Activists Want Giraffe to be Moved from Small Mexico Zoo
2023-06-21
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1Benito the giraffe arrived in Mexico's dry northern border city of Ciudad Juarez last month.
2Already, the climate appears to be a problem.
3The creature has to deal with the heat of summer.
4And the snow and very cold temperatures of winter are still to come.
5As a result, some animal activists are leading a social media campaign to "Save Benito."
6They seek to have the animal moved somewhere easier to live.
7On a recent day, the 3-year-old male giraffe could be seen with only its head under a small, circular area for shade.
8The structure did little to protect him from a storm that came later in the day.
9There is also a small building for the winter.
10But activists say it is cruel for the city-run Central Park to keep the giraffe in a small area, by himself, in a climate he is not used to.
11Ana Félix said, "We have been fighting for a month, a group of animal activists, to demand that he be taken to an animal sanctuary, a zoo, ..." The Ciudad Juarez animal rights activist said Benito should be housed in the right space with people who know how to care for such animals.
12Blue Hills, a sanctuary in Texas that rescues animals and books private tours to help offset the cost, has offered to buy or adopt Benito.
13"We can offer him a ... new heated barn, so in the winter he doesn't stand in the snow and freeze," sanctuary worker Matt Lieberman wrote to The Associated Press.
14"We have an on-staff vet that cares for our animals and we have 24-hour staff for him."
15He added that the giraffe would have 130 hectares to move around in.
16Lieberman said, "He needs trees to eat from and keep stimulated."
17Benito appears to have just about finished off the only small trees within his reach at Central Park and can do little more than walk in circles.
18Officials at the park reject the criticism, though they admit they cannot provide more trees.
19They say they are working to improve Benito's living area, saying his presence has been important in increasing the park's popularity among visitors, largely children.
20Monthly visits rose from about 140,000 before Benito arrived to 200,000.
21Park visitor Derek Reyes, 11, had mixed feelings about Benito.
22"He could be fine here," Reyes said, "but it would also be good if they could take him to a place where they belong, with a herd."
23Park director Rogelio Muñoz said officials are planning to build Benito a new, heated winter house by September.
24The park is also building a larger sun covering for the giraffe and cleaning water in the pool that takes up much of the enclosure.
25Benito will have fresh water in a special drinking container known as a trough.
26"The conditions, attention and care in the habitat of the park's new resident are optimal for his stay," the park wrote in a social media message.
27A zoo in the much milder climate of Sinaloa, a state on Mexico's northern Pacific coast, gave Benito to Ciudad Juarez's Central Park.
28Benito could not stay with two other giraffes at the Sinaloa zoo because they were a couple.
29The male in the couple could become protective and attack the younger Benito.
30The giraffe's arrival was a point of pride for Ciudad Juarez, a city across from El Paso, Texas.
31El Paso has giraffes at its zoo, the thinking goes, so why can't Ciudad Juarez?
32"We want to be like El Paso," Muñoz said.
33I'm John Russell.
1Benito the giraffe arrived in Mexico's dry northern border city of Ciudad Juarez last month. 2Already, the climate appears to be a problem. The creature has to deal with the heat of summer. And the snow and very cold temperatures of winter are still to come. 3As a result, some animal activists are leading a social media campaign to "Save Benito." They seek to have the animal moved somewhere easier to live. 4On a recent day, the 3-year-old male giraffe could be seen with only its head under a small, circular area for shade. The structure did little to protect him from a storm that came later in the day. 5There is also a small building for the winter. But activists say it is cruel for the city-run Central Park to keep the giraffe in a small area, by himself, in a climate he is not used to. 6Ana Félix said, "We have been fighting for a month, a group of animal activists, to demand that he be taken to an animal sanctuary, a zoo, ..." The Ciudad Juarez animal rights activist said Benito should be housed in the right space with people who know how to care for such animals. 7Blue Hills, a sanctuary in Texas that rescues animals and books private tours to help offset the cost, has offered to buy or adopt Benito. 8"We can offer him a ... new heated barn, so in the winter he doesn't stand in the snow and freeze," sanctuary worker Matt Lieberman wrote to The Associated Press. "We have an on-staff vet that cares for our animals and we have 24-hour staff for him." 9He added that the giraffe would have 130 hectares to move around in. Lieberman said, "He needs trees to eat from and keep stimulated." 10Benito appears to have just about finished off the only small trees within his reach at Central Park and can do little more than walk in circles. 11Officials at the park reject the criticism, though they admit they cannot provide more trees. They say they are working to improve Benito's living area, saying his presence has been important in increasing the park's popularity among visitors, largely children. Monthly visits rose from about 140,000 before Benito arrived to 200,000. 12Park visitor Derek Reyes, 11, had mixed feelings about Benito. 13"He could be fine here," Reyes said, "but it would also be good if they could take him to a place where they belong, with a herd." 14Park director Rogelio Muñoz said officials are planning to build Benito a new, heated winter house by September. 15The park is also building a larger sun covering for the giraffe and cleaning water in the pool that takes up much of the enclosure. Benito will have fresh water in a special drinking container known as a trough. 16"The conditions, attention and care in the habitat of the park's new resident are optimal for his stay," the park wrote in a social media message. 17A zoo in the much milder climate of Sinaloa, a state on Mexico's northern Pacific coast, gave Benito to Ciudad Juarez's Central Park. 18Benito could not stay with two other giraffes at the Sinaloa zoo because they were a couple. The male in the couple could become protective and attack the younger Benito. 19The giraffe's arrival was a point of pride for Ciudad Juarez, a city across from El Paso, Texas. El Paso has giraffes at its zoo, the thinking goes, so why can't Ciudad Juarez? 20"We want to be like El Paso," Muñoz said. 21I'm John Russell. 22Mark Stevenson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 23_____________________________________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25giraffe - n. a very tall African animal that has a long neck 26sanctuary - n. a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter 27barn - n. a building on a farm that is used for storing grain and hay and for housing farm animals or equipment 28vet - n. short for veterinarian an animal doctor 29stimulate - v. to make a person or thing excited or interested in something 30herd -- n. a group of animals that live or are kept together 31habitat -- n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows 32optimal - adj. best or most effective