ugnet_: New Vision: Uganda and China must respect CITES

[J Ssemakula]

UWA CHAIRMAN: John Nagenda

Uganda and China must respect CITES

 

SIR — I felt very sad on reading the comments of Mr John Nagenda, chairman of UWA, regarding the possible export of three chimpanzees from Uganda to the Changtsa Zoo in China. In 2002, I visited Chinese zoos in Xian, Guilin, and Beijing.

I am sorry to say that the standards were appalling, and that the behaviour of the public was distressing. At Xian Zoo, I saw one lone male chimpanzee in a miserable cage with steel bars. He either sat in a dejected heap of misery or charged around madly.

 

His food looked stale. the public were tormenting him (and the rest of the zoo’s animals) and throwing junk food plastic bags, and even cigarettes into the animal cages.

I did not find any of the Chinese zoos I visited acceptable. Many featured ghastly “shows” where monkeys and other animals performed silly tricks such as riding bicycles.

As members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), both China and Uganda must abide by CITES provisions.

Chimpanzees are listed on Appendix I of CITES. Uganda has to certify that the chimpanzees were “not obtained in contravention of the laws ... for the protection of flora and fauna.”

China has to certify that the recipient facility has appropriate living conditions and that the animals are “not to be used for primarily commercial purposes.” Let us take a look at “diplomatic gifts.” Unfortunately these happen sometimes.

 

However, they should never be an end-run to circumvent CITES by

allowing export of animals that would otherwise not enter trade. In one incident that took place in June 1997, Prince Charles, son of Queen

Elizabeth, was offered a gift of two endangered tarsiers (small nocturnal primates resembling bushbabies) by Philippine officials.

The prince graciously declined the gift of living creatures in the interests of

protecting wildlife. What a wonderful example!

We are pleased that Mr. Nagenda and his team will visit China to evaluate the zoo situation and we hope he will visit as many zoos in as many cities as possible.

We feel confident he will return to Uganda prouder than ever of his homeland as being the best place for Ugandan animals.

 

Dr. Shirley McGreal,

Chairwoman

International Primate Protection League

Summerville, USA

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Published on: Wednesday, 28th January, 2004

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ps: has anyone seen anaimals do tricks at Sea World and elsewhere in USA?

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