(Image source from: tomateros.com.mx)

Animals are not directly affected by coronavirus but their master’s economic plight or health is certainly the reason for their abandonment.

In April, an owner couldn’t afford to feed her two-and-a-half-year-old tiger due to the economic crisis during this pandemic and left this tiger in Mexico’s zoo.

This tigress was sedated and taken to her new home in the Culiacan Zoo in Sinaloa State. She is 130 kgs and was carried to that place in a truck.

The owner who took this step responded to one of the campaigns conducted by Mexico’s Association of Zoos, nurseries and aquariums that focused on avoiding abandoning of animals during the lockdown.

According to AZCARM’s president, Ernesto Zazueta, this abandoning happens when people are falling short of economic resources and since they can’t cope up with the situation, they get rid of their animals.

During the lockdown, the Culiacan zoo welcomed a Python, a baby manatee, 14 green macaws and 49 deer’s. These deer’s were rescued from a sugar mill in Tabasco.

Sadly, this deer was found malnourished and now the good news is that it is happy with the other ostriches, giraffes and antelopes.

Just as economies are suffering due to coronavirus, this lockdown has made the living of animals miserable too.

Culiacan’s director, Diego Garcia reported that "The tiger was reported because they couldn't look after it; but as for the deer... it was an emergency because they didn't have any food or even anyone to look after them, on top of being in a place that was inadequate for the species,"

Besides, the Mexican zoo has been doing its best for animals since 2015. This zoo saved illegally trafficked wild animals for years.

These animals are rehabilitated in zoos and if there is a possibility, they are returned back to their natural habitat. There are cases where many of these animals are physically damaged and forced to live their life in zoos.

Zazueta says that when these animals are brought to the zoo, they are evaluated and taken care of. A few of them don’t know how to survive, hunt or protect themselves.

The AZCARM urges the Government to extend their support by providing food donations and giving permission for zoos to reopen just as the other businesses such as mining, construction and aviation have opened and are operating in the first phase of the country’s “new normality”.

According to the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the most biodiverse country in the world is Mexico. In the entire world, around 10-12 percent of biological species on this planet are in Mexico. Among them, reptiles and mammals are present the most.

At Culiaca zoo, Kira, and other animals are fed well even in times of crisis. A local company is donating 3.5 tons meat every month.

By Neha Makhija