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Zoo blue
Published in Al-Ahram Weekly on 18 - 05 - 2006

The Giza Zoo's recent reopening after the bird flu scare raises questions about this old institution's ability to cater, argues Pierre Loza, whether to residents or patrons
The Giza Zoo welcomed visitors after a three-months closure, prompted by the discovery of bird flu in three of its avian species. Easter ushered in a huge flow of people; and in no time at all the zoo was back to being the number one spot for family and friends' outings. According to Talaat Cidrak, the managerial head of Egyptian zoos, "Flu symptoms had begun to appear among our Chinese geese, Mallard ducks, Guinea fowls, and Turkey populations from 2 February. After that we started isolating the birds and following the proper clinical procedures." As the zoo closed its doors on 19 February, a total of 100 birds were removed. "There was a massive vaccination and sanitisation programme for birds as well as personnel." It was called for indeed: following in the footsteps of Turkey, Egypt had in no time become one of the hardest hit nations outside Asia, and the zoo became a high-risk area for H5N1 infections. "We were at especially high risk because many of our visitors come from the countryside where the incidence of infection was high..."
As Easter dawned on a newly-reopened zoo the scene was transformed: families picnicked under the shade of trees with the hearty aroma of salted fish wafting from their plates; young men clapped to the rhythm of a booming stereo system resonating with the latest hits... One boy threw a Cleopatra cigarette to a caged chimpanzee. The chimpanzee evidently wasn't a fan of the local cigarette brand, though, because he went for a more nutritious option: bananas. Everything from football and dominoes to cards was there, down to the occasional row between the jealous husband and the virile lady killer. Although the scene carried the vast colours of the Egyptian socio-cultural rainbow, the chaos it conveyed seemed unbefitting of a zoo.
This sense of strangeness occurred again as you gazed at some of the displays. One, labelled the Dog House, had two Dobermans ensconced in a labyrinth of cages. Cidrak was unphased: "I understand that Doberman dogs are pets and that they have nothing to do with wild life. But sometimes people come and leave them here because they are leaving the country, so we have no option but to care for them too."
Other, more disturbing displays, though, suggest that care isn't the management's first priority: the sight of the African elephant chained by its hind foot with iron mantels in a less than four meter radius will cause any animal lover genuine heartache.
Cidrak is apologetic: "If you go and see our elephants, I'm sure they will say hello to you. They love it when people give them carrots. And at the end of the day it is important to keep these large animals under control." He mentions plans for the elephants to be transferred to a more spacious habitat-like facility, enclosing a pond and soft sand. Yet as far as Cidrak is concerned, even the North American Grizzly Bear is quite happy on its side in Cairo's sweltering heat with a drizzle of water pouring down from a ceiling hose. "These bears just gave birth to cubs," he argues. "If they were depressed no such thing could have happened. You have to understand that I am also financially restricted, so it would be very difficult to provide them with snow." Blocks of ice are brought into the cage in summer, he adds.
In the past, indeed, rumour had it that investors had pledged to build an ice rink for these furry prisoners. But the bears' living conditions have not changed. And with a ticket price of 25 piastres, the zoo's admissions do not even cover a quarter of its running costs. Though limiting possibilities for upgrading, this meagre fee allows low-income families to enjoy one of Cairo's increasingly scarce green spaces. "We are looking into raising the entrance a little bit, because it will make a difference for our budget. All of our funding," Cidrak explains, "including salaries and maintenance costs, comes from the Ministry of Agriculture."
Built by Khedive Ismail in 1871, albeit not for that purpose, the Giza Zoo has always been seen as a historic landmark of greater Cairo area. Boasting exotic plants, trees, even unique hybrids designed by French agronomists, the zoo at its prime was a magnificent venue. Rustic walkways stood over miniature winding lakes; a light suspension bridge, the work of the man who designed the Eiffel tower, connected two artificial hills. The bridge, purchased by the Khedive while he visited a Paris exhibition, stands to this day, though it has undergone some renovations. First handed to the state in the late 1870s in a partial settlement of the Khedive's accumulated debts, the zoo grew from 50 feddans to 80 after a large part of the Orman Park was added to it in 1938.
Today, together with a limited budget, the lack of an animal-friendly culture, especially among the zoo's holiday patrons, makes for a less idyllic sight. "You see these firecrackers on my desk," Cidrak points. "Children were throwing these things into the monkey cages. If anything, this shows a lack of awareness. Our patrons must understand that they are responsible for the well-being of these animals, that they are part of our national resources." The zoo's Environmental Education Centre, built in cooperation with the International Council for Bird Preservation in 1987, was established specifically to this end. Open daily all year round, the zoo's role as a social service is thought by some to be at the expense of the animals it is meant to protect.
"How can you expect people to care for animals, when the government itself does not care?" Animal Haven co-founder Noura El-Dalli asks rhetorically. "If you go to a place like Maadi, you'll see massive efforts by local town hall officials and the Ministry of Agriculture to poison dogs with strychnine. People keep finding dead dogs, they don't know what it is that kills them." Through her work in the Animal Haven cat shelter in Maadi, El-Dalli has come to the conclusion that Egyptian culture is becoming progressively less animal-friendly. "You can't imagine the number of cats that were left on our doorstep, after the media reported that cats could also be carriers of bird flu. Isn't it obvious that house cats don't come in contact with birds?"
El-Dalli complains that even when the local authorities adopted the more humane solution of spaying and neutering stray cats and dogs, this was done haphazardly. "It was a massacre, they were spaying pregnant mothers and it was clear that the vets doing it were holding a scalpel for the first time in their lives. It is also important that we give these young vets a chance by providing them with practical training." El-Dalli believes that Egypt's many stray cats and dogs play a vital role in the overall natural balance of the city. "I remember an incident in Alexandria when the local authorities managed to kill all the strays in a small village. You know what happened? They had a rat epidemic. The cats and dogs on the street keep rats at bay."
Only private sector projects like the newly-developed African Safari Park on the Cairo-Alexandria highway seem to provide a new option, whether for stray animals or wild-life enthusiasts. As your car enters into the African Safari park you are welcomed by an Asian tiger strolling up and down a green hill and stopping occasionally for a drink of water in an artificial pond. Signs direct the route and give instructions -- do not feed the animals, for example. The next stop was the two chimpanzees, displayed in the middle of a rocky island surrounded by water on all sides. "You know chimps can't swim in water. If they tried to swim their way off the island they would die instantly," said park manager Mohamed Hossam. The tour takes you from the chimpanzee area to a space where deer, lamas and ostriches are encouraged to eat off the front of your car by the keepers, who scatter food on it. You can step out of your car to pet them.
An LE70 million project developed on 90 feddans, if plans are implemented the park will expand into a resort with a motel, swimming pools and golf courses. There are even plans to develop chalets on little islands where guests can do some fishing. One entertainment -- thankfully scrapped -- involved releasing a pig into the lions' area for visitors to enjoy the sight of it being eaten alive. "You know, a lot of people used to come to see it," Hossam says. "Although this is something that happens in the wild, our founder thought it was a little too much." With an entrance fee of LE60, the park caters to a more up-market clientele. Yet operating without a live-in vet, the park is working with the century-old Giza Zoo to learn from its expertise.


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