Hired Hunters for Jammeh's Kanilai Zoo Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site The Independent (Banjul) February 17, 2003 Posted to the web February 17, 2003 Jalamang Jammeh Banjul In apparent contravention of The Gambia's Wildlife Act President Yahya Jammeh has recently hired and deployed hunters in Sutukung, Jarra east to hunt and kill bush pigs for his Kanilai Santaba zoo, in an attempt to stave off the problem caused by fish scarcity in Foni, which cannot provide adequately for his wild pets. President Jammeh's deployment of hunters in Jarra to provide for his zoo of lions and crocodiles has not gone down well with residents of Jarra east who have complained that the activities of hunters apparently at his behest were causing security problems and the loss of endangered wild animals in their area. Hunters are paid according to the number of animals they bring for the zoo, according to sources. According to sources a vehicle registered as BJL4064A was being used to ferry the carcasses to the president's Kanilai zoo where hungry lions and crocodiles devour them. Jammeh's hunters on numerous occasions allegedly invaded the Sutukung-Banni forest and surrounding areas to hunt for animals, which is in breach of the Wildlife Act, prohibiting the killing of animals in the wild some of which have been declared as endangered species. Last year, animals of various species were flown in from South Africa to augment the Kanilai zoo, which provides a quiet retreat for President Jammeh outside Banjul. Meanwhile employees of the Department of Parks and Wildlife have complained that the Abuko Nature Reserve is losing some of its game to Jammeh's Kanilai zoo, which has seen the president's home village hosting a variety of animals. According to them a lioness was recently transported from the Abuko Nature Reserve to Kanilai where it was paired with a male lion. They argued that it is against the Wildlife Act to kill animals without permission from the department, which the president or h is hunter did not seek. They also said although they are aware of such actions and acutely concerned about the implications for the Abuko Nature Reserve and other forests losing animals to the Kanilai zoo, they fear putting their jobs on the line if they complained. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Make allAfrica.com your home page ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Top | Site Français | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Copyright © 2003 The Independent. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). Click here to contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~