The Greater Vancouver Zoo has disciplined an employee after he allegedly confronted a group of animal rights activists using a leaf blower over the weekend.
Protesters from the group Liberate GVZoo Animals said they gathered just off the zoo’s Aldergrove property Saturday to air concerns about the welfare of the animals inside.
Shortly after they arrived, they said a man with a leaf blower came over and started pacing back and forth in front of them, before turning the gardening tool in their direction.
Single mother Sarah Wall was holding a megaphone, and said a blast from the leaf blower pushed it into her face, leaving her with a bloody nose and lip.
“I didn’t even know at first. I could feel my mouth sore but my adrenaline was going,” Wall said. “It wasn’t until I touched my upper lip that I saw blood on my finger.”
Wall said there were no leaves where they were standing, and she suspects the worker was sent to drown out the sound of their protest chants.
Protesters captured footage of part of the confrontation, including the moment Wall was struck by her megaphone. Langley RCMP, whose officers monitored part of the protest, said the incident is “not a police matter” and will not be investigated.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo has sent a statement to the protesters and media apologizing for the dust-up and confirming the employee involved has been disciplined.
“We at the Greater Vancouver Zoo regret the incident as the now disciplined employee acted on his own initiative contrary to our policies, protocols and practices,” general manager Jody Henderson said in the statement.
The zoo did not say how the employee was disciplined, but said steps have been taken to ensure a similar situation doesn’t happen again.
Henderson also suggested the protesters created “exceedingly loud noise” that contributed to “affecting disturbing behaviour” with some of the zoo animals on Saturday.
Animal rights groups have been keeping tabs on the zoo for years over a number of reported animal fatalities, including the deaths of three giraffes between 2011 and 2012 and four zebras in 2009.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo describes itself as a world-renowned zoological institution, with a focus on education and conservation-oriented activities.
See Facebook video of the incident below:
Man Attacks Animal Rights Activists at the Zoo This is footage I took from an action camera of a man assaulting animal rights activists at yesterday's (November 21) Greater Vancouver Zoo protest. Why were we protesting the GVZoo?The GVZoo is not a place for conservation. It is a place for profiting off animal negligence. The zoo has a long track record of exotic animals under their care dying long before the end of their natural lifespans. The BCSPCA have launch several investigations against the GVZoo - In 2006, charges were raised for animal cruelty to the baby hippo Hazina. In 2009, SPCA officials met with the GVZoo in response to the death of two zebras, and again in 2011/2012 for the death of three giraffes. Hani, a Siberian tiger passed away in 2012, and more recently, Rakesh the red panda passed away last summer 2015. I've attended two lectures from two separate BCSPCA officials. it is their position that animals should not be housed in zoos. The GVZoo claims to not have a breeding program, yet they proudly boasted If you truly care about animals and their well-being, you ought to reconsider your visit to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. We don't need to observe animals in a captive environment; visit a park, or one of many BC's forests, and study the animals in their natural habitat. Our own entertainment is not an adequate justification for the suffering that many of these animals go through.Lastly, many of my friends have been blocked from accessing the GVZoo Facebook page for speaking out against them. Censorship is shameful behaviour, and I will not tolerate it. It's not conservation. It's hardly education. It's violence.
Posted by Terry Chuang on Sunday, November 22, 2015
