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Heather du Plessis-Allan: Wellington Zoo should not replace the lions

Author
Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date
Fri, 9 Apr 2021, 12:46AM

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Wellington Zoo should not replace the lions

Author
Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date
Fri, 9 Apr 2021, 12:46AM

Have you seen what’s going on with Wellington Zoo? 

 They’ve just had to euthanize their two lions today.They’re sisters, getting on a bit. One was sick, so had to be put down.

And then the zoo also put down her sister because lions are social animals and so it would be cruel to force her to live out her days by herself.

That is obviously really sad to hear - but this is the bit that I cannot understand: Wellington Zoo says it will “look at starting a new pride of lions in the future”.

What? Why on earth would Wellington Zoo get more lions? 

Does anyone think is appropriate anymore, to take animals that should be living in sub Saharan Africa in hot, often dry climates and then force them to live, in a cage, in cold, windy, damp Wellington? 

Is that still appropriate? 

That second lion died for no good reason other than being in that cage with her sister.  If she was in the wild she would most likely have been part of a pride, had the ability to socialise and carried on with her life 

I’m really opposed to zoos. I think these things are an anachronism from the days when we didn’t have the ability to travel to the animals in their natural environs and so we decided that to see them they had to be brought to us. Those days are over

The argument against me will probably be that it’s educational for the kids. But if you want education, stick on National Geographic and fill your boots.

Lions are supposed to roam the wild not be stuck in enclosures in the middle of a city that barely ever comes out of winter.

Wellington Zoo should not replace these lions. 

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