Posted on 12/30/2007 8:29:18 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Baghdad Zoo is a draw again
With the help of U.S. troops, a sanctuary that was damaged and depleted by the onset of the war is revived.
By Ann M. Simmons
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 30, 2007
BAGHDAD — Capt. Amy Cronin never had a pet. Before deploying to Iraq, she didn't even really know much about animals.
But in 15 months, Cronin and her unit, the 15th Brigade Support Battalion, have gone from providing logistics and supplies to U.S. troops to helping refurbish an animal clinic, building horse stables and constructing new habitats for bears and porcupines at the Baghdad Zoo.
"It's really satisfying," said Cronin, 28, from Boiling Springs, Pa. "Typically support soldiers don't get to interact with Iraqis as much as infantry would. And this gives me the satisfaction of seeing the direct results of my work."
That has included projects to resuscitate the zoo, in a lush 3-square-mile park in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which also includes the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition forces, the Iraqi parliament and other key administrative buildings. It used be among the largest animal sanctuaries in the Middle East.
The zoo had received assistance from U.S. civil affairs units, engineers and international animal aid agencies since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. But some of the quarters for animals needed to be rebuilt and the park's aesthetics needed improvement before it could be turned into a haven where Baghdad residents could retreat from the violence on the streets.
"We're not making sure that people have water and other supplies [with this assignment], but we are making sure that people have a place to relax and have fun," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Vieira, the unit's commander.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
However...this story was run in the Science section and not on the front page.
Dingy Harry is very distressed at this news.
How nice!
But there are still those AQ animals running around...but not for long!
(I always joke that majoring in zoology and having experience with dealing with animals and possbly working in a zoo in the future would be a good qualification should I ever decide to run for Congress)
I hope they have 16’ moats on the tiger enclosure.
Sounds good to me. Planet of the Apes 2....
If they don’t, they’ve got better gun rights than the folks in SF with which to defend themselves.
Keep that San Francisco stuff out of there.
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