The Costa Rica government plans to close two public zoos by next year as part of their campaign of a cage-free environment.
Environment Minister Rene Castro announced that the Simon Bolivar Zoo will be transformed to a botanical garden with birds, reptiles, and small mammals only. No captive animals will be retained in the garden. Another is the Santa Ana Conservation Center but there is no announcement yet on what it will be when it reopens in 2014.
The options they have for disposing the animals are to put them back in the wild or transfer them to rescue centers. The Simon Bolivar has been home to animals for 97 years already.
Once the two zoos retire from their current purpose, about 400 animals of 60 species will be returned to the wild as reported by the Associated Press. The government is still discussing if releasing all of them in the wild is feasible. Deputy Environment Minister Ana Lorena Guevara has been working with various rescue organizations to see if they can accommodate those who will lose their jobs because of the plan. Those who will not be accommodated will be offered a job as wards on the government’s national parks program.
Fundazoo, the foundation that runs the two public zoos that will be closed, disapproves the proposal citing a contract that will not be due until 2024. Spokesman Eduardo Bolanos also expressed that the plan is impractical since the two zoos are the only places in Costa Rica which houses veterinarians that are experts in forest species and has an animal nutritionist too.
Costa Rica has been very serious about their cage-free environment campaign. They have initially prohibited animals in circuses back in 2002 and have banned all sport hunting events.
