Swedish state television reports about mistreatment of animals

Kwambeze · 16 Oct 2012

Today SVT (Swedish state television) reports about mistreatment of animals at Ölands djur och nöjespark (Ölands Zoo and Amusment Park). This is just one of many critical reports about Swedish zoo's this year. Tomorrow TV4 will show a longer reportage about Parken Zoo and their bad animal care.

Ölands djurpark is known for having their animals in small, bad enclosures but also for mistreating their staff. Parken Zoo has a good reputation but it is a fact that they in the last couples of years have changed their whole collection of animals. They have a very small park but more endangered species than any other zoo in Sweden.

Well, lets see what they will say on TV4 tomorrow.

Jana · 18 Oct 2012

Kwambeze, could you elaborate more about what is happening in Sweden with its zoos? And what is the reaction of the general public, are they only angry with the respective zoo, or are they going more anti-zoo generally?

I have found this article:

Swedish zoo in animal killing 'cover-up'

A zoo in eastern Sweden has come under fire for reportedly putting down animals and claiming they had simply been transferred to another zoo, misleading information the zoo now regrets sharing.

Swedish zoo 'beats animals to death' (16 Oct 12)
Swedish zoo in awe over 'adorable' baby pandas (10 Jul 12)

The Parken Zoo in Eskilstuna, eastern Sweden, will feature on the TV4 documentary series Kalla Fakta (The Cold Facts) on Wednesday night.

On the show is revealed how several animals, some of which were endangered species, had been killed by staff members of the zoo in what appears to have been a move to make more room for new animals.

One older female puma and her two ten-year-old young were killed in September to make way for new jaguars, according to the investigative journalism programme.

On the show, zoo head Helena Olsson explains that the pumas were put down as they were too old, according to the TT news agency.

A number of bongo antelopes were also killed off, although Olsson told the programme that they had been moved to another zoo.

The zoo’s CEO, Torbjörn Bergvall, said that the young pumas had actually died of illness and only one of the bongo antelopes was moved to another park.

However, the zoo had answered fans on their official Facebook page in summer that the pumas had been moved to another zoo and that the bongo antelopes were moved to zoos with better resources.

“That wasn’t correct, we were unclear there,” Bergvall told TT.

The zoo also released a statement on their Facebook page in reaction to a preview of the programme that aired on Tuesday.

“The Kalla Fakta report is made up of information from previous employees who don’t share our view on the importance of zoos to protect endangered species,” the zoo wrote.

“It’s also made up of an unfortunate interview with false information from our zoo head, Helena Olsson. We welcome investigation of our business, and we will address the content of the stated programme here after the broadcast on Wednesday.”

The programme premieres on Wednesday at 9.30pm on TV4.
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Apparently, the lack of transparency and unsuficient explanations from the zoo have backfired.

Kwambeze · 18 Oct 2012

Everyone in Sweden is talking about it today. They are really upset and angry, and there are many threats directly to Parken Zoo and the CEO and Helena Olsson (boss). But many people are also saying that they are never going to a zoo again.

The media have only showed one side of this, and much of it isn't true. I feel really sorry for Parken Zoo. They are making a great job...

petthebird · 18 Oct 2012

90% of the critique regards how they kept their DEAD animals, who where stored in a freeze-room, it was rather sloppy inside, but I for one does not believe that dead animals mind being cramped up like that. The only REAL problem, as far as I'm aware of by now, is that some of the people from parken zoo told untrue things - either knowingly lying or jst case they didn't know what they were talking about. Thats bad - bt it has nothing to do with animal mistreatment.

Shirokuma · 19 Oct 2012

The Ölands djurpark story has been picked up on my the Daily Mail who never miss an opportunity to demonise Eastern Europeans. Although it reports on the workers' ill treatment I would argue that by including the words' Polish workers' in he headline, they are setting up an association in the readers mind between Polish workers and animal cruelty.

Fresh horror at zoo where animals were 'clubbed to death' as it is revealed they were then 'fed to Polish park workers'

A zoo where keepers killed animals using baseball bats and crow bars - in a bid to save on veterinary fees - has now been accused of feeding parts of the dead creatures to to Polish guest workers.

Former employees at the park revealed the horrific living conditions of the animals at Ölands Animal and Amusement Park in Sweden earlier this week, but now it seems the atrocious treatment extend to the staff as well.

Employees at the popular tourist attraction were forced to work under ‘slave like’ conditions and were fed goats, hens and even a pig that had been put down at the park.

One worker, identified as Anna, said: ‘Sometimes we would give the animals a small injection afterwards. If there was an inspection no one would notice that they had been put down the wrong way. They often kill goats with a simple knife to the throat.'

Guest workers from Poland and Bulgaria work in the zoo over the summer and live in cramped conditions close to the park, located on the popular tourist island in the Baltic sea.

Animal carer Mats told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said: ‘People say the animals are treated badly, but if they only knew what the situation is like for the employees.

‘The guest staff work under slave-like conditions, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with no entitlement to sick leave or days off. Those who complain have to take the return bus back home.’

Food is included in the contract and Niclas, another former employee, revealed that the guest workers were fed animals that had been put down in the park, giving examples of a goat and hens.

He reveals he once butchered a pig at the zoo to give the workers meat, adding: ‘They were so hungry and hadn't had any nutritious food for weeks.'

Anna added: ‘They often had to eat monkey food. Old bread and old fruit which had been donated to the park by local grocers on the island or nearby Kalmar on the mainland.'

The stories from behind the cheery facade of the zoo, which welcomes visitors with a sign of two playing chimpanzees, has horrified and sickened the nation and animal lovers worldwide.

On Wednesday Pia Westen, 19, revealed that the park had refused to let carers bottle feed a litter of lion cubs ignored by their mother.

Two of them starved to death before carers were allowed to feed the other two.

Staff were ordered to hide the suffering lion cubs behind tarpaulin sheets, with Westen saying: '[Supervisors] didn’t want visitors seeing them lying there, dying. The animal caretakers really wanted to save them but they weren't allowed until two of them had starved to death.’

Caroline Ryding worked at the park for two months in 2011 and claims she quit her job after witnessing 'permanent maltreatment of the animals'.

She said: 'A coati - a Brazilian aardvark - was beaten to death with a baseball bat or a crow bar. And we were told afterwards not to tell the zoo vet.'

'They had no room for them and couldn't afford a vet. The owners told us not to say anything because what they did was illegal.'

Last year the company made a £1.2m profit and the park’s director Barbro Hägg has been given an estimated £2.4m in salary and shares in the past five years.

Zoo spokesman Hans Uhrus claimed the care was of high standard and that the zoo was regularly checked by vets and the County Administration Board.

He said: 'We always take great care in dealing with our animals. We have regular controls of our business under the animal protection act through inspections. The board has had no complaints against the park'.

This claim was backed up by the park’s veterinarian Karl Johan Nordfelt.

He said: 'As the park's veterinary surgeon I visit the park at least once a week to see the animals and how they are kept.

'The animals' well-being is checked every day by the staff on site and I control how they are kept during my regular visits.

'I have nothing to comment on regarding the care of the animals in the park.'

The animal park, on the Baltic island of Öland’, off Sweden's east coast, is estimated to be home to over 650 animals of over 100 different species.
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Horror zoo where animals were 'clubbed to death' fed animals killed in the park to Polish workers | Mail Online

Chlidonias · 19 Oct 2012

Shirokuma said: ↑

The Ölands djurpark story has been picked up on my the Daily Mail who never miss an opportunity to demonise Eastern Europeans. Although it reports on the workers' ill treatment I would argue that by including the words' Polish workers' in he headline, they are setting up an association in the readers mind between Polish workers and animal cruelty.

Horror zoo where animals were 'clubbed to death' fed animals killed in the park to Polish workers | Mail Online
Click to expand...

that whole thing reads as if the "reporter" just made it up as she went along.

Hvedekorn · 28 Oct 2012

When I came to "Brazilian aardvark", I completely stopped taking it seriously.

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Swedish state television reports about mistreatment of animals

Kwambeze Well-Known Member

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Swedish state television reports about mistreatment of animals

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