Chiang Mai misses out on polar bears

Via: Bangkok Post

The Zoological Park Organisation has scrapped a controversial plan to allow polar bears to be displayed at Chiang Mai Zoo after protests over the welfare of the animals.

Pimook Simaroj, the new director of the ZPO, said public concerns over the polar bears’ welfare were reasonable and had persuaded the board to drop the project.

“We are concerned not only about the animals’ welfare, but also about the global warming aspects,” he said.

“I know some people might be upset about our decision to scrap the project.But our prime mission is to focus on animal welfare, not economic issues.”

Although there will be no polar bears at the zoo, a demonstration project to display polar life, including penguins, was still on the books, Mr Pimook said.

He said the zoo would turn the polar bear zone, which was already under construction, into a multimedia learning centre for children to discover animal life that exists at both poles.

Mr Pimook said the polar bear project was not crucial to boosting tourism revenue in Chiang Mai. All related sectors should work together on ways to promote the province’s tourism attractions.

The decision disappointed a Chiang Mai bus operator.

Singkham Nanti, the president of Nakon Lanna local bus cooperative, said the board did not listen to Chiang Mai residents who wanted the polar bear project to help boost tourism.

“The organisation only listened to those who are not Chiang Mai natives and it doesn’t care about local businesses. The number of tourists was projected to
double (double? don’t think so) if the province had polar bears to show,” he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/245820/chiang-mai-misses-out-on-polar-bears

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my suggestion for the display of polar life:

Perhaps they can follow the lead of Moline, Illinois (SEE PHOTO)?

“Inside the Airport [Ramada Inn] is a huge stuffed polar bear. The bear was shot by the original hotel owners son from a helicopter in Alaska. There was no place to put the huge beast, hence the hotel. And it’s been there ever since.”

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/16133

However, to make it really exciting for the little Thai kids, you would need to add sound, GRRRRWWW!

aw, perhaps, not

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April 2011 – Chiang Mai, the polar bears are coming!

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/chiang-mai-polar-bears/

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Chiang Mai, Thailand – Night Safari

Via: Chiang Mai Mail

The first person in our Chiang Mai Mail SPOTLIGHT is Dr. Sarawut Srisakune, CEO of the Chiang Mai Night Safari. Dirk Weeber Arayatumsopon interviewed Dr. Sarawut with the assistance of Bobby Khotbuntao.

CMM: Dr. Sarawut, when did you start your duty as CEO in the Night Safari?

DSS: Tomorrow it is exactly one year I started my duty the first of JUNE 2010.

http://chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml

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Daily Mail:  ‘come to our zoo, . . . then eat the animals” (10 May 2007)

As conservation plans go, this one is perhaps not from the Department of Good Ideas. Visitors to a new zoo will not only get up close and personal with some of the world’s most exotic animals, but will be able to eat examples at the park’s restaurant afterwards.

The £60 ‘Exotic Buffet’ at the newly-built safari park in Thailand includes such delicacies as elephant and giraffe, with lion and tiger also on the menu for lovers of big cat steaks.

The safari park’s project director, Plodprasop Suraswadi, said: ‘The zoo will offer visitors the chance to experience exotic foods, such as imported horse,  kangaroo, giraffe, snake, elephant, and tiger and lion meat. We will also provide domestic crocodile and dog meat.’ The canines would come from Sakorn  Nakorn province, where locals regard grilled dog as a delicacy.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-594367/Come-zoo–eat-animals.html

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personal thought:

The Night Safari got off to a VERY BAD START; but Dr. Sarawut looks like a very cool guy, so I wish him the very best.

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Chiang Mai – polar bears?

Via: Bangkok Post

Chiang Mai Zoo will go ahead with its controversial Polar World project despite fierce opposition from animal rights activists.

Zoo director Tanapattara Pongpamorn said yesterday the project was worth the investment and strictly adheres to international animal welfare guidelines.

Under the project, the zoo will import a pair of polar bears and some king penguins from foreign zoos. The polar animals will be kept in a 71 million baht enclosure, which is now 30% complete. Work will continue on the 2,909-square metre enclosure over the next two years.

The zoo anticipates that the enclosure will boost visitor numbers by half.

“We have done everything to follow the Association of Zoo and Aquarium’s guidelines, especially on natural habitats,” said Mr Tanapattara.

“We have a life support system in case of emergencies, together with plans to reduce the animals’ stress in a new environment.”

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Nikom Phutta, secretary-general of the Thai Wildlife Protection Network, said polar bears living in confined spaces are prone to suffer from depression.

 The temperature of 18-22 (65- 72F) degrees inside the enclosure would be too hot for the animals, which normally live in FREEZING CONDITIONS.

“Polar bears in a Singaporean zoo have reportedly developed heat stress (see photo),” he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/233410/activists-zoo-polarised-over-enclosure

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