Report shows DESTEA shut down Bloem Zoo and moved animals

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – Questions are pilling up as to what happened to 256 animals from Bloemfontein Zoo when it was shut down in 2020.

This followed a notice from Nozi Nkoe, Grade 1 Environmental Management Inspector on the 6 March 2020.

Prior to that notice, Advocate Tankiso Mea, wrote a letter to Dr Mbulelo Nokwequ, head of department at DESTEA requesting update on permits.

Nkoe had given Advocate Tankiso Mea, erstwhile City Manager 72 hours to close Bloemfontein Zoo.

Mea then escalated the mater to Makalo Mohale, for MEC to no avail.

What happened next, animals were to various game reserves in the country.

Among those loaned were five monkeys, which were:
a) Four (4) De Brazza Monkes
b) One (1) Hamadryas Baboon

The animals in question are among missing animals and according email from Jo’burg Zoo, they were valued at R170 000.00.

BIRDS STOLEN
20 exotic birds, some being among the most endangered, were stolen in the middle of the night, in what remains an unsolved mystery.

REMOVAL OF ANIMALS
An extract from a report by Ngwane Attorneys, a law firm commissioned by Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality puts the blame squarely on DESTEA.

“Mr Rudi Virtue, a curator of the mandator, informs us that he used to stay at the Zoo due to operational reasons of the mandator, and one morning he saw a truck from nature conservation, green scorpions and the Bloemfontein SPCA show up at the Zoo and informed him that they are there to take all the animals.

He informs us that on the first day, an Eiland died during the course of being extracted from the Zoo, this was due to the inexperience of the animal handlers removing the animals from the Zoo, who sometimes used more than the recommended dosage to dart the animals.

He confirms that the approach by DESTEA and their entourage was confrontational, arrogant, forceful and never provided them room to assist with the more fragile animals which they knew better than anyone else.

Notwithstanding the above, Mr Virtue confirms enquiring from Ms Nosi Nkoe (a DESTEA employee) leading the extraction of the animals, whether they had a court order to remove the animals, to which she confirmed they do not need one to carry out their duties.”

Email correspondence show Ngwane Attorneys literally begging DESTEA to corporate with its investigation and they were literally blueticked by Nokwequ.

Mojalefa Mphapang, spokesperson for DESTEA didn’t respond to our questions. Once he does the story will be updated

This is a developing story.

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