Updated: Zoo Director Recommends Euthanasia for Infirm Sumatran Tiger [Updated at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013] A Sumatran tiger whose digestive tract was almost totally destroyed after years of neglect at Surabaya’s notorious “nightmare zoo” should be put down, the director of the zoo holding the animal said on Monday, but the government has no plans to euthanize the tiger in the immediate future. “I have been proposing euthanasia for three years due to her condition and the lack of facilities and veterinary expertise [at Surabaya zoo],” Tony Sumampau, director of Taman Safari, said. “If the animal is suffering, those who see it will also feel sick. If people really love animals, we should let them go.” A Sumatran tiger generally lives for about 10-15 years in the wild, but the animals can live up to 20 years in captivity. Melani, the tiger at Taman Safari, is 15 years old. “All the vets, including those at Wildlife Veterinarian International propose euthanasia,” Tony said. “They said that those who oppose it don’t understand the case. If she could choose [euthanasia] herself, she might decide to do it. It’s not our preference to do it, but I want people to understand that it’s better rather than to let her suffer.” Retno Sudarwati, Melani’s veterinarian, said the animal weighed 44 kilograms when she was transferred to Taman Safari. The ideal weight is 75-85 kilograms. By mid-August, after receiving intensive treatment at Taman Safari, Melani had gained 7 kilograms. The tiger was able to hold this weight only for a week and she now weighs around 48 kilograms, according to Retno. “There is a serious infection in her stomach and colon… she was continuously consuming formaldehyde for a long period of time,” she said. “We have been treating her for two months and her weight has increased from 44 kilograms to 48.5 kilograms. “We have discussed with our colleagues, both local and foreign. One of the options being considered is euthanasia to end her suffering. In other countries her condition has met the requirement to euthanize.” However, Retno said that Taman Safari did not have the right to decide on whether or not to put down Melani. “The one that should decide is the government as the animals here are owned by the government,” she said. The government was not quite so pessimistic for Melani. “Melani up until now is in a good condition,” Novianto Bambang, the director of biodiversity conservation at the Forestry Ministry, told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday. “I visited her [earlier on Sep. 3] and her condition is good.” Novianto said that, if the government did in the end decide to put Melani down, it would not be the first time the government had elected to end an animal’s life. “There have been some euthanasia cases at the conservation [areas],” Novianto said. “But there should be strong health-related reasons and consideration of ethics. We will monitor the facts of her conditions, which at the moment is good. Her digestive system has been damaged, but we need time to observe her.” While the government said that Melani was in a “good” condition, the director at Taman Safari were not as bullish about Melani’s prospects. “I want people to understand that we have tried our best,” Tony said. “But we could not force her to keep on continuing her highly dependent life.” Photos of Melani’s poor condition were first uploaded to the Internet by animal rights activists. The heartbreaking photographs, which showed the starving tiger laying in her cage, shined a light on the horrendous conditions found at many Indonesian zoos. The Surabaya Zoo, which once housed Melani and another starving Sumatran tiger, was labeled as one of the worst zoos in Indonesia after a giraffe died with 20 kilograms of plastic in its stomach in March 2012. Dubbed the “zoo of death” by international media, the zoo has recorded the deaths of dozens of animals from starvation, mistreatment or other unnatural causes. Animal rights activists have called for the zoo’s closure, but later reneged on the suggestion over concerns that the 3,000 or so remaining animals would struggle to find a new home. Instead, activist Dian Paramitha launched a Change.org petition calling for measures to improve the management of the zoo. By Monday, the petition had been signed by nearly 59,000 people. Dian, and other animal rights activists, have called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to form a National Commission for the Protection of Animals to deal with mismanaged and graft-laden zoos. Indonesia routinely ranks as one of the most corrupt nations on earth and the country’s zoos, which receive government funds, are not immune to the actions of crooked individuals, activists said. “The money that the government spends on the animals doesn’t reach them,” Medina Kamil, host of the nature travel show Petualangan, previously said. “The staff take the meat and the vegetables meant for the animals. The cages of the animals are rented out for people to live in to generate even more money for themselves, while the animals roam free and unprotected.” Yudhoyono has not responded to calls for the creation of a national animal welfare organization. Posted at 7:23 p.m. The original article contained a number of errors, which were made during the editing process. The original headline “Starving Sumatran Tiger Taken From Surabaya Zoo to Be Euthanized” has been changed to “Zoo Director Recommends Euthanasia for Infirm Sumatran Tiger.” After reviewing the quotations from Tony Sumampau, there was no indication that the zoo, or any other authority, had a plan in place to put down the animal — only Tony’s personal opinion that euthanizing the animal was the best course of action, which he reiterated in a second interview on Tuesday.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:37:51 +0000
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