Animal rights groups continue battle vs Manila Zoo

MANILA, Philippines - Animal rights activists have signed a petition asking Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to stop Manila Zoo from adding more animals in its “tiny, decrepit and outdated" facility. In a statement, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the petition was signed by 10 groups of animal advocates. It said the groups believe that the “animals belong with their families and communities in the wild." “The Manila Zoo is a tiny, decrepit, and outdated facility and has nothing to offer animals except a life of deprivation, misery, and loneliness," said PETA Asia-Pacific Director Jason Baker. The group claimed that the animals are relegated to a lifetime of boredom and abuse, which often leads to self-mutilation and other abnormal behavior. Aside from PETA, the signatories in the petition include Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc. (Philippines), Animal Welfare Coalition, Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA Welfare Phils), International Monitoring Program (Philippines), International Wildlife Coalition Trust, LovePets, Network For Animals, Palawan Animal Welfare Association and The Philippine Animal Welfare Society. The Manila Zoo, which opened in 1959, is located on 5.5 hectares of land along Adriatico Street in Manila. It houses some 500 animals from about 100 species. Last year, PETA stopped the transfer of elephants and giraffes from Tanzania to Manila Zoo. - GMANews.TV