Organizations defending the rights of animals called for a march to demand the closure of a zoological reserve located in San Pedro de Colalao, in Tucumán, by the bad state in which exotic animals are found and they requested that they be transferred to sanctuaries.
“The concentration is called for this Friday at 6:00 p.m. in the Urquiza square in the capital of Tucumán, to then march towards Independencia square located in front of the Tucumán Government House,” said the organization Libera Delegación Tucumán.
The phytozoological reserve Doctor Carlos Pellegrini Institute It became the focus of attention after a young woman visited the place and denounced the situation of the animals in captivity through her social networks.
? WE MOBILIZE AGAINST THE ZOO IN #tucuman ‼️
Let’s accompany THE ANIMALS who are UNFAIRLY locked up in tiny cages, driven crazy by so many years of confinement in the C. Pellegrini private zoo.
Details on flyer
Bring your posters!!! pic.twitter.com/htDZwhDjqP— RELEASE! Tucuman (@LIBERATucumán) January 24, 2023
In the images, which went viral and generated the outrage of thousands of users, three brown bears can be seen in concrete enclosures, where there are small pools with cloudy water and no vegetation where they can take refuge despite the extremely high temperatures in summer. .
Images of Bengal tigers in other cages, as well as other exotic animals, were also released.
After the repercussions, the governor of Tucumán, Osvaldo Jaldoordered that a inspection in the reserve to examine the state of the animals, in which the Secretary for Coordination and Management Control of the Ministry of Productive Development, Eduardo Castro; the community delegate of San Pedro, Walter Mananí; and Flavia González from Fundación Matías, among others.
“As a veterinarian and knowledgeable about the general state of the animals, the assessment of the specimens is satisfactory,” Castro said.
What is this that is happening now in the phytozoological reserve of San Pedro de Colalao! In 2018, this same situation was publicly denounced and there was even a petition to close the place. Animals living in deplorable conditions Enough! #tucuman pic.twitter.com/hQyqkpegrG
— Josefina (@josebussi) January 16, 2023
Meanwhile, from the provincial government they indicated that “the Reserve has existed for 30 years working as an educational and rescue space for different native and exotic species that arrive from other reserves in the country.”
“For more than 10 years we have been denouncing and asking for the closure of this zoo and that the exotic animals that can no longer be reinserted in their natural habitat be transferred to sanctuaries, and in turn, the native species of the region that are under conditions they can be rehabilitated and returned to nature,” Ivana Acevedo, from Libera, told Télam.
The young woman said that she personally approached those responsible for this private zoo with “a series of proposals and projects so that native animals such as toucans and tapirs, among others, are delivered to rehabilitation and reintegration programs,” but the responses were negative.
“In 2013 we filed a complaint at the San Pedro de Colalao police station along with other people who had visited the zoo and were able to see injured animals and in poor health, the presentation had documentation and photos of the situation of the animals,” added.
