Benito the giraffe arrived in Mexico香蕉视频直播檚 arid northern border city of Ciudad Juarez just last month, and already the climate appears to be a problem 香蕉视频直播� and he香蕉视频直播檚 only had to deal with the scorching heat of summer.
The snow and freezing temperatures of winter are still to come, and animal activists are up in arms and pushing a campaign under the hashtag 香蕉视频直播淪ave Benito香蕉视频直播� seeking to have the animal moved somewhere more hospitable.
On a recent day, the 3-year-old male giraffe could be seen crouching with only its head under a small, circular canopy for shade. The structure did little to protect him from a pelting rain and a hail storm later.
There is also a small shed for winter, but activists say it is cruel for the city-run Central Park to keep the giraffe in a small fenced enclosure, by himself, with only about a half acre to wander and few trees to nibble, in a climate he香蕉视频直播檚 not used to.
香蕉视频直播淲e have been fighting for a month, a group of animal activists, to demand that he be taken to an animal sanctuary, a zoo, somewhere where there are appropriate facilities and qualified personnel to care for this type of animal,香蕉视频直播� said Ana F茅lix, a Ciudad Juarez animal rights activist. 香蕉视频直播淲e are in the desert here and the climate here is extreme in winter and in summer.香蕉视频直播�
Blue Hills, a sanctuary ranch in Texas that rescues animals and books private tours to help offset the cost, has offered to buy or adopt Benito.
香蕉视频直播淲e can offer him a brand new heated barn, so in the winter he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 stand in the snow and freeze,香蕉视频直播� ranch operator Matt Lieberman wrote in response to The Associated Press. 香蕉视频直播淲e have an on-staff vet that cares for our animals and we have 24-hour staff for him.香蕉视频直播�
He added that the giraffe would have 320 acres (130 hectares) to roam in. 香蕉视频直播淗e doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have any trees to browse from香蕉视频直播� at the park in Mexico, Lieberman said. 香蕉视频直播淗e needs trees to eat from and keep stimulated.香蕉视频直播�
Benito appears to have just about finished off the only small trees within his reach at Central Park and can do little more than walk in circles.
Officials at the park reject the criticism, though they acknowledge they can香蕉视频直播檛 provide more trees. They say they are working to improve Benito香蕉视频直播檚 compound, saying his presence has been important in boosting the park香蕉视频直播檚 popularity among visitors, largely children. Monthly visits rose from about 140,000 before Benito arrived to 200,000.
Park visitor Derek Reyes, 11, had mixed feelings about Benito.
香蕉视频直播淗e could be fine here,香蕉视频直播� Reyes said, 香蕉视频直播渂ut it would also be good if they could take him to a place where they belong, with a herd.香蕉视频直播�
Park director Rogelio Mu帽oz said authorities are planning to build Benito a new, heated winter house by September.
The park is also building a larger sun canopy for the giraffe and dredging out garbage and fetid water from a pool that takes up much of the enclosure. Benito will have fresh water in a trough.
香蕉视频直播淭he conditions, attention and care in the habitat of the park香蕉视频直播檚 new resident are optimal for his stay,香蕉视频直播� the park wrote in a social media message.
Benito was donated by a zoo in the much more temperate climate of Sinaloa, a state on Mexico香蕉视频直播檚 northern Pacific coast. Benito couldn香蕉视频直播檛 stay with two other giraffes at the Sinaloa zoo because they were a couple, and the male could become territorial and attack the younger Benito.
The giraffe香蕉视频直播檚 arrival was a point of pride for Ciudad Juarez, a tough, dusty city across from El Paso, Texas, that is best known for its hundreds of maquiladora assembly factories and its endemic gang violence. El Paso has giraffes at its zoo, the thinking goes, so why can香蕉视频直播檛 Ciudad Juarez?
香蕉视频直播淲e want to be like El Paso,香蕉视频直播� Mu帽oz said.
Central Park, which also holds a few other animal species like ducks and donkeys, invited kids from across the city to come visit the new giraffe; the government of the border state of Chihuahua sponsored a contest among grade schoolers to name him.
The first prize 香蕉视频直播� about $500 香蕉视频直播� went to a little girl who proposed the name 香蕉视频直播淏enito.香蕉视频直播� One critic, Alfredo Casas, commented on Facebook, 香蕉视频直播淭hey would have done better spending that money on better shade for the giraffe.香蕉视频直播�
The park had a giraffe for 21 years named Modesto. He died last year, and activists say they don香蕉视频直播檛 want his experience 香蕉视频直播� being alone and sometimes caught in the snow and frost 香蕉视频直播� to be repeated for Benito.
香蕉视频直播淲hen Modesto died, we thought that was the end of it,香蕉视频直播� said F茅lix. 香蕉视频直播淏ut then they bring us a new animal, and that really isn香蕉视频直播檛 fair. It isn香蕉视频直播檛 fair to repeat the story of Modesto.香蕉视频直播�
Mu帽oz acknowledged that Modesto香蕉视频直播檚 life was far from the best 香蕉视频直播� children who used to visit the giraffe would feed him potato chips and snack foods. But park officials have launched a campaign to teach kids to bring Benito only lettuce and carrots.
Mu帽oz said he also doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want Benito to live out his life alone.
香蕉视频直播淲hen his quarters are fixed up, his house, with heating 香蕉视频直播� then we want to bring in a female, because he cannot be alone,香蕉视频直播� Mu帽oz said.
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