Dear Friends,
The North Carolina Zoo and Zoo Society, like many people around the world, were concerned to learn of China's gift of animals to the Kabul Zoo. We, along with many other animal welfare groups, had asked that this transfer be delayed and were disappointed to learn that any animals had been sent into the war-torn city.
Although funds from the N.C. Zoo Society's Kabul Zoo and Afghan Animal funds have provided food, water and veterinary care to the animals in the Kabul Zoo and veterinary services in the city of Kabul, these funds have not yet provided for the major repairs and reconstruction that are needed to make the Kabul Zoo suitable for exhibit animals.
Consequently, we felt that the Kabul Zoo was not ready to receive additional animals and did what we could to oppose the move. However, now that these animals are there, we will do all that we can to ensure their health and well-being.
During the next few weeks, the N.C. Zoo will arrange to send a small group of professionals, probably from the United Kingdom, to Kabul to assess the immediate needs at that Zoo, determine the condition of the animals there and initiate actions to improve the facilities there.
We are still having difficulty communicating directly with the City of Kabul, and because newspaper reports from Kabul vary in accuracy, we have found that our most reliable news comes through the German military mission, the Mayhew Animal Home and the contacts we have established with United Nation's agencies working in Kabul.
Those reports tell us that Sambu, the bear, for example, is receiving regular treatment from resident military veterinarians. The condition of her nose has improved, but the case needs reviewing to see whether there is any more that we can do.
We had expected that, by now, administrative responsibility for the Kabul Zoo would have been transferred to the Ministry of Higher Education and that the Science faculty at Kabul University would be overseeing the day-to-day operations at the Kabul Zoo. That was the administrative structure that existed when the zoo was founded.
However, there appears to be a continuing debate about whether the University or the city Municipality should control the Kabul Zoo. Our colleagues in the Cologne Zoo in Germany, who are leading efforts related to the long-term reconstruction of the Kabul Zoo, are still in discussions with the various authorities about this management issue. We know, however, that while that debate goes on, we still must provide ongoing care for all the animals resident at the zoo.
Some of you will have newspaper articles with quotes from the Director of the Kabul Zoo saying that he has "not seen any of the money collected" by the N.C. Zoo. Please, be assured that we have made it known to the Zoo Director (through our contacts in Kabul) that all the activities, since the beginning of the year, including services provided by professional animal welfare teams from the World Society for the Protection of Animals, Germany and the United Kingdom were paid for with moneys from the Kabul Zoo Fund that is managed by the N.C. Zoo Society. This fund also paid for reestablishing water and electricity services to the Kabul Zoo and for other repairs there. We have also maintained close contact with the Mayhew Animal Home, which has been responsible in recent months for providing food to the animals.
We are, of course, not prepared to send money directly to Kabul without absolute assurances and accountability for how this money will be spent. Our concerns are based on the experiences already encountered by other aid agencies, which have seen money intended for one purpose used for something else.
The N.C. Zoo and Zoo Society are committed to honoring their Kabul Zoo and Afghan Animal donors by carefully monitoring the manner in which the funds are spent. We could, of course, very quickly and easily disperse these funds with little oversight. But, to do so, would violate the trust of our donors and, even more importantly, would deny the animals at the Kabul Zoo their rightful claim to long-term protection and relief from this crisis.
We will, therefore, continue to spend relatively small sums of money in the coming months to ensure that these animals' immediate needs are met, but we plan to use the majority of the funds to repair and reconstruct exhibits so that these animals will have adequate protection from heat, cold and any visitor who might try to harm them; appropriate bedding, shelter and other facilities for good care; and enough space to allow the animals to live, exercise and behave somewhat normally.
We will also continue to disperse funds to other reputable animal welfare organizations, including the World Society for the Protection of Animals, the Brooke Hospital for Animals (which provides veterinary care for equines and other large animals) and the Mayhew Animal Home, with whom we are working on funding the construction of a new veterinary field clinic that will be associated with the University.
To date, of the $530,000 collected, the Society has dispersed approximately $95,000. That is $65,000 to the Zoo and $30,000 from the flexible fund for the domestic animal care mentioned above.
We will continue to do our best to keep you informed of plans and events in relation to Kabul as they occur.
Sincerely,
David Jones,
N.C. Zoo Director
Russ Williams,
Executive Director,
N.C. Zoo Society
