“Animals are not immortal,” said Cristel Perez Arevalo, director of Yumká Ecological Park in Tabasco, recognizing that in three years 114 species have died and that 70% of the population of the zoo are long-living animals.
The functionary appeared before the members of the Energy Committee at the Local Congress, this after more than two months of meetings and demands by the different parliamentary factions, who requested her presence to explain about the constant death of animals in Yumká.
After the meeting with legislators, Cristel Pérez Arévalo acknowledged that a total of 114 animals have died from 2013 to 2015 in the zoo, but denied that these deaths are due to carelessness, but have been for various factors, like predators, longevity and diseases, claiming that this amount represents 15% of the total population which currently stands at 819 animals.
While she says that animals “are not inmortal”, the albino tigress called “Shakira” died on the 31st after agonizing, due that she stopped eating for eight days, according to veterinarians from the Yumká.
Veterinarians from the zoo had to perform an emergency surgery to “Shakira”. The decision was taken by the body of specialists who monitored permanently in the last days before his delicate health.
However, other animals in the zoo are also very sick and external veterinarians have offered their help, but the zoo refuses to take it.
Dozens of citizens and civil society organizations claim a full investigation into what happens in the zoo.
For their part, Animanaturalis urged citizens across the country to support the demand against the authorities of the Yumká and Profepa.
Through their facebook page “Black Jaguar White Tiger Foundation” and “Juntos por Yumká” mourned the death of the animal, this quote was directly taken from the Black Jaguar White Tiger Foundation’s page
“When we think that money is more important than life we are doomed. When we think that a powerful position is more important than life we are doomed. When we defend our ego instead of accepting help we are doomed. What was Shakira’s fault? Being a beautiful being in a messed up world. How can 200 Animals die in a zoo and just call it normal? Heads have to roll, staring with the @yumka_anp zoo’s director Cristel Perez Arevalo. Look at this poor Angel agonizing, full of scabies, so helpless, so pure. The mighty Tigress, Queen of the jungle, reduced to a simple object. I cry for what has happened to my Planet, including obviously, our fellow inhabitants…”
Bengal Tigress Shakira died on the 31st of May in Yumká Zoo
Sources: El Universal, Excelsior.
