The authorities of the National Aquarium of Cuba (ANC) assured this Saturday that the center has a mammal management program “supported by scientific bases and international standards,” after the controversy unleashed on social networks by the recent death of one of the animals of that institution.
The Master of Science María de los Ángeles Serrano, director of the aquarium, said that the specialists who attend to this type of animal there take “very much into account” the indications of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to an office of the Cuban News Agency.
In addition, he pointed out that the animals of the ANC “are very loved by their trainers” and that “the clinical history of each one of them is kept from the same day they arrive at the center, on any manipulation and even the change of diet », adds the report.
The directive’s statements come shortly after the center was questioned on social networks by various activists and animal protectorsafter the death of the sea lion baptized with Jocker, which happened on April 20 at the facilities of said center.
«Today the family of the National Aquarium of Cuba wakes up with the sad news, our dear Jocker, sea lion of the zalophus californianus species, is no longer in the institution, this specimen was born on June 5, 1998 and arrived at the Aquarium in March 2003 , during all this time, many generations of visitors were able to enjoy their presence at the marine mammal exhibits”, the institution published on its Facebook profile that day.
However, several users of the social network blamed the institution for what happened, and blamed the animal’s death on alleged poor care and poor conditions in the place where the specimens of this species were located inside the aquarium.
In own publications, animal activists affirmed that “Jocker had been in a state of malnutrition for a long time and nobody did anything” and that for weeks the state in which the animal was found was “alarming and worrying”. Even one day before his death, the Facebook profile Vive como Daguerre denounced that the ANC had animals “in a state of severe malnutrition, cachectic, dehydrated, with skin lesions”, and several photos were shown, among them one of the sea lion later deceased.
Similarly, the authorities of the institution were required “urgent medical treatment of these animals (those that are still alive), optimal conditions, food and, if possible, consider their subsequent release.” In this lawsuit, he included the dolphins “who are in the same situation,” the publication asserted.
In what appears to be an institutional response to these accusations, the director of the National Aquarium pointed out that in the case of Jocker, who died at the age of 24, it is an “elderly” animal because it exceeded the average between 20 and 30 years. that members of this species usually last.
According to the press report, Serrano indicated that “from the first symptoms of illness (the sea lion) he was given a very strong follow-up by veterinarians and trainers.”
He also clarified that in his group they fed him until almost minutes before he died, with the volume of food that he accepted. “He received treatment for diagnosed pneumonia and heart disease was detected at autopsy,” added the highest authority of the ANC.
«Jocker was born on June 5, 1998 and arrived at the National Aquarium in March 2003, but by nature he lost body mass, his behavior was not the same, he was blind, and we did not neglect him at any time because he was part of the specimens of the aquarium”, detailed the directive.
According to Serrano, in his state of health it was worse to isolate him, because where he was “he had the necessary conditions” and he considered that “removing him from there would exacerbate his suffering.” “We were very careful and never forced him to eat because it was worse, force feeding these animals can cause a heart attack,” she added, quoted by the agency.
This event comes to light shortly after the defenders of animals and part of Cuban society summoned the authorities for the mistreatment of a small cat during a rodeo carried out as part of the activities of the Fiagrop 2022 International Agroindustrial Food Fair in the Cuban capital.
Then, the animal activists demanded compliance with the animal welfare decree-law recently approved. The Ministry of Agriculture (Minag), one of the organizers of the event, rejected what happened, and after investigating the facts, announced penalties for those involved in the unfortunate event.
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The note issued in this regard by the agency clarified that the administrative, disciplinary and misdemeanor sanctions “correspond as established in Decree-Law No. 31/2021 on Animal Welfare and its Regulations, regulations that develop the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, regarding the duty of Cuban citizens to protect natural resources, flora and fauna and ensure the conservation of a healthy environment.
The approval of this regulation came after years of insistence by activists and also by entities linked to the issue and was celebrated by the growing Cuban animal community, although it did not satisfy all the demands in this regard, and has increased its work of activism, vigilance and denounces so that what is established is complied with, and those who mistreat an animal in the Caribbean country are penalized.
