Local
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
zoo is special and similar to what animals feed
on in the wild. Animals get all vaccinations and
their nourishment is the top priority for our
animal nutritionists. But visitors feed them
chips, bread, peanuts and even plastic bags.
Animals may also get infected with human diseases when visitors give them food. This can
make them sick and even lead to their deaths,”
cautioned Azmi.
Visitors behaving badly
Azmi said parents behave worse than their
children, and do not care for the safety of the
animals or their children. “An ostrich died
recently because it swallowed some coins. A
few years ago, I saw a man stub his cigarette
on the giraffe’s tongue, while a child threw
fireworks inside the monkeys’ cage. Parents
even made their children ride on the turtle’s
shell!” he recalled.
Some people blame the vendors selling
snacks at the zoo, but Azmi said that the
peanuts, chips, and chocolates sold are supposed to be for human consumption and not
for animals, because the zoohas clear signs
warning
against
feeding
the
animals.Sometimes, people bring in foods like
bread or lettuce from outside.
About controlling this behavior, Azmitold
Kuwait Times that the zoo has many animals,
so they cannot get security guards for every
cage, especially on Fridays.
Even if they did, parents always get angry
and fight with the poor guards if they try to
prevent their children from “having fun”.So
the zoo management found that the best
solution was to install more railings to prevent
visitors from reaching the animals.
Nutrition vs accessibility
About animal nutrition, Azmi said:
“Animals are not picky - they eat anything,
but first we have to offer the food gradually.
We had a problem with our leopard after visitors tried to feed it live rabbits, but it fled.
These are zoo animals - they are not used
to hunt their food.” He said artificial feeding
can result in dietary vitamin and mineral deficiencies. “It can also lead to animals aggressively seeking out food from people, sometimes resulting in injuries, and can also cause
diarrhea. Diarrhea is what we face every
Friday after visiting hours,” he explained.
A few days ago, Azmi tried to save an elf
goat, but it died. When an autopsy was conducted, plastic bags were found in its stomach. After their deaths, a Korean taxidermist
embalms the animals, which are displayed at
the visitor center of the zoo for educational
purposes.
Azmi took Kuwait Times on a tour inside
the building where workers prepare the animals’ food, on which the zoo spends KD
144,000. “We have an entire building for
chopping and preparing food by nutrition
specialists, using the finest meats, fresh vegetables and fruits. We have also room for
grain storage,” he said.
On a parting note, Azmi said visitors must
remember two very important things.”Do not
feed the animals - just have fun watching
them. And do not tease them, because provoking them causes mental stress. Other
behaviors by visitors like spitting and smoking
can prove dangerous, as these acts adversely
affect the health of the zoo animals,” he
advised.