Mugabe plans to send "Noah's Ark" to North Korea, page 1

At first it was reported that the animals — including pairs of baby elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, hyenas, antelopes, monkeys, warthogs and several types of birds — would be a personal gift to the North Korean leader. Later Zimbabwe's state news media reported that the animals would be displayed to the North Korean public in a zoo.

The scheme could be in doubt as Zimbabwean wildlife experts say the animals would not survive conditions in North Korea. The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported today that Mugabe's plan has been shelved.

Wildlife experts say the animals will have a tough journey during the 7,000 mile flight and then are unlikely to survive North Korea's cold temperatures and bad conditions.

Particularly at risk are the two baby elephants who are 18-months-old and 24-months-old, according to experts.

"Elephants typically breast feed until they are four, so these two babies have been taken away from their mothers much too early. I have seen them in their quarantine units and it is heartbreaking," said Johnny Rodrigues, chair of the Zimbabwe Conservation Trust.

"It is inhumane to send these animals to concrete cages in a zoo in a place as cold and inhospitable as North Korea. They can't look after their own people there, how are they going to care for these animals?" said Rodrigues to GlobalPost.

"These animals belong to Zimbabweans. North Korea has a low track record of looking after animals and we can't have our animals living in cages," said Rodrigues. "We should be working on a plan to improve our tourism. We cannot export the beauty of our country to other countries. What will future generations have if we export our heritage?"

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Boy, Zimbabwe's government headed by Robert Mugabe sure is something special. Mugabe himself, sure is a winner. Can they not do anything right? This is one of the most stupid ideas coming out of Zimbabwe as of late, ranked right up there with the murder of white farmers along with the redistribution of "white" farmland.

I think that a North Korean zoo is the last place that you would expect delicate animals to be properly taken care of. This just sounds like another typical bad decision coming out of the Mugabe government and it sickens me that it is even on the table.

Mugabe is the perfect example of why African nations are never going to prosper or be in any better situation than they are now in, absent foreign aid and guidance. It's sad that they are in control of such a beautiful place, rich with a plethora of wildlife and human culture. Could you imagine the the progress of the Zimbabwe economy or the strides forward for their way of life, had they of had a leader with any kind of intelligence or common sense? That really goes for most African countries. They have all of the potential to be contenders on the world stage, save for one - common sense.

--airspoon

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