Night Safari riles Aust activists
Zoos in Sydney and Melbourne have agreed to send 40 Australian native animals to a safari park in Thailand at which it is alleged many animals have died, Fairfax newspapers report.
In exchange, Melbourne Zoo and Taronga Zoo will import eight Asian elephants. The plan is detailed in a memorandum of agreement between the Thai government and the Victoria and New South Wales governments signed in June 2004, the newspapers are reporting.It was tabled in the Sydney Administrative Appeals Tribunal during a recent attempt by animal-welfare groups to stop the elephant imports.One Thai activist told the Fairfax newspapers that birds in the Chiang Mai Night Safari were dying every day, three out of six crocodiles had died of infection and one hyena had been eaten by others, while Thai media claim 104 animals have died. In a statement, the zoos said the transfer of Australian animals to Thai zoos was not contingent on the elephant programme. – AGENCIES
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