Local authorities in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, issued a draft regulation on Tue proposing "implanting location chips into zoo animals" and inviting suggestions. It comes after a local zoo concealed the escape of three leopards in early May until nearby villagers spotted one and reported it to the local police.
"[We suggest] strengthening the video and infrared monitoring and alarm system for safety protection in animal cages, exhibition areas and tourist areas The digital management of animals should be strengthened, and digital tracking and positioning methods such as chip implantation in fierce animals [should be considered]," said the regulation draft issued by Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Forestry & Water Resources on its website on Tuesday.
"The enclosure space for dangerous animals should comply with the number of animals. The cage area should be provided with separate entrance and exit doors, and 24-hour monitoring equipment should be installed," it said.
"Chip marking technology is relatively mature and has been widely used in dog management, livestock and poultry breeding and agricultural product traceability systems, but it has not yet been widely used in zoos," Sun Quanhui, a scientist from World Animal Protection, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Sun noted that as a means of individual identification, chip marking is a technology which costs little, is easy to operate and has high accuracy, but the implanting process may bring some discomfort for the animals.
The zoos under the management of the regulation would include comprehensive zoos (aquariums), specialized zoos, wild zoos, animal exhibition areas in parks in the city, and research sites for breeding of rare and endangered animals.
The city's zoo management level was criticized after media reports in early May said that The Hangzhou Safari Park had concealed the escape of three leopards until nearby villagers spotted one and reported it to the local police.
The first leopard was brought back under anesthesia on April 21 and the second was successfully captured in the forest surrounding Hangzhou Wildlife World on May 8.
The other leopard is still at large, but animal experts said that it might have died of starvation or injury.
Netizens questioned whether the move would be painful for the animals, asking whether putting bands on them might be more humane.
Sun told the Global Times that large and wild animals are not suitable for zoos as they need a lot of space and to have their own special habitat.
To avoid causing suffering for these animals in captivity, advanced zoos should no longer keep large wild animals such as tigers, leopards, and elephants, Sun said.
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