South Lanarkshire zoo site can’t replicate the savannah of Sub-Saharan Africa.
I was in a contemplative mood as I walked along the Clyde Walkway, on the North Bank of the Clyde at Dalmarnock. Maybe it was the lovely June sun. Maybe it was thinking about my eldest daughter turning 14 the day before. Maybe it was my walking companion Declan a yellow Labrador who turned 3 the day I was walking.
I contemplated the peace and tranquillity of the walk along the Clyde, an expanse of peaceful water, wooded tree land and was at peace with the chirp of the birds. At times looking south you would forget you were still in Scotland's largest city and you were transported to a rural atmosphere. Cheek by jowl though on the north of the walk was the construction of the athletes village for the commonwealth games. Many of those houses will be turned into social housing following the games. I was reflecting that if such goals transpire into reality then clearly this could be a good example of progress and conservation side by side.
My good mood and reflection was shattered though when I came across a bench placed in memorial to Kriss Donald who was brutally murdered and had his body dumped nearby. A further jolt was the Graffiti not 5 yards away questioning the marital status of the parents of “All Polis”.
And whilst I was back to reality I stared across the Clyde to the south bank, the Cuningar Loop, where if the developers have their way there will be a new zoo. I have seen the plans and the proposal is that amongst other animals there will be lions and antelope. The day I was there the weather was sunny and bright. But the savannah and grassland of sub-Saharan Africa it is not. Glasgow is called the dear green place for a reason, the same reason Deacon Blue called their first album Raintown.
Its not just the weather that makes Glasgow an inappropriate place for Lions. Studies of captive lions in zoos have shown they can spend 48% of their time pacing, a sign of behavioural problems. Hyenas are largely nocturnal and therefore unlikely to benefit from being kept in a busy daytime attraction. Seals are also known to suffer boredom in captivity, deprived of the natural environmental stimuli of the haulout, the hunt for prey, the weather and the sea. Along with other animal charities OneKind are campaigning to prevent a zoo being built on this site. A stone’s throw from the zoo is Celtic Park where there is a stand commemorating the Lisbon Lions. Together let’s keep those as the only lions in the East of Glasgow and make sure the zoo is never built.