National Zoo Awareness Day

posted 5-4-05

National Zoo Awareness Day, held on Easter Monday, was once again a huge success. This event, organised each year for the last 7 years by the Captive Animals Protection Society, is a day on which campaigners highlight the cruelty of the zoo industry. As usual, WMAA organised a demo outside Dudley Zoo, which was this year attended by 16 protesters.

Sadly, the visitors were streaming through the gates for much of the day(see above), but despite this, staff at the zoo were eager to get them through the gates as quickly as possible, so they wouldn`t be put off by reading our leaflets & placards. The zoo even brought in private security thugs to keep protesters away from the queuing public. But people did turn away after reading the leaflet and there is no doubt that many more will be boycotting zoos in future, after they witness for themselves, how sad & lonely the zoo prisoners are!! The demo also received great support from the passing traffic and lasted around 3 hours in total.

Towards the end of the demo, 2 employees from a local pizza shop arrived offering free pizzas to everyone taking part in the protest!! Apparently, their boss is vegetarian and wanted to support the protest, so sent 2 staff with at least half a dozen boxes of pizza. Although the gesture was very much appreciated, nobody at the protest was able to take them up on the offer, due to the pizzas not being vegan!! A member of staff(possibly the manager) from the zoo, called one of the pizza shop staff over and had a quiet word with him. He was clearly heard to tell the young man to get lost and threaten him!!! Obviously, they`re not keen on having other local businesses supporting a protest against their animal cruelty!! Similar protests were held simultaneously outside Zoos and safari parks across the country. If you would like to learn more about the inevitable suffering caused by keeping animals in unnatural, restricted zoo conditions, take a look at the Captive Animals Protection Society website - click on the logo below.

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