CAIRO — The Giza Zoo, built by Khedive Ismail Pasha and opened in 1891 under Khedive Muhammad Tawfiq Pasha, was considered a world-class facility when it opened. Covering an area of about 80 acres, the oldest zoo in the Middle East now houses approximately 6,000 animals, including some endangered species. In 1993, it ranked as the third best zoological garden in the world. Today, the zoo no longer figures among the top 330 such facilities. In 2004, it lost its accreditation from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
Salah Talaba, a famous Egyptian animal breeder known as “Africano Talaba,” claims that the situation at the zoo is so dire that he will pay the Ministry of Agriculture 10 million Egyptian pounds (about $550,000) a year as rent in return for managing the park. Currently, the zoo is overseen by the ministry's Central Administration for Zoos, which is affiliated with the ministry. Talaba's family has been in the animal breeding business for more than 100 years and owns a mini zoo in Kerdasa, a village in the Giza governorate.
Talaba's offer, made June 28, generated mixed reactions. Some officials, among them Othman al-Montasser, the secretary of parliament’s Agriculture Committee, welcomed the general idea of private money going toward the zoo. He told Al-Monitor that the private sector is better at utilizing resources and has the potential to better develop the park. In direct reference to Talaba, however, Hamed Abdel Dayem, a ministry spokesman, denounced the idea. He told Al-Monitor that Talaba's offer would add to the financial burden on Egyptian households, because the goal of the private sector is to maximize profits devoid of social responsibilities.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, Talaba said, “Any proposal for development is immediately met with negative responses and spite from officials instead of being discussed to point out its pros and cons. In fact, when I announced my offer to the Ministry of Agriculture that I would like to rent and manage the park, the ministry launched campaigns against my private zoo, which is now threatened with closure.” According to Talaba, after he announced his intention to rent the Giza zoo, a group of veterinarians affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture targeted his mini zoo, and a number of violations were issued.
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