Wed, Jul 14, 2021 page8

• EDITORIAL: Scrutinizing the giraffe question

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  Calls by animal welfare groups have intensified over the past month for Wanpi World Safari Zoo in Tainan to reconsider its plan to import 18 giraffes, among other animals, from Eswatini.

  The largest private zoo in southern Taiwan has long been scrutinized by the groups regarding its treatment of animals — four of the five giraffes obtained by the zoo have died in the past 10 years due to disease or accidents.

  More concerns were raised last week over the nation’s image and role in global wildlife conservation, as the International Union for Conservation of Nature had in 2016 listed giraffes as “vulnerable” after their population dropped significantly over the past few decades. The reticulated giraffe, the subspecies the zoo plans to import, has been listed as endangered since 2018.

  That year, a seven-year-old male giraffe named Xiaoshun suddenly collapsed and died in front of visitors at Wanpi World. An autopsy found that it had choked to death, which experts considered a rare cause of death for the animal.

  Wanpi World was not the only institution to have trouble with giraffes during that period — Taipei Zoo also saw a number of fatalities, including Xiaoshun’s brother Xiaojiu, which died due to stress while being transported to another location in 2016.

  Xiaoshun’s death sparked calls to review and reconsider the role and functions of zoos in Taiwan, as well as their ability to care for giraffes.

  However, Wanpi World imported two more giraffes less than a year later to appease the “disappointed children” visiting the zoo. The new arrivals were touted as an opportunity for younger visitors to learn about the protection of animals — but with no improvements made, one of them died in an accident in March, while the other lost its tail in an unexplained incident.

  Wanpi World has acknowledged its shortcomings and said it hired a new team to run the zoo last year under the spirit of “protecting animals.” A presentation last month showed upgrades and new educational programs toward that goal.

  However, the bottom line is that Wanpi World’s managers have a business to run, and their decision to import so many animals at once, despite having had so much trouble with only a handful, seems hasty and contradicts the zoo’s self-proclaimed principles.

  At the very least, the new team should demonstrate to the public and animal welfare groups that the zoo has really changed its ways before making such a large purchase.

  The zoo already has plenty of animals to care for, and if their living conditions are poor, it should focus on the welfare of its current residents first. Otherwise, it would be perpetuating the idea that animals are merely replaceable commodities to entertain humans, and that nothing has really changed at the zoo.

  Questions also need to be raised regarding the import permit application process: Have the authorities made sure that the transaction follows international covenants on the trade of endangered species? Have they checked how Eswatini got hold of the giraffes? What is Eswatini’s purpose behind breeding them, as the subspecies is not endemic to that country?

  The authorities have said everything was done by the book. However, many questions remain unanswered, which necessitates putting the purchase on hold for further inspection. If the purchase does go through, the zoo needs to be closely monitored to make sure it lives up to its promises.
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