An alarming situation has been recorded at Tirana Zoo, where, in temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius, the animals appear exhausted, tired and sick as they struggle, in an environment that bears no resemblance to their natural habitat, to find the rare patches of shade that might protect them from the scorching sun.
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News24 has brought footage that breaks the heart, showing bears, a lion, a wolf and other animals, including cows and horses, struggling in the heat and from thirst in surroundings that clearly raise doubts about whether they provide even the minimum conditions needed to cope with the extreme heat that has gripped the country this August.
It is immediately apparent that the water available to them is insufficient and kept in conditions that raise questions about hygiene, but another sight is even more alarming.
One of the zoo’s wolves is standing inside its enclosed area with visible wounds on its body, while it is not known whether it is receiving the necessary veterinary treatment.
Animals cannot say that they are thirsty, that they are suffering from the heat or that they are in pain; they cannot leave, nor can they ask for help.
For precisely this reason, on days when scorching temperatures engulf the country, the responsibility of people and institutions for their well-being becomes even greater.
The person who placed them there also has the responsibility to guarantee them the minimum living conditions, care and protection they deserve.
Tirana Zoo is a space visited every day by tourists and citizens. But the scenes visible today are not only unpleasant; they are also concerning and alarming.
They should not simply pass as another news story of the day. They should serve as a call for oversight, transparency and institutional accountability.
Behind the bars are not objects on display. They are living beings placed in a space from which they cannot leave and where they cannot care for themselves. Humans keep them there, and they also have a duty to guarantee them dignified living conditions.
People’s visits, driven by love and curiosity for animals, may be the reason a zoo exists, but they can never be a reason for its inhabitants to suffer.
