Unbearable zoo mystery turns into potboiler (Berlin zoo animals used for feed, Chinese remedies)

[Barrett808]

Source: Syney Morning Herald

Unbearable zoo mystery turns into potboiler
Kate Connolly in Berlin
March 29, 2008

THE Berlin zoo is under pressure to explain the fate of hundreds of animals which have vanished amid claims they were slaughtered and in some cases turned into potency-boosting drugs.

Claudia Hammerling, a Green party politician, backed by several animal rights organisations, alleges the zoo's director, Bernhard Blaszkiewitz, sold the animals.

She claims to have evidence that four Asian black bears and a hippopotamus were transported to the Belgian town of Wortel, which has no zoo, but which does have an abattoir.

According to Ms Hammerling these animals were slaughtered. She said the systematic "overproduction of animals" at zoos, designed to attract more visitors, was to blame.

Ms Hammerling said she also knew of several tigers and leopards from Berlin that ended up in a tiger breeding farm in China that promoted itself as a purveyor of traditional potency-boosting medicines made from big cats. She alleges the animals' remains were turned into drugs.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/news/conservation/unbearable-zoo-mystery-turns-into-potboiler/2008/03/28/1206207408578.html

[magellan]

1. Thought for the month from our calendar seems appropriate:

Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.
- Albert Schweitzer

[xchrom]

2. follow the money. -- i'm guessing somebody's bank account

is fatter due to these relationships.

it's not ''over-production'' at zoos -- there is a need for those animals and their genetics.

greed on the other hand is another story.

[lovuian]

3. this is so sad

the poor things

[LeftyMom]

4. Zoo visitors want younger animals. Older animals (esp. males) of some species are killed

because nobody wants them, or because they're considered expensive or challenging to keep. It's a significant problem with big cats, for example.

There was a big expose a while back about zoos selling the pelts of endangered animals.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2116207.ece
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101910408-156749,00.html

[Frisbee]

5. This is horrible

With all of the things the Chinese have copied or stolen, you'd think cheap Viagra would be plentiful in China. Do they really need to kill these magnificent animals for a folk remedy that probably doesn't even work beyond it's placebo effect? This is just horrible.