The Philippine Online Chronicles

Members of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals trooped to Manila Zoo on Friday with placards saying “Animals suffer at the Manila Zoo.”

Manila Zoo is the oldest zoo in Asia. It opened in 1959 and is a 5.5 hectare area.

Prompted by pictures of emaciated or wounded animals and cages littered with trash, Manila Zoo trended in Twitter this week. One Twitter user wrote, ““Manila Zoo is trending worldwide because the animals there are suffering. Please, let’s all do something about it.”

It all started when a blogger posted the pictures in her LiveJournal account for a school project, but admitted that they were taken by other people a couple of years old and that she herself has not been to the zoo. Yesterday, she posted a new entry after her visit to Manila Zoo. “A short way to describe it would be improved, yes...but still quite depressing,” she wrote. She posted pictures, much the same as her older post, with almost featherless ostriches, thinning horses, and a wounded crocodile.

PETA has already set up an online petition to call for the closure of the zoo. PETA campaigner Katrina Lugartos said that zoos aren’t the natural shelter of animals and are not able to provide for their needs.

PETA has long been campaigning for the closure of the zoo, claiming that the poor conditions have led to the animals’ physical and mental frustrations. They also cited the cramped cage of elephant Mali.

Manila Zoo management for its part said that they are trying to improve the zoo and that the wounded animals were given to them by their owners for treatment. One of them was the ostrich with a dead eye which had already died because of the tumor.

Palace also expressed concern with presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda asking the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the local government of Manila to address the issue.

Lacierda said Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim will hold a dialogue with animal rights groups and other organizations.

Do your part

On the other hand, Lacierda said, “It is noteworthy that concerned citizens have expressed the willingness to assist in any way they can, to help the Manila Zoo improve its facilities and raise its standards.”

The blogger who first posted the pictures also said, “a big contribution to these problems at the zoo are also the visitors. Why throw your trash into the animal cages/enclosures?”

Manila Zoo director Deng Manimbo also said that amid the controversy, they are happy that the attention will be able to draw more people into helping the zoo.