bred in captivity. However,
in Thailand they breed elephants
after letting them back into the
wild.
It is doubtful that we can call
such elephants complete captivity
bred animals.
2. Concerning the welfare of
animals
According to Article III, paragraph
3b,the Managing Authority of importing
country should consider if the facility
is suitable for keeping and caring
about animals.
However, there are neither laws
for zoos nor the public organizations
which guide and supervise zoos.
Some local residents informed us
of the poor condition in the zoo.
We would like to demand that you
investigate the zoo to examine if
the facility is suitable for the
animals.
3. Elephants can not breed in
captivity
According to Article III, paragraph
3c) an import permit must only be
granted for Appendix I specimens
if these are not to be used for primarily
commercial purposes.
In Japan animals that are listed
to CITES I are allowed under a breeding
program, purportedly a scientific
research by zoos. At this time animals
are also allowed to be imported for
scientific purposes. However, the
Managing Authority should check if
the purpose of this importation can
be justified.
While about 70 Asian elephants are
kept in Japan's zoos, no Asian elephants
have been bred. Because elephants
are highly socialized animals, which
live in a maternal family, simple
keeping of male and female animals
does not cause breeding.
Moreover, male elephants are rarely
kept in captivity because it is hard
and dangerous to control them in
the breeding season. Based on the
actual situation in Japan, there
will never be proper conditions where
Asian elephants can be bred. Therefore
it is a falsehood that they apply
for the import under a scientific
(breeding)purpose.
In March the first Asian baby elephant
was born in Oji zoo.However, the
mother neglected the baby so that
he has been raised by keepers.
4. Concrening the custom of presenting
animals
The custom of presenting animals
should be abandoned.
Elephants can not be used under
the cloak of charity,"friendship".Moreover,
keeping elephants that will survive
for more than 60 years should be
a great burden on a public zoo such
as Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo.
We think what we should convey to
future generation in the 21st century
how important it is to conserve our
natural environment,and the wild
animals which we can not recover
once we lose.
Director of ALIVE
Fusako Nogami
We have attached the following documents.
Council Directive 1999/22EC of 29
March 1999 relating to the keeping
of wild animals in zoos
Zoo Licensing Act 1981
Guidelines for animal welfare issued by OIE
