| |
The Faculty of
Science of Kabul University used to keep some animal collections for
research. The public became interested in these animals which led to an
idea of founding a proper zoo. A "Committee of Zoological Projects" in
Afghanistan was founded by the President HRH Prince Nader with members
taken from the Royal Afghan government, the Municipality of Kabul, and
zoologists from the science faculty at the University of Kabul. Gunther
Nogge, today the very well known Director of Cologne Zoo, Germany and
former President of the World Zoo Organization, was on deputation as a
professor in Afghanistan at this time and was much involved with the
zoo. A large site for the zoo was selected and made available by the
Municipality of Kabul on the bank of the Kabul River. The zoo was
inaugurated in 1967 and a year later the first department of a
zoological museum was added. The zoo was supported financially by the
Government while technical and scientific input was left to Afghan and
visiting German zoologists. German zoo experts trained the Afghan
zookeepers and taxidermists. Modern for that time, moated enclosures
were constructed in the interests of the animals themselves, the animal
keepers, the zoo visitors and even for economic reasons. Since most of
the animals were native and habituated to the climate, expensive pucca
constructions which are a requirement in other cold or temperate
countries were not necessary. The Faculty of Science at Kabul University
maintained a close connection with Kabul Zoo and a number of research
publications were generated on parasitological investigations and
successful breeding.
The focus of the zoo was
Afghan fauna. In 1972 there were 32 species of mammals, 85 species of
birds and 4 species of reptiles. The total number of animals in the zoo
was 417, nearly all of which were collected in Afghanistan. There was
also a lion, a tiger, some pheasants and parrots. Twenty five years ago
there were several rare species listed in the Red Data Book of IUCN and
others which were rarely seen in captivity.
 |
| Sad symbol of Kabul Zoo - lion
named Marjan |
Cologne Zoo, Germany,
contributed the pair of tigers which were possibly (Panthera tigris)
or perhaps an undeterminate subspecies. The 1969 Red Data Book of IUCN
estimated that the total number of the Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris
virgata) ranging through northern Afghanistan, Turkestan and
northern Iran was 50 to 80. Dr. Gunther Nogge conducted several
expeditions to the Amu Darya region, however, and was convinced that the
sub-species no longer existed in Afghanistan.
The zoo maintained the
Afghanistan leopard which could be seen only in six zoos of the world at
the time. In 1973 a snow leopard was donated from "royal breeding stock"
of the King along with some other animals.
Kabul Zoo then exhibited
the Pallas' Cat, which any zoo today would love to have or any wildlife
biologist would love to just see. Other small cats in the zoo were Lynx
and Leopard cat. Other animals were wolves, jackals, foxes, martens,
otters, and striped hyenas. Two species of bears, Brown Bear (Ursus
arctos isabellinus) as well as the Black Bear (Selenarctos
tibetanus) native to Afghanistan were kept in a modern open-moated
enclosures. Nogge says the eye-to-eye distance from the visitors in a
naturalistic setting made them very popular. The Turkish people
contributed another bear, a young male of (Ursus arctos syriacus).
The zoo had a breeding
group of the rare Bactrian Wapiti (Cervus elephanus bactrianus)
Endangered by cultivation and pastoral practices, the deer was protected
in a sanctuary established by the King in Ajar Valley, Central
Afghanistan. The zoo also kept a small herd of the Goitered Gazelle (Gazella
subgutterosa) in 1972 was reported to be "nearly extinct due to
uncontrolled hunting".
An early attempt at an
ecological display was the large moated enclosure including an
artificial mountain where Afghan red sheep (Ovis ammon cycloceros),
Marmots (Marmota caudata) and Snowcocks (Tetraogallus
himalayensis) were exhibited together. Other mountain ungulates
exhibited at the zoo were Ibex (Capra ibex) and Bezoar wild goat
(Capra hircus). The Bactrian red deer and Afghanistan red sheep
bred in 1973.
 |
| Sad symbol of Kabul Zoo - lion
named Marjan |
The founders of the zoo
and their German advisors did well for Afghanistan for that period. Even
a pond enclosure to mimic Afghanistan's well-known waterfowl lake,
Ab-e-Istada, was included where one could see Flamingos (Phoenicopterus
ruber roseus), Spoonbills (Platalea leucocoridia), Stilts (Himantopus
himantopus), Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) and Ruddy Shelducks
(Tadorna ferruginea). In addition Afghan pheasants were kept and
bred in a pheasantry besides several exotic species. Afghan subspecies
of the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus bianchii) lives only
in northern Afghanistan. Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus)
as well as Koklass (Pucrasia macrolopha) is from Nuristan in east
Afghanistan.
The zoo was very popular
with visitors and press. In 1972 the number of visitors was more than
150,000, an increase of more than 20% over the previous. Thus, public
interest could be fired about wildlife problems in Afghanistan. The
first hunting law was drafted with a proposal for the establishment of
wildlife reserves in different parts of the country.
Kabul Zoo was given a
young female elephant, promised by Indian President Sri Giri on the
occasion of a state visit. Immediately when the commitment was made
plans were drawn up and construction for the enclosure began. This was
in late 1973. In the same year Drs.Gunther Nogge who served as
Scientific Advisor for Kabul Zoo left and Mr. G. Kuhnert took over the
job.
Kabul Zoo today,
according to the occasional visitor and welfare organizations, is not
faring well. It is still supported by the Kabul Municipal authority or
the Taliban Mayor of Kabul but the war and political instability as well
as social and economic difficulties have taken a vast toll. There is no
legislation or official agreement for the zoo which, then, is at the
mercy of the inclination of the government officials which happen to be
holding the Municipal posts.
A report on 25 January
1998 from London Times correspondent in Afghanistan, Stephen Grey
indicates that the Kabul Zoo is in great difficulty. At present the zoo
hold a pair of lions, 6 bears, 1 wild boar, 2 wolves, 2 foxes, and 6
rabbits. It is not known precisely how many were killed during the
recent civil war. It is known that the male lion was blinded by a
grenade explosion thrown by soldiers in retaliation when the lion mauled
a colleague who went into the cage on a dare. A bear has a gunshot wound
in the leg. Many animals have been shot for food. What remain are
freezing as there is no power or fuel to heat their cages in the minus
19 degree cold. An 60 year old head keeper who had worked in the zoo for
decades was taken from his hut and murdered by unknown persons. The
animals’ position is far worse without Akbar - he stayed when the other
keepers left and sneaked out of the zoo at night to find food for the
surviving animals. Grey says the zoo is a "favorite" of Taliban soldiers
on leave from the front line" - but for the wrong reasons: the keepers
are unable to stop them from throwing snowballs at the animals, who
already have tolerated more from man than any creature should.
The zoo is located 20 km
from the front line of the civil war which is too close for comfort - or
safety - of the animals. It is, as Grey says, a "zoo of horror" today.
Source: site of
International Zoo Educators Association (2013), pictures are taken
from sites:
My internet cut and paste collection and
BBC News
|
|
