After 140 years, the Buenos Aires Zoo is closing, sending 2,500 animals to nature reserves. Being one of the most popular tourist attractions in the cities, the reason for the zoo’s closure is for hopes of better lives for the animals.
One potential issue was the habitat, as the weather was not suitable for all animals; Winner, the last remaining polar bear at the zoo died due to the heat. New habitats for the animals will ensure a suitable environment for each species.
The mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larettam stated that, “This situation of captivity is degrading for the animals, it’s not the way to take care of them”.
Any animals that cannot be moved or are getting old and sick will remain in the ecopark. This park will also serve as a “shelter” for any animals saved from trafficking.
According to the mayor, it is going to be “a place where children can learn how to take care of and relate with the different species”.
This new park to open up later this year is a great start for young children to learn about animals and how to cope with them rather than see them as a form of entertainment. Laretta also said that this transformation would become a trend worldwide of turning zoos into animal sanctuaries and ecological parks. “What we have to value is the animals. The way they live here is definitely not the way to do that”.
#ecopark #zoo #animalrights
