One of the three lions at Al Areen
WILD animals under protection at Bahrain’s most popular nature reserve have been rescued from smugglers and not been bought to be showcased at the facility, according to an official.
Some of the animals, which activists say are alien to the desert habitat, have been confiscated from wildlife traffickers, said Al Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve mammals section head Isa Al Awadhi.
The facility, spread over an area of seven square kilometres in Sakhir, is home to lions, chimpanzees, cheetahs, jaguars and hyenas where they are being protected and well looked after, he added.
The clarification came after a visiting animal welfare activist raised concerns over animals being confined to small cages and exposed to the scorching summer heat in Bahrain.
Harvard University scholar Colleen Hegarty launched an online petition on July 22, demanding an improvement in conditions at Bahrain’s zoos, including Al Areen, Tasneem Zoo in Abu Saiba and Arman Zoo in Jasra.
Her petition, ‘Stop Animal Cruelty in Bahrain’s Zoos’ on the website www.change.org and addressed to the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), of which Al Areen is an affiliate, and the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, has already been signed by more than 5,600 people.
“We haven’t bought these animals to be put in a zoo; we never buy wild animals,” said Mr Al Awadhi.
“These are animals that people smuggled into Bahrain when they were babies.
“Some of them came in from Taif (Saudi Arabia) and some others from Yemen.
“We confiscated them at the causeway and ports and we have given them shelter.
“At Al Areen we created space and set up facilities to protect these animals and even many birds because we don’t like to kill animals.”
Mr Al Awadhi was speaking as the GDN and Ms Hegarty were given an exclusive tour of the park which houses 82 species of birds, 25 plant species and 45 mammal species.
Also present during the tour was SCE senior environmentalist Ali Mansoor.
Caregivers showed the air-conditioned corridors behind the enclosures where the animals are fed and allowed to roam freely.
However, the GDN observed that the corridors could not match their natural habitats, especially for lions.
There are three lions at Al Areen – two males, aged two and three and both named Leo, and one female, four-year-old Ramala – who live in two enclosures.
“The space allocated for these animals is very limited; it is cruel,” said Ms Hegarty.
“Lions can get anxiety in heat and their panting is not normal, unless they are hunting or running.”
She also pointed out that the bears are supposed to live in forested areas of cooler climates, and there was nothing of the sort at Al Areen.
“The chimpanzees are social beings, they need to be with other chimpanzees, but here they are put alone in a cage.
“I think it would also be beneficial for Al Areen to make sure that the enclosures the animals are kept in are adequate in terms of the size of the animal and the environment that the animal would have lived in had he or she been in the wild.”
However, Mr Al Awadhi said they were providing the best possible care they could provide and have spent “a few thousands (of dinars)” on the comfort of the lions alone.
“We have a bigger area under construction with the aim of accommodating more lions, as we could have cubs in the future,” he said.
“It will be a bigger and open area with a swimming pool and will be shared by other wild animals as well.
“Work started a few months ago and we have a sponsor for building the cage, the piping, the net cover and we hope this will be completed by the end of this year.
“There is an air-conditioned corridor behind the open enclosure which the visitors see – this is where the animals are fed and are free to move in and out.”
He also noted that the lions and all other animals were well fed and were healthy, and that the park has a full-time doctor, caretakers and a maintenance team available round the clock.
Mr Al Awadhi, an electrical engineer by profession, said he had been with the park for 15 years, adding that he and most of his colleagues at the facility took the job “not for salary only” but because of their love of animals.
However, Ms Hegarty suggested that to ensure better care of the animals Al Areen should hire staff with a background in wildlife or animal science.
“Bahrain has many endangered species that are facing the threat of extinction and I think the country should use the facility to protect them rather than showcase animals that don’t belong to this place and living in conditions that are not healthy for them,” she said.
raji@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))