Chiang Mai Zoo is forging ahead with the construction of its newest attraction exhibiting live polar bears. However, animal activists have denounced the project, saying polar bears are vulnerable in captivity and the new facility is also substandard.
President of the Lanna Bird and Nature Conservation Club MD Rungsrit Kanjanavanit, accompanied by over 20 members of the Thai Wildlife Protection Network, the Hug Chiang Mai Club and the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation, traveled to Chiang Mai Zoo in the northern province of Chiang Mai to submit a letter to Mr Thanapat Pongpamorn, Director of the zoo. The letter protested the zoo’s new addition, called the Polar World, which is being built to showcase a couple of polar bears as well as King Penguins.
Despite the zoo’s vision to use Polar World to stimulate local tourism and contribute to the research and conservation effort, MD Rungsrit expressed strong disagreement with the project, particularly the polar bear display. He explained that statistics worldwide had indicated that polar bears had difficulties thriving in captivity and adapting to their confines.
Another reason is that polar bears live in the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic all year long and, therefore, life in the tropical climate of Thailand would be brutal. Even though the air-conditioning system could come in handy, building a space to imitate the bears’ natural habitat is still a challenging task as they also need a vast expanse of land and water to roam and hunt for food. Many countries with hefty budgets have failed to keep polar bears in healthy conditions, physically or mentally, within their fences.
MD Rungsrit cited research by the University of Oxford as suggesting that nearly all polar bears on display across the globe had mental illnesses. The animals’ unfamiliarity with their new environs and limited space can cause depression as well as unusual and repetitive behaviors. The leading activist then pointed out that Chiang Mai Zoo’s Polar World was not being constructed in compliance with the international standard, reasoning that its area spanned only 135 square meters, as opposed to the requirement of at least 500 square meters per each pair of bears.
Lastly, MD Rungsrit called for all zoo operators worldwide to refrain from acquiring more polar bears and other large predators for exhibit, adding that several developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany, had already terminated such practices.
The activists’ voice against the Polar World project has been heard by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Consideration is reportedly being given to the suspension of the project although the construction process has been 30 percent completed and the attraction is tentatively set to be open to the public in 2013.
