Offer to assist bears in East London Zoo

AN INTERNATIONAL environmental aid organisation is willing to fund the building of a new enclosure for the East London Zoo’s ageing bears.

The zoo, the subject of a petition to have it closed and its animals relocated, was visited yesterday by Lionel de Lange, chief executive of the Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation Ukraine, who said he would be willing to find the funds.

De Lange runs a bear sanctuary in the Ukraine, which until recently had no wildlife laws.

De Lange’s interest in the plight of East London’s bears was raised when he saw the online petition.

Together with Neil Ovens, of AID 4 SA, the pair struck a deal with Pick n Pay to provide appropriate food just past its sell-by date for the zoo’s animals. The details of this are still being finalised.

De Lange said the enclosure had too much concrete and rocks that the old bears needed to climb.

He said if allowed, his organisation would find the funding and a builder for a new enclosure.

“They need a large enclosure. It could be built as an addition onto the existing one,” he said.

To have vegetation next to the old bear enclosure would be perfect for the animals.

“There are two options, either the zoo be upgraded or shut down,” he said.

De Lange agreed to become the zoo’s bear ambassador, saying that he would give as much help as he could for all the animals, especially the bears.