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Men and women of my age have undesirable backgrounds when it comes to wildlife.
We were brought up to be scared of it for no reason. We were told frightening
stories during our childhood so many times that fear and hate were inculcated in
our minds instead of passion.
The first time I had a sad feeling about a lioness was when I saw the film
entitled “Born Free” starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers at Cinema
Ethiopia, back in the late sixties.
The film was based on a true story in which a woman and a husband tame and bring
up a couple of orphaned cubs, while developing strong attachment, particularly
with the smallest cub named Elsa. As the lioness grew into adulthood, she
created havoc among other wildlife animals including elephants and had to either
leave the site and be set free or be taken abroad and kept in a zoo as a
captive.
The animal had such a strong attachment to her guardian, Joe, that she found it
very difficult to separate. But a decision had to be made, and Elsa was set free
and forced to go into the unknown wilderness. The scene was poignant. After a
long time, Joe and her husband, George, come back to Kenya to discover that Elsa
did not forget them. The reunion was very touching.
The “Born Free” centre’s unveiling of its cornerstone, carried out by President
Girma W. Giorgis, was not only the foundation of an institution where orphaned
and disabled wildlife can be accommodated but a seedling that could, in the
course of time, grow into a national zoo where a large variety of species of
wild animals can be kept and nurtured, based on the dual purpose of creating a
tourist attraction and a wildlife preserve.
Many wildlife species, including the lion with the black mane, like those kept
in captivity at Sidist Kilo, are on the verge of extinction, According to some
experts.
Expansion of human settlement and land grabbing for agriculture exposes their
habitats to shortages of food and water, thus endangering their existence.
Strife and overprotection of their territory seems to be a natural phenomenon
that follows.
A case in point could be the deadly fight between lions and hyenas in the
Gobelle Gorge, east of Harrar Town. Although the final toll on both sides is
unknown, it can be presumed that such encounters could take place in the
hinterland until only the fittest survive. The wounded must be attended to while
the orphaned must be cared for until they reach adulthood and are set free to
move into their natural habitats. But mankind can create a natural environment
where the endangered species can be preserved like the one established in
Antwerp Belgium in 1843.
Antwerp (Anvers) is a port located in southern Belgium, a 45 minute travel by
train from Brussels. The port city was built during the Seventh Century.
Antwerp may be known by many Ethiopians living in Belgium as a popular port from
where new or salvaged vehicles are shipped to Ethiopia. But Antwerp is best
known for its famous zoo where more than 6,000 animals with a variety of over
945 species of animals preserved and made to live in an environment very similar
to their natural habitats.
The 167-year-old zoo established by the Royal Society of Zoology is located very
close to the Central Railway Station in an area of over 10ht of land.
There are a number of exotic buildings in the compound some of which have traces
of Egyptian architecture. A visitor is advised to allocate at least eight or
nine hours to go around and watch, at close range, over 945 species of animals,
reptiles and birds. These creatures are kept and nurtured within its confines,
which also features natural camouflage and arrangements that serve to separate
prey from predator, where animals of similar species are left to enjoy the
company of each other. These animals and birds were collected over the years
from different parts of the world. The tags posted at each partition indicate
the data that help to identify the animals.
Some wild animals like tigers or lions live in enclaves by pools with
electrified barbed wire fences. Some small marine animals are kept inside
special aquariums and water pools.
Although the main purpose of the zoo is to preserve the natural creatures, the
zoo is also one of the world's top tourist attraction centres. After hours of
touring within the compound, one can take a break at any one of the cosy
restaurants and bars situated conveniently at different spots.
The songs of birds as well as other creatures coupled with the musical sound of
the clean flowing streams are most impressive and relaxing. Most of the visitors
are schoolchildren and are given proper lectures that influence their outlook
towards nature, the ecosystem in general, and wildlife in particular.
As I was having tea in one of the cafés, I saw many families coming to the zoo
with their children, many of whom seemed to be enjoying their visit. Some of
them were sharing their experience of hand feeding apes and elephants. They
expressed their passion for animals through caressing and petting them.
I have also visited the Natural History Museum in Brussels very close to my
dwelling. The museum is an indoor gallery carefully designed to give viewers the
impression of a natural habitat. The main focus of the museum is evolution, the
major attraction being dinosaurs, which existed over 150 million years ago. They
have displayed a re-creation of the fossils of the now extinct creatures. It
takes at least half a day to see all the displays kept in the four-storey
building.
All the busts of wildlife collected from different countries, including Ethiopia
(bust of a gazelle collected in 1856), are stuffed specimens of refined
taxidermy work. A massive glass tunnel passing through a huge aquarium allows
visitors to walk through while listening to the recorded sound of a flowing
river.
There is also a small studio where the film that shows the evolution of human
beings from fish, covers over 160 million years. Marine life evolution is
predominant.
It reminded me of the National Museum in Addis Abeba which is rich in cultural
antiquities, relics of manuscripts, embroideries, ornaments of warfare, crosses
and ecclesiastical objects all mixed up together, if I may say so. These could
be reclassified and placed chronologically.
Ethiopia also has virtually limitless plants and animals. It is one thing to
have limitless natural wealth and another to preserve it in a more organised and
scientific way. Higher learning institutions can videotape these biological
treasures and make them accessible to school communities. Biologists can do
research on plants and animals and make their studies available for coming
generations.
In connection with this, it may be sensible to again mention the Sidist Kilo Zoo
where lions are kept in captivity by the Addis Abeba University Department of
Biology, which wisely uses it for botanical research and as a centre for
preserving vulnerable species.
In the meantime, schools should be encouraged and urged to arrange organised
visits to the Addis Abeba University Biology Department to acquaint them with
animals and plants and inculcate in their minds a passion towards nature. |
