Kabul Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Kabul Zoo is located in Kabul
, Afghanistan
, on the bank of the Kabul River
. The director of Kabul Zoo is Aziz Gul Saqeb.
, being very popular with visitors and press. The zoo once had more than 500 animals with about 150,000 visitors coming to see them in 1972. The zoo suffered significant damage during the long civil war in Afghanistan
; the aquarium was damaged by shelling
, and combatants took the deer and rabbits for food.
after his death in 2002) and Afghanistan's only pig. As many as 10,000 people visit during the weekends. The zoo employed a staff of 60 to care for the animals . Conditions are poor, but it is a popular place for Kabulis. The zoo is open from 6am to 6pm every day and entry costs ten Afghanis
(100 Af for foreigners).
, a primary donor of animals, has expressed concerns about the safety of the animals it has already donated to Afghanistan. In 2004/2005, one male bear and one deer died, apparently from diseases and improper nutrition. Chinese authorities say they will not donate any more animals to Kabul until conditions improve. The North Carolina Zoo
in the United States
has funded and supervised many projects at the Kabul Zoo, including improvements to housing of the animals such as climbing structures and standoff barriers, with additional help in creating a business plan
for the zoo. David Jones, director of the North Carolina Zoo is currently trying to help send Kabul Zoo staff to India for training.
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, on the bank of the Kabul River
Kabul River
Kabul River , the classical Cophes , is a 700 km long river that starts in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan and ends in the Indus River near Attock, Pakistan. It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass...
. The director of Kabul Zoo is Aziz Gul Saqeb.
History
The zoo was inaugurated in 1967 with a focus on Afghan faunaFauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, being very popular with visitors and press. The zoo once had more than 500 animals with about 150,000 visitors coming to see them in 1972. The zoo suffered significant damage during the long civil war in Afghanistan
Civil war in Afghanistan
The Afghan civil war began when the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power in a military coup, known as the Saur Revolution, on 27 April 1978. Most of Afghanistan subsequently experienced uprisings against the unpopular Marxist-Leninist PDPA government. The Soviet Union...
; the aquarium was damaged by shelling
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
, and combatants took the deer and rabbits for food.
Status
, the zoo only has about 280 animals, which includes 45 species of birds and mammals and 36 species of fish. Among the animals there are two lions (who replaced MarjanMarjan (lion)
Marjan was the most famous resident of the rundown Kabul Zoo. The lion witnessed Afghanistan’s turbulent history, from the 1978 murder of King Zahir Shah’s brother-in-law, Sardar Mohammed Daoud and his entire family, to the arrival of the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan that...
after his death in 2002) and Afghanistan's only pig. As many as 10,000 people visit during the weekends. The zoo employed a staff of 60 to care for the animals . Conditions are poor, but it is a popular place for Kabulis. The zoo is open from 6am to 6pm every day and entry costs ten Afghanis
Afghan afghani
The Afghani is the currency of Afghanistan. It is notionally subdivided into 100 pul , although there are no pul coins in circulation.-Original Afghani :...
(100 Af for foreigners).
Donations and assistance
The Chinese governmentChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, a primary donor of animals, has expressed concerns about the safety of the animals it has already donated to Afghanistan. In 2004/2005, one male bear and one deer died, apparently from diseases and improper nutrition. Chinese authorities say they will not donate any more animals to Kabul until conditions improve. The North Carolina Zoo
North Carolina Zoo
The North Carolina Zoo is located in Asheboro in Randolph County, North Carolina in the Uwharrie Mountains near the geographic center of the state, approximately west of Raleigh, NC, United States. At , it is the largest "walk-through" natural-habitat zoo in the world, the first in the United...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has funded and supervised many projects at the Kabul Zoo, including improvements to housing of the animals such as climbing structures and standoff barriers, with additional help in creating a business plan
Business plan
A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals....
for the zoo. David Jones, director of the North Carolina Zoo is currently trying to help send Kabul Zoo staff to India for training.