The North Carolina Zoological Society will host a public dedication ceremony for the bronze Marjan sculpture on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 11 a.m. in front of the N. C. Zoo's Cato Patas Monkey Island exhibit.
This bronze sculpture memorializes Marjan, the African lion who once lived in the Kabul Zoo in Afghanistan, and who was an early victim of the Taliban's cruelty. The blind and battered Marjan came to mirror the suffering that is part of any war.
"Marjan's strength evoked compassion and he, for many, symbolized courage transcending international boundaries," said Russ Williams, N. C. Zoo Society executive director. "We are honored to have this sculpture here at the zoo and to have helped in the Kabul Zoo restoration."
Texas artist, Bob Coffee, moved by the plight of animals in Afghanistan and Marjan's death in 2002, created this statue as a tribute. Coffee will attend the ceremony to present zoo officials with this donated artwork. The sculpture will be on temporary loan to the North Carolina Zoo. The bronze will be permanently placed in Afghanistan at the Kabul Zoo later this year.
With worldwide attention focused on the starvation and the decimation of Kabul Zoo's animals, donors across the globe gave generously to help. More than $500,000 poured into the N. C. Zoological Society to rebuild the Kabul Zoo and provide veterinary care to Afghanistan's zoo and domestic animals.
For more information on the Marjan dedication or the N. C. Zoological Society contact the society offices at (336) 879-7250 or on the web at nczoo.com. The North Carolina Zoological Society is the private, nonprofit support organization for the North Carolina Zoo. The Zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources.
