Indonesian safari park drugged its lion for photos with tourists?

Zachary Lee

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Indonesian safari park drugged its lion for photos with tourists?
Taman Safari denies mistreating its lion calling the accusation 'baseless,' but an animal protection group wants an investigation

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A video uploaded on Tuesday, April 5, by an animal protection group Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group has been widely shared on social media, after it raised concerns on animal treatment.

The clip shows a boy and a woman sitting by a cub at Taman Safari Indonesia, a safari park in Bogor, West Java.

In the video, the lion appears drowsy and can hardly open its eyes. When the lion lay its head down, a staff immediately moved its head up to pose, and tried to keep it awake using a baton. The lion fell asleep two more times in one minute, unable to stay conscious.

The NGO, Scorpion, stated on its official website that the lion looked like it was drugged. They have asked the Indonesian Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) for assistance to investigate the issue but the agency has yet to respond.

“We called Taman Safari to ask them to stop this and other exploitation of wild animals. Zoos are not supposed to entertain visitors. They should be educational, I’m sure we all agree with that, don’t we?” Marison Guciano, a senior investigator in Scorpion, said on its website.

DRUGGED? A series of shots from the video shows a drowsy lion being forced to stay awake by a staff member. Screenshots from a video from Scorpion

Denial

Responding to criticism, Taman Safari denied any wrongdoing.

In an email sent to Rappler on Friday, April 8, Yulius Suprihardo, Taman Safari’s spokesperson, denied drugging their lion calling the accusation “baseless.”

“The allegation that has been directed at Taman Safari Indonesia is a serious one, and completely baseless. We wish to state that TSI has never sedated an animal for interaction sessions with guests or to make them appear ‘tame’ in their habitats in the park,” it said.

“The objective of our photography interaction sessions is to spread the message of caring for wildlife to our visitors, who can experience being close to our animal ambassadors. It is unfortunate that there are detractors who choose to misrepresent the facts, as seen in this instance.”

The statement went to say Taman Safari “has been a champion for wildlife conservation in Indonesia for the last thirty years,” even “achieving the highest accreditation grade of A+, awarded by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia.”

“With such a reputation and standing amongest wildlife institutions, it seems unthinkable that we would sedate a lion for visitors’ interaction, and risk tarnishing our image,” it added.

The safari park is home to some 2,500 animals from around the world – including Bengal tigers, giraffes, lions and elephants.

The park is also a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), which guides and supports zoos, aquariums and like-minded organizations around the world.

Scorpion said it would ask for WAZA’s help to ensure the lion was not mistreated.

“We will officially write WAZA to pursue an investigation on the issue,” Gunung Gea, Director of Scorpion told Rappler. – Rappler.com

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