Dear Donors and Friends:
Because of your generosity, the Zoo Society recently sent $20,000 to
sponsor a World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) animal rescue
team that began arriving in Kabul on Jan 14. The remainder of that team
should be in Kabul on Jan. 16.
WSPA's early reports to N.C. Zoo's Director, Dr. David Jones, have many
positive aspects.
Marjan, the lion, seems to be in pretty good shape, especially given his
age and all that he has been through. He is wobbly and thin, but his
appetite is very good, and thanks to you all, he is now eating regularly
and well.
The WSPA workers' initial impression is that Marjan's stiffness is
probably due to his age and the cold temperatures. (The Zoo Society is
purchasing kerosene heaters that will be sent to Kabul very soon to
rectify that problem.)
The WSPA workers also suspect that Marjan may be blind, or partially
blind, in both eyes, rather than in just one eye as originally reported, and that this blindness may
be a key factor in his unsteadiness.
Marjan sometimes stumbles when going into his nightquarters-probably
because his vision is so poor. WSPA workers are installing a ramp to
keep him from tripping over the threshold when he goes indoors.
All of Marjan's facial wounds appear to have healed and there is no
indication they require any medical treatment. Thanks to you, Marjan's
life has turned around.
Opal or Samboo (We have not been able to confirm her name), the Asiatic
Black Bear, has a significant wound on her nose. Abuse from the Taliban
and other unkind people probably initiated the wound, she has inflamed
by rubbing her nose against her cage.
The WSPA team has already applied topical anti-inflammatory and
antibiotic medications to her wounds and has set up barriers to protect
her from further abuse from people. The team is watching Opal'/Samboo's
wounds carefully. If the wounds do not respond to the treatments
currently underway, WSPA will use a mild sedative to calm Opal/Samboo
enough to allow veterinarians to get close enough to apply additional
treatments.
WSPA is working hard to get Opal/Samboo out of her cage into a larger,
more appropriate one that will protect her from abuse and give her
enough room to exercise.
The Zoo Society just sent an additional $20,000 to WSPA to hire a welder
to do the work that is necessary to move Opal/Samboo to her new
enclosure and to do other zoo repairs. That funding will also be used
to purchase various equipment and supplies to improve the quality of
life of the animals in the Kabul Zoo.
The other animals at the zoo appear to be in good shape, and, thanks to
you, have food and water.
Kabul Zoo Staff
The WSPA team confirmed that the Kabul Zoo's keepers and staff were
courageous and loyal in trying to care for the animals. Until the
donations you provided arrived in Afghanistan, none of the keepers had
been paid for more than six months.
Yet, throughout those six months, the keepers continued to work
part-time to provide what care they could for these animals. These
keepers also begged, borrowed and did what ever they could to find food
for the animals as well as for themselves and their families.
The British Embassy told N.C.Zoo Director, Dr. David Jones, that the
Kabul zookeepers are the only city employees who have been paid in the
last six months. Your gifts gave these people their back salaries and
reinstated them as full-time employees. The mayor of Kabul expresses his
deepest gratitude for your generosity and compassion.
Columbus Zoo
Dr. Jones is communicating with the Deputy Director of the Columbus Ohio
Zoo, who is scheduled to go into Kabul on Jan.21. The Zoo Society is
providing him with funding to buy kerosene heaters for the Kabul Zoo
animals. He will also use Society funds to buy enrichment supplies that
keepers can place in the animals' enclosures to give them things to play
with and explore so that their lives will become more interesting.
Thank you all!
Russ Williams
Executive Director
N.C. Zoo Society
