BajaNomad

The Santiago Zoo - Getting Closer

jeans - 6-19-2005 at 06:37 PM

Many of you remember when I started talking about the Santiago Zoo and my efforts to help the lion & the tiger kept in small cages. This was after a visit in January of 2002, and has been a continuing saga every since. At times, I work on this every day, sending emails, doing research. (Santiago is located between Los Barriles and San Jose Del Cabo)

Let me bring you up to date and tell you how you can help in our final push. We now have the attention of Mexico City. When I say ?we?, I am talking of a small group of people, most importantly a woman named Gloria. Gloria is a Houston business woman who represents the airline industry to Latin America. She is fluent in Spanish and is the Honorary President of a Cancun animal protection agency. We learned of her through an Animal Planet documentary of the Cancun lion rescue she lead a couple of years ago.

We are in possession of a letter from the Los Cabos Tourism Dept. supporting the transfer of the Lion & the Tiger to a Sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas. However, the CITES permit necessary has been denied in Mexico City. They have told us that losing the animals would economically hurt the community of Santiago. They think the animals are doing fine where they are. If we wanted to help, we should help them (give them money) to build a new zoo. Well...that ain't gonna happen. They cannot/ will not take care of what they have, how can they manage a larger facility? (Of course, we have our own theory here).

For those of you who remember when I wrote about the broken bone in the lion?s paw, he has never received treatment. Money that I collected in the past...about $1400....was turned over to Chalyne, the woman in Cabo San Lucas who cares for the animals out of her own pocket. She is the only friend they have down there. Fundraising for the actual transfer of the animals will begin after all permits have been issued and will be conducted by the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio.

Last December I visited with the owners of Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio to make arrangements for them to receive the Lion & Tiger. They have trucked lions out of Cancun and are ready to move our animals when the permits have been issued.

Call to Action: We have the attention of Mexico City. Gloria has the clout to take this to Presidente Fox if necessary. We need to shine some public light on this, now that someone outside of Baja is listening. We want to hear from tourists who have witnessed these sad animals in their tiny cages on urine-soaked concrete floors. This ?zoo? is an inhumane relic of the past that showcases their Third World mentalities. It is a shameful embarrassment and they do not even know it. Let?s tell them.

Los Cabos is highly dependant on the tourist dollars. Please write from your heart on why the animals should be allowed to be transferred to a better home where they can receive proper nutrition, veterinary care and have acres in which to roam. Mexico should enter the 21st century in regards to animal care and compassion. It?s time.

Email letters will be OK. Handwritten letters are even better as they have more clout with Mexican officials, who are not quite with the electronic age yet. for more information.

I want to thank everyone who over the years has support my efforts in what seemed to be an impossible endeavor, but we are so very close to success. I know a great many of you felt the same sadness I did when I first saw that magnificent lion pacing in his cage. When he looked me in the eye and whimpered, I burst into tears and vowed to myself I would get him out.

Thank you,
Mindy aka: jeans

jeans@iname.com

Eli - 6-19-2005 at 06:48 PM

O.K. Mindy,

Ya never gave up, did ya? Not like me that just gave Chalyne a hundred bucks, shook my head and said nothing will come of this and walked away.

So, my next question is: Who are we suppose to write. An address, or do we just direct these to your e-mail addy and you will collect and pass on?

Also, what about the Eagle, is he still penned up? After I saw him, I never went back, that was in "89".

Saludos, Sara

jeans - 6-19-2005 at 07:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Eli
O.K. Mindy,

Ya never gave up, did ya? Not like me that just gave Chalyne a hundred bucks, shook my head and said nothing will come of this and walked away.

So, my next question is: Who are we suppose to write. An address, or do we just direct these to your e-mail addy and you will collect and pass on?

Also, what about the Eagle, is he still penned up? After I saw him, I never went back, that was in "89".


Saludos, Sara


Hi Sara, you were one of the first persons to contact me after my original post on this topic. You & I corresponded for how long before I knew you were Jimmy's daughter? I met him for the first time later that day when I was still teary-eyed and fuming.

Letters can be addressed to "Whom It May Concern". People can email me for a mailing address, or if that is too much trouble, they can email them. I will collect them and send them to Gloria. She can can translate them and send them on.

What the officials need to know is that the zoo is upsetting to the tourists they hope to attract. The zoo proves that Santiago is a backwards, out-of-touch little town that is ignorant of the needs of the animals that they are entrusted with. They now have an opportunity to do the right thing by releasing the animals. We need to convince them that it will be in their interest and good will to do so.

Yes, the grounds are tidy and well-raked, but the small cages are barbaric. I know that the cats do not get red meat. I have seen dried chicken quarters lying on the urine -stained concrete. The animals have never been seen by a qualified vet...in fact, there is no vet with wildllife experience in the entire region. They most like are infested with parasites.

I believe the eagle was there the last time I visited which was Sept. 2003. His cage was too small for him to fly. Someone sent me a picture of him. I just tried to attach a pic...don't know yet if will stick until I post this.

Thanks for asking! I know you care.
jeans@iname.com



[Edited on 6-20-2005 by jeans]

Dave - 6-19-2005 at 08:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jeans
We have the attention of Mexico City. Gloria has the clout to take this to Presidente Fox if necessary.


It's obviously necessary. Why doesn't she?

People that torture animals

jrbaja - 6-19-2005 at 08:37 PM

oughtta be shot !

Neal Johns - 6-19-2005 at 08:39 PM

Do you have a better picture?

jeans - 6-19-2005 at 09:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Quote:
Originally posted by jeans
We have the attention of Mexico City. Gloria has the clout to take this to Presidente Fox if necessary.


It's obviously necessary. Why doesn't she?


Thank you for asking...I wish it were that easy.

As a business woman with interests in Mexico she has learned to use her clout judiciously. She needs to climb the chain of command before bringing in the big guns, or else she will be referred back down the line. That is why it has taken so long to get this far. Nobody will take responsibility. After making the rounds and they can no longer ignore us, we get kicked up higher.

Without Gloria, I would have given up a long time ago. She is a thorn in their side, an irritant that will not go away and it is resulting in an awareness that there is a problem brewing that is not going to go away. She has done this before..it takes a long time to wear them down until they give into her. Poco a Poco.

I saw the same chain-of-command process when Celia Diaz was trying to evacuate Mom. She could not put in a plea to Mexico City without first tracking down the closest doctor to Gonzaga, (north of Puertecitos) to get his official opinion on the situation. She finally found him in Mexicali. Once he verified there was no way to get her out, only then could she get the authorization she needed.

We will get those animals out. I know it. Letters will help.

Got a pen handy? :yes:

Neal,

I tried to post the larger one but it was too large. I posted the thumbnail instead. I do not think the eagle is still there. Chalyne says many of the small animals have disappeared. It is sad to see a bald eagle standing on the ground in a small cage.

[Edited on 6-20-2005 by jeans]

MexicoTed - 6-19-2005 at 11:12 PM

The Eagle is still there, in fact there are two of them now. They actually looked somewhat healthy, which is more than you can say for most of the animals. The bobcats, foxes, the one monkey, and the lion seemed the worse. Those big cats need more room that's for sure and the lions paw still has the bone sticking out. The tiger might have a cracked tooth.

Chaleyne was there when I was in May. She does have a special reportoire with those animals, especially the big cats, but this is not a job for her or Jeans or even the small community of Santiago, everyone needs to be involved.

Honestly, I think Jeans is in for a big fight. The "name" animals (Lion & Tiger) might eventually leave, but the rest of the animals are probably in Baja Sur for good. If we can't get them out, let's get a bigger soon built with better care.

Ted

[Edited on 6-20-2005 by MexicoTed]

David K - 6-19-2005 at 11:52 PM

The original effort and funds raised were for bigger enclosures for the three largest animals (lion, tiger, bear). The bear died... and the others are not far behind... Obviously, a bigger pen for the two remaining big cats is not the answer and that is why the change in action to get the animals the hell outta there!

I first visited the zoo in 1985 and the (then) small animals seemed fine and it was interesting. Photos in my Album page from then...

My second visit in Dec. 2001 found large animals in small cages... and the others were not so good looking.

If the state of Baja Calif. Sur cannot use some of it's revenue from the massive tourist industry or find a qualified private investment group to manage the zoo in the proper way a zoo should be run... then get the poor beasts outta there!

The Tijuana zoo would have taken the lion three years ago, but that effort was dashed...
too bad!

Mindy's efforts must be commended... and I know something good will come of them!

Sharksbaja - 6-20-2005 at 01:04 AM

Inhumane? Zoos are only for the selfish pleasure of man....CK

jeans - 6-20-2005 at 07:45 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sharksbaja
Inhumane? Zoos are only for the selfish pleasure of man....CK


In this case you are right. This "accidental" zoo most likely sprang up when people started dumping animals they received in a black market trade of cute babies that grew up to be unmanageable wild animals.

I am not wholley against all zoos everywhere as I do believe that some (such as the San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park) serve a needed position of education and species restoration. (For example, the condor would be history by now). That argument is not relevant to what I'm trying to accomplish here & now.

I have had people on this board be very vocal about not helping because of an indignation towards all zoos. I respect their stand but that righteousness does not help these few animals right now. That is all I'm trying to do.

This zoo is illegal. There are no permits, no accountability, nothing on paper that says it exists. In January of 2004 Lic. Maribel Collins of the Tourism Dept of the State of Baja California Sur announced that the state was giving the zoo $150,000 (pesos) for improvements. Where did the money go? It sure as HELL did not go towards new enclosures for the animals. A copy of that announcement is in our packet that we present to whoever will listen.

Ted is right in his assesement of Chalyne. Her communication level with those animals is magical to watch. They respond to her when to others, they look half dead. However, last June when the bear died (I can't go into THAT story in a public forum) She caused such a fury with the officials, that we decided on a "divide & conquer" plan of action. Gloria presented herself to the government as an alternative to dealing with Chalyne. It has worked so far. As soon as they learned that we were not working with Chalyne, they started taking our calls and having a dialogue. So in effect, Gloria has only been working on this a year....a short time by Mexican standards.

This has put me in the middle here with Chalyne. I like her very much as a person and her dedication to the animals is without question, but I needed to align myself with someone who could get things done. So, she has been kept "out of the loop" so to speak.

I have started to receive responses via email!! The animals & myself thank you! Keep them coming !!


jeans@iname.com

jeans - 6-20-2005 at 07:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Visit the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park... not the same as others. Endangered animals are being repopulated and returned into the wild. The condor once again flys over Baja, thanks to the San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park.

[Edited on 6-20-2005 by David K]


DK...you had better write a dang good letter.......:!:

Eli - 6-20-2005 at 06:18 PM

Boy howdy, this board is taking me up, down, up, down. Seeing the Eagle again brings me sadness beyond belief. You know, the last time I saw him, (if it is the same eagle), he was in a cage that was more appropriate for a parakeet, he could not even open his wings. Can't believe he is better off, but a little, yes. Still, way to sad a sight for children, don't you think? I'm not taking my grandkids to that hell hole, that is for sure.