A sign outside of the Noah's Ark — a
traveling zoo in Russia — proclaims "
the lives of the human being and
animal are equal, take care of animals." But once you step
inside of the park, a completely different philosophy looks like it is being put
into practice.
One in which animals were expendable and they served only
to help make humans rich. The park, located in the city of
Ryazan not too far from the
Moscow, is home to over 40 different species of animals, from lions and bears to
panthers, tigers, and wolves. When volunteers walked inside they were shocked by
what they found.
They encountered several animals crying in agony and
left for dead. Animals of all different shapes and species suffering under the
sweltering heat. A foal was lying on its side against the burning
concrete. Camels and llamas were keeled over in pain.
But it wasn't the
sight of the animals dying under the 90-degree sun that first alerted them that
something was wrong.
It was the disgusting stench of animal refuse that
they could smell from over 350 feet away. According to reports,
Russian authorities are "investigating" the matter. But what is there to
investigate? Even if the authorities prosecute the owners and the promoters of
this traveling atrocity, other roadside zoos, and cruel circuses will still
continue to prosper. That is unless real change is made.
Russia has a
real problem with animal entertainment. There are few protections that keep
bears, elephants, big cats and others out of circuses and traveling animal
exhibits, and animals suffer because of it.