Animals at Pata Zoo Need Your Help

PETA Asia’s investigation into Pata Zoo, located at the top of the Pata Pinklao Department Store in Bangkok, showed that the animals imprisoned there are locked in dark, barren cages. They are offered little to no stimulation and are clearly miserable, left with nothing but rubbish to play with.

These animals – such as Kat, an orang-utan deprived of exercise and psychological stimulation, and Bua Noi, a gorilla who’s been alone and behind bars since 1983 – have been relegated to concrete enclosures. Many show clear signs of zoochosis, a captivity-induced mental illness that drives animals to rock, sway, pace, or even harm themselves. Primates are intelligent animals who, in nature, live in large, complex social groups. Being kept in isolation causes them extreme anguish.

PETA Asia has repeatedly offered to help transfer all the animals at Pata Zoo to a sanctuary where they would have trees to climb, grass to roll in, and many other animals to socialise with. Several years ago, PETA Asia activists held a colourful protest outside the department store, resulting in a meeting with the zoo’s owner to discuss the conditions there and the possibility of retiring the animals and transferring them to a sanctuary. Although he made assurances of open communication and further discussion, he hasn’t yet found the compassion in his heart to allow the animals to live in dignity at reputable sanctuaries. In a recent statement, he rejected reports of plans to relocate Bua Noi.

This zoo has attracted international attention for many years, and many businesses have abandoned their leases at Pata Pinklao Department Store citing animal welfare concerns. PETA Asia has written to AIS Telewiz and Owl Cha, which are still tenants at the department store, asking them to reconsider their leases, the proceeds of which help fund the imprisonment of animals.

We Need Your Help

Please send a polite e-mail to Pata Zoo’s owner, Kanit Sermsirimongkol, at [email protected], asking him to accept PETA Asia’s offer to retire the animals and transfer them to a sanctuary.

Then, use the form below to urge AIS Telewiz to reconsider their support of Pata Zoo.

Feel free to use the sample letter below, but keep in mind that your request will carry more weight if you write your own message and subject line.

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