VANCOUVER, October 24, 2024 – The tragic life and death of Jenga the giraffe is the latest in a series of animal welfare issues at the Great Vancouver Zoo. Jenga, aged 8, died suddenly and unexpectedly at the zoo this week. Jenga was born in captivity in Ontario and then shipped to British Columbia. Jenga lived their entire life in a small, cold, enclosure, nothing like the natural habitat of their wild counterparts. Giraffes live up to 25 years in the wild.
“We’re saddened to learn of the death of another animal at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Jenga the giraffe was only 8 years old, which is a fraction of the lifespan for giraffes in the wild,” said Campaign Director, Emily Pickett. “The Vancouver Humane Society has been calling on the zoo for many years to address long-standing animal welfare issues and to move away from keeping animals in permanent captivity.”
High-profile incidents resulting in heightened public scrutiny of the zoo
The Greater Vancouver Zoo has been aware of many animal welfare issues in their facility for years. The most recent report on conditions at the zoo, commissioned by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) and prepared by Zoocheck, raised alarms about a number of concerns. Unfortunately, the same issues raised in the report persist year after year, causing continued suffering to the many animals who are kept in captivity at the zoo.
In 2022, animal lovers in B.C. mourned the loss of Chia, a wolf who escaped from her enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Chia was tragically found dead on the side of the road.
In 2022, the VHS filed a cruelty complaint with the BC SPCA after obtaining video footage of animals engaging in repetitive behaviours and in small, barren enclosures.
In 2021, a zoo employee was bitten when a jaguar climbed up a feeding chute. Rather than addressing the behavioural needs of this natural hunter and climber, the zoo welded bars to the bottom of the chute.
In 2020, the public raised concerns about an emaciated moose named Oakleaf, prompting an investigation by the BC SPCA. Oakleaf was then euthanized.
In 2019, a 2-year-old child was bitten by a black bear after being able to enter an “unauthorized area.” The toddler had to be airlifted to hospital.
Ongoing welfare issues
This week’s tragic death is the latest in a pattern of concerning incidents at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. But the series of high-profile cases that make it into the news are just the tip of the iceberg when compared with the monotonous, day-to-day suffering of the wild species confined to enclosures thousands of times smaller than their natural habitats.
If the Greater Vancouver Zoo refuses to make significant changes for the well-being of the animals they keep, a change must be made for them. That’s why the VHS is imploring provincial decision-makers to immediately address the outdated regulations around keeping, breeding, and transport of wild and exotic animals. Concerned citizens can sign the petition in support of these recommendations.
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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society
For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca
Related links:
https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/posts/captivity-petition/