PETCHABURI (THAILAND) – As the pandemic has seeped into Thailand’s tourist-reliant economy, from petting zoos, elephant camps to tiger farms, animal attractions are bearing the brunt and may be left with no choice but to give animals away, warned the founder of an animal refuge.
The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand aims to rescue animals that are disowned or exploited in Thailand, but the organisation itself is undergoing a crisis amid coronavirus restrictions.
Edwin Wiek, founder of the sanctuary, said, “For the last six months we have got zero visitors and lost about 75 percent of our income.”.
Wiek recently spent fours days and nights in a cage, which chimpanzees were living to raise $25,000 so as to feed animals and aid those relying on the foundation’s care.
Wiek said, “A much bigger problem that I see upcoming now is the animal attractions around Thailand… they have zero income and they are starting to think about giving away their animals.”
The sanctuary, which has more than 800 animals and expenses of $4,000 per month, usually relies on volunteers but now has only one.
Rhi Menmuir, 22, who has helped prepare animal food twice a day at the sanctuary for seven months, said, “I have noticed a difference that the food quality has gone down a bit.”
Wiek said that pressure to have more animals in has come in the way of the standards of care, and asserted that the sanctuary only had funds to last six to eight weeks.
“Quantity of animals against the quality of care is a dilemma I seriously worry about,” Wiek said.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.