Belgrade Zoo houses over 2000 animals in small cramped concrete cages. Many of these animals show signs of 'stereotypic behavior' which is common in animals that exist in cages without anything to stimulate the animals mind. Grass for visitors, concrete for animals.
Dear Mr Mayor and other Elected Officials
We are horrified and appalled at the images and stories concerning Belgrade Zoo that are appearing on the Internet. We urge the Mayor of Belgrade to instruct the zoo director, Mr Vukosav Bojovic, to seek help from the International Animal Conservation community in making Belgrade Zoo a more animal friendly place. These animals originally came from forests, jungles, open plains, grasslands, the artic, none of which have concrete floors, yet in the zoo they are forced to live in small, cramped concrete floored cages. This has led to the animals showing all the classic signs of 'stereotypic behavior', abnormal behavior that has resulted from years of deprivation (pacing, head-bobbing, neck-twisting, bar-biting ,bar sucking, Coprophagia, over-grooming, Self-mutilation etcÂ
). The image of Belgrade this zoo portrays will damage the tourism industry and puts across a message that Serbians don't care for their animals.
In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy. Lets not destroy these exotic animals through neglect.
The Undersigned,
