Posted on 08/11/2008 5:27:41 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 11, 2008 – The Baghdad Zoo officially welcomed two Siberian-Bengal tigers, Riley and Hope, to its animal kingdom Aug. 8.
Riley and Hope, male and female respectively, were donated by the Conservators' Center in North Carolina.
"This is a very important step to improve relationships [between] the zoo and the people of Iraq, and it is proof that the security situation in Iraq is getting better," said Adel Salman Mousa, the Baghdad Zoo director.
"They're a real signature species; people really identify with the beauty of the tigers," said Lt. Col. Robert Sindler, the Multi-National Coalition - Iraq veterinary officer who helped bring the tigers to Baghdad.
When Sindler first spoke with the zoo director, he asked which animal the park needed most. The tiger was first on his list.
"The zoo has been a real gem for the people here in Iraq ... and the tigers will really add to that," Sindler said.
After coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sindler found the right pair of tigers and the owners willing to donate the cats to benefit the people of Iraq.
The process took the joint effort of civil affairs representatives, military veterinarians, provincial reconstruction teams, Iraqi and Coalition forces and the U.S. Embassy Baghdad more than six months.
The two tigers travelled from North Carolina to the John F. Kennedy Airport, N.Y., then to Bahrain and finally Baghdad Aug. 4. A veterinarian tended to the tigers throughout the entire trip.
The embassy covered the transportation and associated costs, as it often funds development projects in Iraq.
"The zoo's a vibrant part of the economic and social revitalization of Baghdad. Supporting this project fits these goals," said Allan J. Jones, who works for the U.S. Embassy Baghdad as the program manager for the U.S. Department of State, Iraq Transition Assistance Office.
Prior to coordinating the donation and transportation, Sindler ensured the zoo was capable of caring for the animals. He worked alongside the Division Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), which has been helping restore the zoo.
"It's making a huge turnaround," said Captain Jason Felix, the tigers' military project manager. "It's a nice place where kids can go. It's safe."
Before Riley and Hope's arrival, a USDA veterinarian conducted inspections and approved the zoo's ability to maintain the animals. Furthermore, Sindler and Felix organized a way for Adel, top staff and the zoo veterinarian to visit the Chester Zoo in London for two weeks of advanced training.
"In my professional opinion ... they're very capable to be able to handle these cats," Sindler said.
With a full mix of animals, the zoo can serve not only as a recreational park, but also as an educational experience. Sindler said the zoo teaches visitors about animals throughout the world, their significance and the importance of conservation.
"To me, those tigers are almost like a symbol of power and pride, and it's good to restore them back to the zoo," said Maj. Frederick Zink, veterinarian for Multi-National Division - Center, who helped supervise the transport from the Baghdad International Airport to the zoo.
"I don't have any discomforts, really," Sindler said. "I don't anticipate any problems for the tigers being there [considering the zoo's ability to handle them, both humanely and properly."
(Multinational Force Iraq Press Release)
That soooo cool Sandrat
Cool!
Life of Riley
Riley, one of two tigers donated to the Baghdad Zoo by the Conservators' Center in North Carolina, paces his new enclosure, Aug. 4, 2008. Riley, and his breeding partner Hope, arrived in Baghdad in good health and have settled in comfortably, according to the zoo's director. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joy
Feed captured terrorists to them once a while.
Great idea, film footage on TV and the web of a live terrified jihad terrorist being stalked and torn apart by these big cats every now and then would do wonders for terrorist morale.
New picture of the tigers.
Riley, one of two tigers donated to the Baghdad Zoo by the Conservators’ Center in North Carolina, plays in the pool of his new home on Aug. 8. Riley and his breeding partner, Hope, join some 800 other animals at the zoo.
And this is a part of the article that speaks to the recovery underway:
Now the zoo has nearly 800 animals in 62 exhibits, officials said. The facility gets about 10,000 visitors on the weekends — Friday and Saturday in Iraq — and around 2,000 to 3,000 on weekdays.
Such cute big cats. Now you have some big cats while away from your kittehs. :o) (Or are they also deployed? You can’t take your pets with you, or?)
No, we're not allowed to bring pets here. :( It's been too dangerous. Even though it's been quiet lately, our guards are all still up and force protection measures are still in combat mode. (Which means I'm not allowed to go to that zoo, or to go off base at all unless in a military convoy or helicopter, wearing full body armor and all of that.)
I plan to come back here as a tourist in the not-too-distant future so I can go to places like the zoo and the museum and get out around the country to see some of the ancient ruins.
I'm down to one kitteh. My older one passed away last November. The most heartbreaking part of that (of course, it was all heartbreaking) was that I couldn't be there with her to see her off.
Sorry to hear that about Dulcie. :(
Yes, I hope that Iraq will be open for tourism in not to distant future (hey after all I invested in new Iraqi money!)
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