Wave of deaths hits Bangladesh zoo

Serious incompetence of management:

BANGLADESH: Grubby cages, inexperienced keepers and poor equipment have long sullied the reputation of Dhaka's zoo, but now a string of deaths has led to charges of serious incompetence against its management.

Twenty-one animals, including a Bengal tiger, a lion, a giraffe, a zebra and a tapir, have died at the government zoo in the Bangladeshi capital this year alone, triggering the suspension of two senior keepers last week. Reza Khan, Bangladesh's top wildlife expert who now heads Dubai Zoo in the United Arab Emirates, told AFP the number of deaths was "abnormally high" and that poor conditions amounted to "torture" for the animals.

"Dhaka zoo is run by vets who don't know the eating habits and wildlife environment of the animals they keep," he said by telephone from Dubai. "Their cages and enclosures have been built without adhering to international standards." The zoo has applied seven times to become a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and has been repeatedly turned down for not meeting membership standards.

Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh chief Professor Anwarul Islam said it was no surprise the animals were dying because the facility lacked the know-how to care for wild animals. AFP