New Zoo License Sparks Controversy Over Iranian Zoos
According to KhabarOnline, the issuance of a new zoo license has ignited fresh controversy surrounding zoos in Iran; a license granted by the Anzali Free Zone Organization without consultation with the Department of Environment. In a report by Shargh, the approval for the construction of a zoo in Anzali coincides with the transfer of several animals from the closed Safadasht zoo and the presence of an individual whom the Department of Environment labels as a “violator.” This situation has once again brought tensions between the Department of Environment, the Anzali Free Zone, and animal rights activists to a critical point. Reports of a dead tiger and an injured lion indicate that the head of the closed Safadasht zoo intends to establish a new zoo in Anzali, one of the most significant cities in Gilan Province. Many Iranians may recall the bitter memories associated with the Safadasht zoo, including the beating of African zebras during their transfer in 2015, the eventual death of two zebras in May 2021, the deaths of three giraffes between 2019 and 2021, the death of a tiger in 2019, the death of a sea lion in the winter of 2021, and severe injuries to a lion cub that was reportedly driven to cannibalism due to starvation in 2024. These incidents were part of the numerous violations committed by the Safadasht zoo. Furthermore, advertising for the purchase and transfer of wildlife, recruiting actors to perform in animal cages, and engaging in dubious practices regarding the illegal breeding and raising of animals were all part of the dark record of the Safadasht zoo over the past decade. The Department of Environment did not issue any permits, as the repeated violations of this zoo from 2015 to 2024 were deemed unforgivable by the supervising body, the Department of Environment. Consequently, in the autumn of 2024, this organization ordered the closure of the Safadasht zoo, significantly influenced by public pressure and the demands of animal rights activists. Now, with the approval from the Anzali Free Zone Organization, the head of the Safadasht zoo plans to build a new zoo in Anzali.
Masoumeh Safaei, Deputy of the Wildlife Protection and Management Office at the Department of Environment, emphasizes that the Department has not issued any permit for the construction of a zoo in the Anzali Free Zone. She states that the Department is not opposed to projects that adhere to all standards; rather, the main objection pertains to the involvement of an individual with a history of extensive violations in wildlife care. Safaei notes the inappropriate behavior of the former head of the Safadasht zoo towards the staff of the Department of Environment during a site visit by experts from the Gilan Environmental Protection Agency. She asserts, “The Anzali Free Zone has made a mistake by issuing a zoo permit. It seems that during a meeting between the Director General of the Gilan Environmental Protection Agency and the CEO of the Anzali Free Zone, the latter emphasized that they would comply with any standards set by the Department of Environment in constructing this zoo and would consider all guidelines for animal rights. However, the issue is that the violator in question is misusing the permit issued by the Free Zone without the Department of Environment’s approval.”
According to this official, the CEO of the Anzali Free Zone has also stated that he does not intend to confront the Department of Environment and is willing to accept all the agency’s regulations and standards. However, the initial issuance of the permit by the Anzali Free Zone Organization is fundamentally flawed. Safaei recounts, “The CEO of the Free Zone stated that they would implement any commitment, standard, framework, or regulation regarding animal rights or species protection that you require, and they would proceed according to your standards.” Accordingly, an expert team from the Department of Environment was supposed to be dispatched to assess the site and compare it with the proposed plan to the Free Zone; however, according to this official, the visit was met with tension.
Safaei, Deputy of the Wildlife Protection and Management Office at the Department of Environment, states, “I told Mr. Tayefe, the Director General of the Gilan Environmental Protection Agency, that I respect you, and the Free Zone claims to work according to the agency’s standards, but if Mr. Sharafi, the head of the Safadasht zoo, is involved, we will ultimately oppose it. We have also told the Free Zone that if they want to proceed with this project, they should not involve this individual, as he is the one who created problems for us in Safadasht and committed animal cruelty and numerous violations, and now he is causing issues for our colleagues again.”
One of the main ambiguities revolves around the type of permit issued by the Anzali Free Zone. In this discussion, it is emphasized that the Free Zone has issued a permit for the establishment of a “zoo,” not a safari. The Deputy of the Wildlife Protection and Management Office states, “We have informed the Free Zone that if a zoo permit is to be issued, it must be with the approval of the Department of Environment, and the Free Zone is not allowed to issue such a permit independently.”
Another aspect of this matter pertains to the transfer of animals from the Safadasht zoo. According to information discussed with the Deputy of the Wildlife Protection Office, Ali Sharafi has managed to transfer several animal species from Tehran to Anzali following a court ruling. Masoumeh Safaei, an official at the Department of Environment, tells Shargh, “Some animals have been transferred to the Tehran Bird Garden, and several others have gone to Anzali based on the court ruling, but they are currently not housed in any zoo and are being kept in a temporary location until the main site is prepared.”
The court ruling, which the Department is seeking to halt, has prompted the Wildlife Protection Office to refer the matter to the legal department of the Department of Environment and request a suspension of the ruling’s execution. She states, “We wrote a letter on the court ruling and sent it to the legal department to obtain a suspension of the ruling. Our legal colleagues in Tehran also visited the court, but the judge did not suspend the ruling.” The Deputy of the Wildlife Protection and Management Office emphasizes that she has requested the legal deputy of the Department of Environment to personally follow up on the matter and states, “How can a ruling be issued regarding wildlife without the input of the legal authority, namely the Department of Environment?”
One of the most critical aspects of this discussion is the Department of Environment’s reiterated stance on halting the issuance of new zoo permits. Safaei, Deputy of the Wildlife Management Office, asserts, “We will not issue any new zoo permits under any circumstances. Even investors who have proposed constructing facilities with international standards have been met with negative responses.” She explains, “We have told investors that if they want to enter this field, they must purchase the permit of one of the existing low-ranking zoos, and that permit will be transferred to them; we will not issue new permits.” Safaei believes this policy is aimed at preventing the proliferation of zoos and organizing the existing weak centers.
Sharafi: I Will Not Comment for Now
In an effort to clarify the situation, a reporter from Shargh contacted Ali Sharafi, the former head of the Safadasht zoo, and inquired whether the rumors regarding the establishment of a new zoo in Anzali were true and whether he had obtained a permit for the new zoo. Sharafi responded, “I cannot speak at the moment. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any answers. Let’s see where our work leads, and then I can respond.” His statements imply an implicit acknowledgment of the establishment of a new zoo by this individual in Anzali. Subsequently, in follow-ups regarding this matter, multiple attempts were made to contact Jalil Jafari, the head of the Anzali Environmental Protection Agency. In the first call, this official expressed ignorance about the construction of a new zoo in Anzali and stated that he would respond to the inquiries after checking with the Environmental Protection Agency of the Anzali Free Zone. However, in the following days, all of the reporter’s multiple calls went unanswered, and he even refrained from responding to text messages. This behavior from the environmental officials in Gilan Province suggests a shirking of responsibility.
Further follow-ups were made with Masoumeh Shabani, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency of the Anzali Free Zone, who also avoided answering and insisted that she would only respond if the reporter physically visited her office in Anzali. Later, she communicated via text message, stating, “Given the current conditions in the country and the administrative regulations governing the Anzali Free Zone Organization, it is not possible to conduct telephone interviews with individuals whose media identity and position have not been verified by the organization.” It is noteworthy that the reporter also contacted Mehdi Kazemian, the public relations manager of the Anzali Free Zone Organization, and introduced himself via text message, emphasizing that he was following up on a matter in Anzali, but he too left the reporter’s calls and messages unanswered. It appears that the Anzali Free Zone Organization, despite issuing an illegal permit for the construction of a zoo in Anzali, is unwilling to respond to the media and considers not responding to be less costly than providing answers.
Closure of Violating Zoos
In another part of the conversation, the Deputy of the Wildlife Protection and Management Office at the Department of Environment refers to the experience of closing some violating zoos, including the Babolsar zoo, stating, “Recently, one of the violators threatened to set my car on fire, but I said that if something right is to be done, it must be done.” Nevertheless, she emphasizes that the biggest challenge following the closure of zoos is determining the fate of the animals, as the Department of Environment’s facilities for caring for a large number of species are limited: “We do not have many standard zoos, and we lack sufficient budget to transfer all animals to state facilities.” Safaei believes that the problem extends beyond zoos and that decision-making structures are also influenced by relationships: “As much as relationships work in our systems, regulations do not.” She also mentions the contact of various institutions and individuals seeking to support certain cases, emphasizing that this issue is not limited to the field of zoos and wildlife. She stresses the necessity of thoroughly examining the process of issuing permits by the Anzali Free Zone, the transfer of animals from Tehran to Anzali, the court ruling, and the responsibilities of various agencies in this case; a case that has now become a significant controversy and raises the essential question of which entity holds the ultimate responsibility for wildlife protection in the country amid conflicts between local permits, judicial rulings, and the legal powers of the Department of Environment.
