WHILST humans have had varying degrees of success in finding sustenance over the last three weeks of 'lockdown living’, the same cannot be said for animals kept in cages in zoos the world over.
I do not recall zoo upkeep and maintenance as making it on the list of 'essential tasks' when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced way back in March.
I stand to be corrected but by all accounts, our zoos are diligently being staffed as there have been cries for help from the direction of Hulu Klang. Unsurprisingly. they have been soliciting for food to feed the animal residents who remain completely at the mercy and diligent benevolence of their human handlers.
Why this concern for our four-legged friends during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic?
All the way from the German state of Schleswig-Holstein came news from Neumunster Zoo that it has run out of food to feed its animals that it is seriously considering – natural predation.
Apologies if you are squeamish but this was precisely what happened in China when the rigid lockdown left zoos with no option but to open the cages and let loose predator to feed on prey. Hello neighbour, run run, chase chase, chomp chomp – neighbour no more!
Neumunster Zoo director Verena Kaspari must have been at the end of her tether when she revealed her plan to cope with – zero income just as spring was in the air.
Had the turnstiles been open, the tills would have rung 'ka-ching'. With the lockdown, all zoos are faced with zero funds to pay for food and animal upkeep and; what if the staff themselves are struck down with nasty novel flu?
With Teutonic stoicism she laid out her plan – draw up a list of the zoo’s animals indicating which ones are a little less dispensable than the other. Yes, a list has been drawn for which animals will be sacrificed, mince meat so others might live a little longer.
Ever the humane zoo keeper, she indicated the sacrificial 'lambs' will be euthanised before being fed to the 'lions'.
When it comes to Vitus – the polar bear which stands 10-foot tall on tip toes, the solution is not so forthcoming. No other zoo in Germany has an enclosure big enough for this, the biggest polar bear in all of Deutschland!
There’s just one other thing – did you know some of the zoo’s residents actually pine for the shrieks and noise from those pesky visitors?
If you were caged-in since March, so used to the inquisitive antics of Fritz and Freida and wondering where have all the human gone, you’d be cursing corona too and perhaps pleading; “come back, all is forgiven!”
Razak Chik
Wed Apr 15 2020
Why this concern for our four-legged friends during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic?
KDN sahkan seorang anggota polis ditahan kes tembakan di Song
Saifuddin Nasution dimaklumkan oleh Pesuruhjaya Polis Sarawak, Datuk Mancha Ata mengenai penglibatan anggota polis dalam insiden tersebut semasa lawatannya ke Sarawak.
AWANI Ringkas: Kerajan beri tumpuan tatakelola basmi kemiskinan - PM
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
[TERKINI] GISB: Siasatan kini libatkan 10 peruntukan undang-undang
Siasatan terhadap Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) Holdings yang sebelum ini hanya melibatkan empat peruntukan undang-undang kini telah meningkat kepada 10 peruntukan.
Tunggu Majlis Raja-Raja perkenan pandangan muzakarah MKI
Jelas Datuk Mohd Na'im, terma pandangan hukum digunakan berikutan Jawatankuasa Fatwa MKI tiada kuasa mengeluarkan fatwa kerana ia hanya boleh diputuskan oleh Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri.
Sedia infrastruktur sesuai sokong industri e-sukan - Ahmad Zahid
Latihan dan bimbingan tidak seharusnya tertumpu kepada usaha melahirkan seorang atlet e-sukan semata-mata, tetapi juga sebagai pencipta kandungan digital atau pembangun perisian.
Protes di Pakistan: Polis lepaskan gas pemedih mata suraikan perhimpunan anti-kerajaan
Polis melepaskan gas pemedih mata bagi menyuraikan perhimpunan anti-kerajaan oleh penyokong bekas Perdana Menteri Imran Khan yang dipenjara berhampiran kawasan D-Chowk di Islamabad.
Warga emas ditemukan maut di kebun disyaki dipijak gajah
Seorang lelaki warga emas ditemukan mati di kawasan kebunnya disyaki akibat dipijak gajah di Kampung Basung, Hulu Terengganu.
Anwar tekankan keperluan perkukuh hubungan ketenteraan Malaysia-Pakistan
Anwar memuji "peranan Angkatan Tentera Pakistan dalam keamanan dan kestabilan serantau, mengakui profesionalisme dan pengorbanan mereka dalam memerangi keganasan".
Pulangkan semula kekayaan negara
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mencabar bekas pemimpin yang mengaut kekayaan dari hasil negara, agar mengembalikannya semula kepada rakyat dan negara.
Kerajaan tumpu tatakelola basmi kemiskinan
Kerajaan Madani memberi tumpuan kepada tatakelola bagi memastikan bantuan untuk membantu rakyat miskin sampai kepada golongan sasaran.
COVID-19: Tiga kes kematian dicatat, ini lima tumpuan kenyataan media KKM
Terdapat 108 kes positif COVID-19 yang sedang dirawat di Unit Rawatan Rapi (ICU), di mana 47 kes memerlukan bantuan pernafasan.
Sultan Perak, Sultan Selangor, Sultan Johor antara yang hadir ke Istana Negara
Pertemuan itu dijangka bagi membincangkan beberapa cadangan yang dipersembahkan oleh kerajaan terutamanya mengenai penularan COVID-19.
Pusat Jagaan Darul Hanan ambil langkah pengasingan penghuni, pekerja
Difahamkan seorang wanita warga emas yang baru masuk ke situ minggu lepas disahkan COVID-19 kelmarin.
COVID-19: Tiga lagi sekolah di Perak diarah tutup
Sebanyak tiga sekolah di Perak diarah tutup selama tujuh hari mulai hari ini selepas terdapat jangkitan wabak COVID-19 dalam kalangan pelajar di sekolah berkenaan.
Kluster Penjara Jawi: Seorang lagi pegawai penjara positif COVID-19
Pegawai wadar itu bertugas di blok baharu yang menjaga sekumpulan banduan yang dijangkiti COVID-19 sebelum ini.
SMK Lubuk China dan SK Telok Berembang di Melaka diarah tutup
Dua buah sekolah di Masjid Tanah, Melaka diarah tutup selepas seorang pelajar dari kedua-dua sekolah berkenaan disahkan positif COVID-19.
Cawangan utama BSN Kota Kinabalu ditutup, kakitangan positif COVID-19
Cawangan BSN ditutup bermula hari ini bagi melaksanakan kerja-kerja pembersihan menyeluruh.
Jepun tarik balik larangan perjalanan ke Malaysia, 11 negara lain
Sebelas negara lain termasuk China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapura dan Korea Selatan.
Maaflah jika Abah ini mula menggunakan rotan! - Muhyiddin
Katanya, selepas ini hukuman kompaun akan dikenakan tanpa mengira pangkat dan darjat terhadap mereka yang melanggar prosedur operasi standard (SOP) berkaitan COVID-19.
COVID-19: 691 kes baharu dilaporkan, majoriti di Penjara Alor Setar
Jumlah kes baharu positif COVID-19 yang dilaporkan hari ini ialah sebanyak 691.