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Since 2001, N.C. Zoo and its non-profit support organization, the N.C. Zoological Society, were asked to spearhead a national effort by zoos and aquariums to provide aid for the beleaguered animals in Afghanistan's Kabul Zoo.
Responding to requests from the public as well as concerns from its own professional membership, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and its 201-accredited institutions, N.C. Zoo and the N.C. Zoological Society put plans in place to help the struggling zoo. According to wire service reports, the Kabul Zoo staff and animals had received little support under the Taliban regime and their problems, including lack of food for the animals, had been exacerbated by America's war on terrorism.
AZA officials called on Dr. David Jones, director of N.C. Zoo, to lead the effort. Jones also serves as chairman of the board of the Brooke Hospital, the largest animal welfare organization in Pakistan, and has extensive contacts with other conservation and welfare organizations working in that part of the world.
"Because of the work we do in Pakistan, we have a network of people who can assist in getting funds, food and veterinary items to the Kabul Zoo," Jones said. "It is imperative that we have reliable mechanisms in place for supporting this effort. As urgent as the need is for humanitarian aid, there is also the need to help animals that have been suffering during these times. As members of the international zoological community, we feel that this is where our expertise and efforts are best spent at this time."
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