Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Hugging himself for comfort, his thoughts who knows where, a lone male chimp slumps in a corner of a tiny cage in a zoo in central Bulgaria.

In the wild this intelligent creature would be surrounded by his family, relying on his wits in an everchanging jungle environment.

In Bulgaria he is alone, surrounded by concrete and bars, suffering untold deprivation and horror. Oblivious to the taunts of the gawping visitors.

Meanwhile in eastern Romania a pathetic old lioness (below) paces the cracked concrete floor of her barren enclosure. Practically blind, her body is crippled and misshapen. She stumbles back and forth, desperately craving company since her mate and cub died.

A baby jaguar sits forlorn in his squalid enclosure (below right). All alone, his eyes plead for compassion. Only a tiny cub, his spirit seems crushed, his eyes full of despair. And so many more. The images are startling and strong. The animals barely need me to tell their stories. But if I didn’t, who would?

A bedraggled male lion gazes bleakly, half-crouching on a bare brick floor, obviously in pain. A bear reaches out from the bars of his rusty cage. Another chimp, just a baby this time, looks old and wizened. Despairing, an adult jaguar stretches on his side, lying on compacted faeces.

Just a snapshot of rundown slum zoos, dilapidated enclosures and decrepit, neglected animals.

It would make me weep - if it didn’t make me so angry...

How dare we subject sensitive animals to suffering in this way? How dare we stick them in inadequate pens, keep them imprisoned for year upon wretched year, and call it ‘entertainment’?

The plight of countless zoo animals in Bulgaria, Romania, Spain and other European countries is truly desperate. There are thought to be 20 zoos in Bulgaria, 41 in Romania and 96 in Spain. The agony and suffering is immense.

Fortunately all these countries are now part of the European Union. They are meant to comply with European-wide legislation, including the EU Zoos Directive. That means we can take action.

Hundreds of zoos fail to meet even the minimum welfare standards required by the Directive. But this is a legal requirement. This is an issue governments have to take seriously. And it is our job to try and make sure they do.

With your help, and working with colleagues in each country, Born Free is desperate to end this atrocious and unforgettable misery. Our plans are ambitious. We want to transform the lives of zoo animals, phase-out the
worst slum zoos and convert others into animal sanctuaries. We need to ensure that legislation is properly enforced. The following page tell you about our plans.

All you have to do is look deep in your heart. And dig deep into your pocket.
It’s almost impossible to put a total on this appeal. We’re in it for the long haul and need all the money we can get. BUT I can guarantee we’ll make every penny count. We have to confront the zoo industry on all levels. We have to make the public aware and encourage them to speak out against zoos. We have to make zoos a political priority.

We have to win!

This appeal tells you what’s going on and how YOU can make a difference.
Let’s help bring about a miracle in Europe. Together we can ease the suffering, sooth the anguish, and stop the torment. And not a moment too soon.

Thank you.

Will Travers

Chief Executive
Born Free Foundation

PS. We can’t let this misery continue. Help us please to help these innocent creatures.

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