How zoo animals survived civil war in Ivory Coast

The animals at Abidjan Zoo were left to fend for themselves when civil war broke out in Ivory Coast two years ago. A quarter of the animals starved to death, including the pack of lions. Those which could survive on vegetation became painfully thin. The animals lived in their own filth. But now the zoo is undergoing a radical makeover and has ambitious plans for the future.

The country’s latest civil conflict began in late 2010, when opposition leader Alassane Ouattara won the presidential election. Laurent Gbagbo, who had been president since 2000, refused to give up power to the newly elected Ouattara. A civil war erupted. An estimated 3,000 people were killed and up to 1,000,000 people were displaced. The crisis lasted four months.

The zoo is in the heart of Cote d'Ivoire’s economic capital, Abidjan, one of the worst battlegrounds during the civil conflict. There was fighting in front of the gates and the zookeepers were lucky to escape with their lives. Parts of the city shut down. Food wasn’t delivered to the zoo for months and disease ran rampant in the stifling heat.

While the country recovers, attempts are being made to prosecute those allegedly responsible for the violence. Former president Laurent Gbagbo, pictured, is facing trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Militia leader Amade Oueremi, who backed current president Alassane Ouattara, was arrested in May for his alleged role in a massacre of Ouattara's opponents.

Abidjan Zoo opened in 1930, but years of neglect due to the country’s conflicts have taken their toll. The cages are out-dated, and some of the animals display behavioral problems. In the wild, for example, baboons live in large social groups. For the baboon pair at the zoo, the enclosure is too small, and they are not engaged in enough activity. They have resorted to repetitive motions.

Things began to change for the zoo this year. Cote d'Ivoire’s Ministry of Forestry, with money from the Swiss government, launched a rehabilitation campaign. Specialist vets were flown in to treat the sick animals. Construction is underway, and visitors are returning, with school days twice a week. The zoo plans to open an education center to teach the thousands of children more about the animals.

The zoo’s last surviving forest elephant, CAN, was named after the national football team, which won the African Cup of Nations in 1992. Forest elephants are endangered. But CAN, a star attraction at the zoo, can look forward to moving into a new enclosure. The zookeepers want to make life more stimulating for the animals, with lots of branches, fresh water and a mix of different foods.

Despite the challenges, Abidjan Zoo has aspirations to be a center of conservation excellence in West Africa. Almost all of its animals are indigenous to Ivory Coast. It is home to the largest population of slender snout crocodiles in captivity in the world and has now begun a breeding program to release them back into the wild.

There is still a lot of work to be done at the zoo, but rehabilitation is now underway. Partnerships are being established with zoos around the world, and money is being invested. The endangered baby West African chimpanzees are already seeing the benefits - they were recently moved from small cages into a new chimp daycare, complete with climbing frames and swings.