Kabul Zoo

History of Kabul Zoo

Since the most recent war in Afghanistan, the IZE web site has received a number of inquiries concerning the Kabul Zoo and the welfare of its animals. The article below, written by IZE’s Asian Representative, Sally Walker, describes the current situation as well as the history of the zoo.
Afghanistan

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is completely landlocked,
surrounded by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and
Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, and Iran. It is one of the poorest
countries in the world. It is a dry and cold country with diverse albeit
sparse flora and a diverse and numerous fauna species for such a small
country. Afghanistan is about one-sixth the size of India.

Mammal species of Afghanistan, many of which are common with Indian
and other south Asian countries, number more than 100, many of them
very highly endangered. Large and medium sized mammals include
snow leopard, markor, urial, ibex, leopard, Marco Polo sheep (bharal),
bears, wolves, foxes, hyenas, jackals, and wild boar. Small mammals
include mongoose, hedgehogs, shrews, hares, mouse hares, bats, and
various rodents. Over 380 species of birds have been recorded in the
country and about half that number breed there.

It has been described as a land of "marginal environment" with
enormous stress on the land by people too poor to buy fuel and buy
domestic livestock. This has resulted in soil erosion, and poor
irrigation practices have reduced or destroyed the land. The Afghan
government is said to be aware of the environmental problems but war
pressures are an enormous distraction and also cause further
disturbance to the environment.

The combination of occupation, war, religious prejudice, political
disturbance has -- to a great extent -- alienated Afghanistan from
the rest of the world. The confusing and controversial role the
country played in the hijacking of an Air India flight from Katmandu
has further alienated Afghanistan from many other countries.
Afghanistan's many problems have had a devastating effect on the
Kabul Zoo. Horror stories from active wartime and political
revolution have appeared in the press from time to time. Even
today, foreign journalists occasionally write about the conditions in
Kabul Zoo, Afghanistan, appealing to any kind of activists or
concerned humans to find a solution for the tormented and
innocent animals.

Some readers may think that the zoo in a country like Afghanistan
might never have been much different, but it is not so. At one time
the Kabul Zoo was a proud institution.
History of Kabul Zoo

The Faculty of Science of Kabul University used to keep some animal
collections for research. The public became interested in these
animals which led to an idea of founding a proper zoo. A "Committee
of Zoological Projects" in Afghanistan was founded by the President
HRH Prince Nader with members taken from the Royal Afghan
government, the Municipality of Kabul, and zoologists from the science
faculty at the University of Kabul. Gunther Nogge, today the very well
known Director of Cologne Zoo, Germany and former President of the
World Zoo Organization, was on deputation as a professor in Afghanistan
at this time and was much involved with the zoo. A large site for the zoo
was selected and made available by the Municipality of Kabul on the
bank of the Kabul River. The zoo was inaugurated in 1967 and a year
later the first department of a zoological museum was added. The zoo
was supported financially by the Government while technical and
scientific input was left to Afghan and visiting German zoologists.
German zoo experts trained the Afghan zookeepers and taxidermists.
Modern for that time, moated enclosures were constructed in the
interests of the animals themselves, the animal keepers, the zoo
visitors and even for economic reasons. Since most of the animals
were native and habituated to the climate, expensive pucca
constructions which are a requirement in other cold or temperate
countries were not necessary. The Faculty of Science at Kabul
University maintained a close connection with Kabul Zoo and a number
of research publications were generated on parasitological
investigations and successful breeding.

The focus of the zoo was Afghan fauna. In 1972 there were 32
species of mammals, 85 species of birds and 4 species of reptiles.
The total number of animals in the zoo was 417, nearly all of which
were collected in Afghanistan. There was also a lion, a tiger, some
pheasants and parrots. Twenty five years ago there were several rare
species listed in the Red Data Book of IUCN and others which were
rarely seen in captivity.

Cologne Zoo, Germany, contributed the pair of tigers which were
possibly (Panthera tigris) or perhaps an undeterminate subspecies. The
1969 Red Data Book of IUCN estimated that the total number of the
Caspian Tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) ranging through northern
Afghanistan, Turkestan and northern Iran was 50 to 80. Dr. Gunther
Nogge conducted several expeditions to the Amu Darya region, however,
and was convinced that the sub-species no longer existed in
Afghanistan.

The zoo maintained the Afghanistan leopard which could be seen only
in six zoos of the world at the time. In 1973 a snow leopard was
donated from "royal breeding stock" of the King along with some other
animals. (Anon., 1973).

Kabul Zoo then exhibited the Pallas' Cat, which any zoo today would
love to have or any wildlife biologist would love to just see. Other
small cats in the zoo were Lynx and Leopard cat. Other animals were
wolves, jackals, foxes, martens, otters, and striped hyenas. Two
species of bears, Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) as well as the
Black Bear (Selenarctos tibetanus) native to Afghanistan were kept in a
modern open-moated enclosures. Nogge says the eye-to-eye distance
from the visitors in a naturalistic setting made them very popular.
The Turkish people contributed another bear, a young male of (Ursus
arctos syriacus) (Nogge, 1973).

The zoo had a breeding group of the rare Bactrian Wapiti (Cervus
elephanus bactrianus) Endangered by cultivation and pastoral
practices, the deer was protected in a sanctuary established by the
King in Ajar Valley, Central Afghanistan. The zoo also kept a small
herd of the Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutterosa) in 1972 was
reported to be "nearly extinct due to uncontrolled hunting" (Nogge,
1973).

An early attempt at an ecological display was the large moated
enclosure including an artificial mountain where Afghan red sheep,
(Ovis ammon cycloceros), Marmots (Marmota caudata) and Snowcocks
(Tetraogallus himalayensis) were exhibited together. Other mountain
ungulates exhibited at the zoo were Ibex (Capra ibex) and Bezoar wild
goat (Capra hircus). The Bactrian red deer and Afghanistan red sheep
bred in 1973. (Nogge, 1973)

The founders of the zoo and their German advisors did well for
Afghanistan for that period. Even a pond enclosure to mimic
Afghanistan's well-known waterfowl lake, Ab-e-Istada, was included
where one could see Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus),
Spoonbills (Platalea leucocoridia), Stilts (Himantopus himantopus),
Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) and Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea).
In addition Afghan pheasants were kept and bred in a pheasantry
besides several exotic species. Afghan subspecies of the common
pheasant (Phasianus colchicus bianchii) lives only in northern
Afghanistan. Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) as well as
Koklass Pucrasia macrolopha is from Nuristan in east Afghanistan
(Nogge, 1973).

The zoo was very popular with visitors and press. In 1972 the number
of visitors was more than 150,000, an increase of more than 20% over
the previous (Nogge, 1973). Thus, public interest could be fired
about wildlife problems in Afghanistan. The first hunting law was
drafted with a proposal for the establishment of wildlife reserves in
different parts of the country. (Nogge, 1973)

Kabul Zoo was given a young female elephant, promised by Indian
President Sri Giri on the occasion of a state visit. Immediately
when the commitment was made plans were drawn up and construction
for the enclosure began. This was in late 1973. In the same year
Drs.Gunther Nogge who served as Scientific Advisor for Kabul Zoo left
and Mr. G. Kuhnert took over the job. (Anon., 1973).

Kabul Zoo today, according to the occasional visitor and welfare
organizations, is not faring well. It is still supported by the
Kabul Municipal authority or the Taliban Mayor of Kabul but the war
and political instability as well as social and economic
difficulties have taken a vast toll. There is no legislation or
official agreement for the zoo which, then, is at the mercy of the
inclination of the government officials which happen to be holding
the Municipal posts.

A report on 25 January 1998 from London Times correspondent in
Afghanistan, Stephen Grey indicates that the Kabul Zoo is in great
difficulty. At present the zoo hold a pair of lions, 6 bears, 1 wild
boar, 2 wolves, 2 foxes, and 6 rabbits. It is not known precisely
how many were killed during the recent civil war. It is known that
the male lion was blinded by a grenade explosion thrown by soldiers
in retaliation when the lion mauled a colleague who went into the
cage on a dare. A bear has a gunshot wound in the leg. Many
animals have been shot for food. What remain are freezing as there
is no power or fuel to heat their cages in the minus 19 degree cold.
An 60 year old head keeper who had worked in the zoo for decades was
taken from his hut and murdered by unknown persons. The animals’
position is far worse without Akbar - he stayed when the other keepers
left and sneaked out of the zoo at night to find food for the surviving
animals. Grey says the zoo is a "favorite of Taliban soldiers on leave from
the front line" - but for the wrong reasons: the keepers are unable to stop
them from throwing snowballs at the animals, who already have
tolerated more from man than any creature should.

The zoo is located 20 km from the front line of the civil war which
is too close for comfort - or safety - of the animals. It is, as Grey says, a "zoo of horror" today.
References

Anon., (1973) International Zoo News, Vol. 20.

Grey,S. (1998) Wounded Animals at Bay in Kabul's Zoo of Horror.
London Times, p. 14. London.

Nogge, G. (1972) Kabul Zoo the Show-window of Afghan Fauna. The
Outdoorman, Monthly, Volume III, Number (2&3), October/November:
1972.

Nogge, G. (1973) Kabul Zoo. International Zoo News, 20:4/114.