http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/news/MGBFR3VMKUC.html

   Winston-Salem Journal
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   L O C A L  N E W S
   
   Wed, Nov 28, 2001
   N.C. Zoo to help animals in Kabul
   Zoo's director is leading worldwide fund-raising effort
   
   By Danielle Deaver
   JOURNAL REPORTER
   
   ASHEBORO
   
   The one-eyed lion in the zoo in Kabul, Afghanistan, eats about 25
   pounds of meat a day.
   
   That's 25 pounds more than the zookeepers in Kabul can afford to give
   him.
   
   So far, zookeepers in the war-torn country have gotten by through
   donations from local merchants. But even the $5,000 that it takes to
   run the zoo every month is more than they can afford.
   
   An international coalition led by Dr. David Jones, the director of the
   N.C. Zoo, is planning to raise $30,000 - enough to keep the zoo
   operating for about six months. The money is being collected in a
   special account set up by the N.C. Zoo Society.
   
   "You get an immediate, emergency situation. In Kabul, no one is being
   paid; no one had been paid for weeks or even months. The staff is
   there but hasn't been paid," Jones said. "There's no power, there's no
   bedding for the animals. So there's an immediate animal-welfare
   situation."
   
   The work is being overseen by the American Zoo and Aquarium
   Association, which is also coordinating the international part of the
   fund raising.
   
   Jones was chosen to lead the effort because of his contacts in the
   region, said Jane Ballentine, a spokeswoman for the association. As
   the president of the Brooke Hospital for Animals in London - the
   world's largest charity organization for animals - Jones has worked
   extensively with zoos in the Middle East.
   
   "Dr. Jones has the major contacts in this region. He feels confident
   that they know the right kind of people who can get the money where it
   needs to go," Ballentine said. "Once the news gets out, we've had
   members from all over the country asking what can we do, how can we
   help."
   
   A newspaper story published last week told people all over the world
   about the zoo's condition, and about the injuries that the animals
   have received in recent years.
   
   A lion was injured by a live grenade that a soldier threw into its
   cage. An elephant was hit by a grenade that another soldier launched
   at it.
   
   The problems at the zoo weren't caused by the war, Jones said. But the
   war has brought attention to the zoo's situation, which was caused by
   years of violence and Taliban rule.
   
   "My comment on this is that there are an awful lot of zoos in that
   region that need long-term help. What we're in for here is short-term
   help, to deal with the emergency," he said.
   
   The zoo is important to the people of Kabul, he said.
   
   "It's a fairly modern facility. It was built in the late 1960s. It's
   part of the university there," he said. "The ironic side of it is
   these places are extremely popular with the public. And they're often
   one of the few places that families can actually go."
   
   Before the war, about 100 people visited the zoo every month. Now,
   about 200 usually show up. But the gate receipts still fall far short
   of what the zoo needs to operate.
   
   In a poor nation, even the modest - to Americans - cost of running a
   small zoo can be too much, he said.
   
   Zoo workers typically earn about $2 a day. Food and utilities are the
   largest part of the cost of running the zoo, Jones said.
   
   "Knowing that part of the world fairly well, they probably need
   somewhere in the region of $5,000 a month," he said.
   
   The Afghans are hoping that the American groups can raise the money
   from zoos and zoo members, Jones said. The World Association of Zoos
   and Aquaria and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria are also
   helping to raise money.
   
   The $30,000 they hope to raise should be enough to get the zoo through
   the next six months, Ballentine said. After that, the group will
   revisit the situation to see if the zoo needs more help.
   
   "Obviously any zoo welfare situation that's as serious as this one, we
   want to help if we can," Jones said. "And we're not the only ones. We
   already have a lot of queries from our membership, zoos we work with."
   
   Danielle Deaver can be reached at 727-7279 or at
   ddeaver@wsjournal.com
   
   Material from The Associated Press was used in this story.