OPEN LETTER: The tiger in Varna Zoo needs help!

This is OPEN LETTER to INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS and MEDIA:

INSTITUTIONS:
Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria
The Environment Committee of the National Assembly of Bulgaria
The Petition Committee of the European Parlament

ORGANIZATIONS:
AFA-Bulgaria
ANIMAL AID
Animal Concern
Animal Defenders International
Animal Rights Coalition
Animals in Need
Association Nationale des Parcs Zoologiques de France (ANPZ)
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents (AZAD)
Association of Zoological Horticulture (AZH)
Aquarium & Zoo Facilities Association (AZFA)
Born Free Foundation
British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA)
CareForTheWild
Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA)
CAT -- Cat Action Treasury
CritterAid
Green Peace
Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe (FAACE)
Freedom for Animals
Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquaria (AIZA)
Indian Tiger Welfare Society (ITWS)
International Zoo Educators Association (IZE)
IUCN
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group
Oesterreichischen Zoo Organisation (OZO)
PETA
Project Tiger
Rights for Animals
Save The Tiger Fund
Sociedade de Zoológicos do Brasil (SZB)
Syndicat National des Directeurs de Parcs Zoologiques Français (SNDPZ)
The National Wildlife Foundation
The Sumatran Tiger Trust
The Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Protection Foundation
TRAFFIC International
Verband Deutscher Zoodirektoren (VDZ)
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
WWF
Zebra Foundation
21st Century Tiger

MEDIA:
Animal Planet TV
BBC International
BTV -- Bulgaria
Darik News - Bulgaria
Dnes.bg - Bulgaria
EpochTimes - Bulgaria
Information Agency Focus - Bulgaria
Kanal 1 - Bulgaria
MSAT - Bulgaria
Nova Televizia - Bulgaria
Televizia Varna -- Bulgaria


Hello,
This is another attempt to seek help for a representative of a species in danger!

There is a crippled tiger in Varna ZOO (in Varna, Bulgaria) and he's treated in very bad conditions.

His triangle cage is about 20 square meters big and it's made of a pure concrete - without absolutely no verdure. The floor is sully with his faecals and urine - and they put his food on top of that. The animal must tread it and you can feel a suffocate smell from his excrements. The tiger have something like a shelter in the wall but it looks too small and narrow.

We're writing to You because it's a terrible scene to see this majestic animal go in circles in this dirty and tiny cage. The conditions of all the animals there are very bad since 1990's and just recently the zoo made some changes -- the cages of the herbivorous animals are no longer iron but wooden.

We ask You either to somehow take away this tiger and relocate it in a better place - with space, vegetation, food and attention that he needs or at least for funding to improve it's surrounding area (although all the animals in this Zoo needs that more or less).

You can see photos of the tiger two years ago just when we started seeking for help and now in 2008 -- nothing changed but the old concrete floor is renewed!
(2006) http://nolimit.cult.bg/imagenation/sessions/tiger/
(2008) http://nolimit.cult.bg/imagenation/sessions/tiger2008/

Also two short online movies - how this tiger goes in circles in this awful cage:
(2006) http://www.vimeo.com/690520
(2008) http://www.vimeo.com/691101

During 2006 some organizations respond "we don't have any jurisdictions in your country because it's not a member of the European Union". However since 2007 Bulgaria is in EU so hopefully this should no longer be a problem. We need your help!

With hope this OPEN LETTER will find a positive response,
Kristina Hristova and Dimitar Atanasov

Kristina Hristova
E-mail: krisi@poczta.onet.pl
Dimitar Atanasov
Cell: 00359 887 519906
E-mail: tiger@chereshka.net

Varna ZOO Contacts:
Varna ZOO is property of Varna Municipality:
http://www.varna.bg/english/phone/index.htm

ZOO Address:
Varna ZOO
Sea garden,
Varna, Bulgaria

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• this
• criple
• tiger
• needs
• help
• because
• he
• lives
• in
• tiny
• and
• dirty
• cage
• so
• please
• email
• any
• protective
• animal
• organization

[lirexbg]

Just to let you know, folks...

It's 2008 and the tiger is still there! Same place, same condition, same sh*ts!

This is unbelievable!

[lirexbg]

We've contacted more than 50 animal rights organizations. Only 4 said they'll try to help. So far - nothing! The tiger is still there at the same poor conditions...

Don't know what more could we do?

[3AXAP]

I've been to Varna Zoo year 2001. The monkey looked very depressed in a very antique black round cage. This cat is obviously suffering and why is it taking people so long to help. Just today on CNN news I see where a Tiger in USA has a broken tooth & immediately something is done. Government - Mafia only care about Money. So,the Zoo is a liability to their pocketbook...so criminals don't care. This is really an outrage to see this as they are part of EU now...

[cleogames]

I saw the tiger when I was on holiday there last Summer. The other animals in the zoo didn't look too happy either.

[jjkrt12345]

@PeaceHavens

Then why such a crap cage that doesn't even come close to being appropriate for a tiger.

[MrCharliefarlie123]

GOOD GOD HOW BLOODY CRUEL. WHERES WSPA OR IFAW. SOME ONE DO SOMETHING FOR CHRISTS SAKE !! THE TIGER WILL GO CRAZY AS WELL AS CRIPPLED!

[Wonderful81]

@lirexbg Have you tried "Born free"?

[Utahraptor2003]

There are tears in my eyes, right now! Get this poor creature out of its prison! Tigers are great predators, and we owe it to them to leave them be! So, come on! Give a great predator his due! END THIS ABUSE TO ANIMALS, IN ZOOS!

[PeaceHavens]

This tiger had to have it's paw amputed in 2006. Although at first sight this is a very distressing sight, I can assure you that in 2010 it is still in excellent health and is very well cared for. It appreciates sympathy from it's visitors and knows how to get it. Sad as this seems were the tiger to meet you outside of its cage it could still outrun you and eat you for breakfast without pausing for breath. The keepers love their animals and have nursed many an injured animal back to health.

[mallen2930]

this cat needs to be put out of its misery and the person or people that have let this cat live in these conditions should be fukin locked up

[animalibero]

I visited this zoo in 2008 and wrote to the Mayor of Varna, offering advice on development funds available for restructuring the zoo. I contacted the UK's foremost ZOO advisory consultancy, who offered their advice to obtain EU funding for zoos to substantially transform the animals experience. I received no response from either the mayor or Zoo director.This is an ongoing campaign. Varna zoo has improved some of the camel and alpaca areas, but despite massive growth in tourism, the mayor and

[journeyman47]

I agree. If they can't take proper care of the aniamls, they shouldn't be open in the first place.

((Actually I don't beiieve in zoos at all; I think they should ONLY be sactuaries. period.)

[Okapi1997]

contact as many institutions as possible. PETA, CHester Zoo, San Diego Zoo, WWF, Greenpeace, big cat rescue, anybody who have the power. i have read that it is not the zoo's fault and a lioness did it to him whilst he was a cub, my question is why was the lion cub allowed this close.

[Okapi1997]

i dont think that is enough, my dads friends went and he said whilst there he saw children crying because of the state of the animals, i dont think they should rebuild it, i think varna zoo should be shut down