Improved conditions needed for ‘bored’ and ‘frustrated’ animals at Vancouver zoo: report
Posted December 30, 2019 3:59 pm.
Last Updated December 31, 2019 12:06 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The Vancouver Humane Society is calling for the Greater Vancouver Zoo to improve conditions for the animals it houses.
The Humane Society and Zoocheck, an organization that campaigns for the protection of animals, commissioned a report and found the zoo animals are bored and frustrated in their current environment.
The Society’s Peter Fricker claims the giraffes have been seen chewing on metal bars and their fencing, and the tigers pace consistently.
“It’s normal behaviour for a zoo, but it’s not normal behaviour for Siberian tigers in the wild. It just shows what captivity does to the animals, basically, they have nothing to do and nowhere to go,” he tells NEWS 1130.
The report says the facility should either get rid of or enlarge the cages and develop a comprehensive environmental and behavioural enrichment program for the animals. Fricker says this involves anything from improving their surroundings to increasing stimulation, like burying their food.
“We certainly think that they should not be breeding or acquiring any more exotic animals, and over time convert to more of a sanctuary for native species,” Fricker says.
He argues the animals that don’t belong in B.C.’s climate should be moved to facilities with the appropriate climate or with climate-controlled enclosures.
While Fricker says he has seen some improvements, the report contends it is not enough.
In a written response new GVZ general manager Serge Lussier says the zoo has several projects in the works to improve the facilities including a new front entrance complex, a “Conservation and Education Center” to be finished by the end of 2020. Future projects include turning half the zoo in a safari park and eliminating the vision of fences and redesigning the large feline complex.
“Animal Health and Welfare is our primary concern” Lussier wrote. “Our goal is to provide the best possible conditions for the zoo’s animal collection by continually evaluating and improving all aspects of the animals’ homes, social situations, husbandry, and nutrition.”
