Costa Rica announced last week it would close its two remaining state zoos, more than a decade after passing a law to ban the government-sponsored keeping of wild animals in captivity, but faced legal backlash.
This was stated by the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica in a declaration on Saturday that it would not renew its contract with Fundazoo, the foundation that ran the zoos. The move will close the country's last two state zoos: the Simón Bolívar Zoo and the Santa Ana Conservation Center.
State officials last week began moving 287 animals from the two facilities to a rehabilitation center, where the animals' health will be evaluated to determine what environment will be best for them. Some of the animals have been in captivity for more than 30 years, the ministry said.
Franz Tattenbach, Minister of Environment and Energy, said Saturday that Costa Rica would move toward creating sanctuaries for animals that cannot return to the wild.
“Captivity is justified only when animals cannot return to the forest due to physical or behavioral problems that prevent them from living in freedom,” Tattenbach said in Spanish at a news conference. videos on Facebook. “This closure solidifies Costa Rica's vision of wildlife protection.”
The decision not to renew Costa Rica's contract with Fundazoo, closing the country's public zoos, came more than a decade after Costa Rica passed a wildlife protection law in 2013 that banned keeping wildlife in captivity. Costa Rica's state zoos were supposed to close in 2014, but the law was met with legal challenges from Fundazoo, which delayed the closure of public zoos, according to the FAADA Foundation, a wildlife nonprofit.
“The closure of state zoos is a very important step forward,” FAADA said in a statement declaration. “We join in celebrating this historic achievement.”
According to FAADA, the law does not apply to 18 private zoos in Costa Rica.
Fundazoo did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
José Pablo Vásquez, a biologist with a government group that oversees conservation efforts, said in a statement Saturday that an inventory had been made of the animals removed from the two zoos and that they were evaluated by teams of biologists and veterinarians.
Mr. Tattenbach said the animals would be quarantined before teams determined whether they could be reintroduced into the wild or would be better cared for in a sanctuary. Some animals still had to be moved out of zoos on Tuesday, including an alligator and some turtles, the ministry said.
Dr. Darryl Heard, an associate professor of zoological medicine at the University of Florida, said that in some cases it may take years for animals to be ready for the wild and that some animals may not be able to return to the wild at all . .
“If they have been away from the wild or if they were born in captivity, they haven't necessarily been able to develop the skills to feed themselves, protect themselves from predators and so on,” Dr Heard said.
Dr. Alonso Aguirre, dean of Colorado State University's Warner College of Natural Resources, said some animals may have difficulty returning to the wild, pointing out that Keiko, the whale featured in the movie “Free Willy,” died after being released .
“Many of these animals, the only thing they know is captivity,” Dr. Aguirre said.
Costa Rica could set an example for other countries on how to abandon zoos while keeping some species safe, he said.
“We have to escape from captivity,” Dr. Aguirre said. “I think it's a huge lesson for the world. If Costa Rica can do it, everyone else can do it.”
While some wildlife advocates in North America have called for the closure of zoos, Dr Heard said it was a “very complex issue” that should focus on animal conservation.
“I know there are things that still need improvement,” Dr. Heard said of zoos. “But overall there has been a positive trend in solving these problems.”
