Sandra the orangutan sits in her enclosure at Buenos Aires' Zoo in Argentina. (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – The mayor of Argentina's capital said Thursday that the Buenos Aires zoo will be turned into an ecological park.
Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta said the zoo will gradually relocate most of its 1,500 animals to sanctuaries in Argentina and abroad because they are not living in adequate conditions.
Larreta said Argentina is following a global trend of turning zoos into parks and animal sanctuaries. He said the animals should live in their habitat and not surrounded by buildings and noise.
The Buenos Aires zoo was inaugurated in 1875 in what used to be the outskirts of the Argentine capital. It is now the Palermo neighborhood near busy avenues and buildings. The site is expected to close soon so work on the ecological park can begin.
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