Located in the banks of the Kabul river, Kabul Zoo was founded by the royal family in 1967, then the prince was in charge for five years, where visitors could see 92 types of birds, reptiles and fish with a collection of 7 hundred animals. The animals of the Zoo were kept and cared well, while the home for around 100 types of animals was also considered one of the best Zoos in the region. The zoo has 62 employees within administrative, zoology, veterinary and the fourth section that takes care of greenery in the vicinity of the zoo. Raising and breeding animals, health issues, recreational survives are the fundamental sections of the zoo that mostly concerns visitors including students and scientists. The director of the zoo Aziz Gul Saqeb, who’s been in his position since 2005, says “We have a record of about 1 million viewers every year including 75,000 to 100,000 kindergarten children, school students, university students, and at the same time patients in treatment, addicts in treatment, poor children.” Remaining self sufficient, the Kabul Zoo had around 140 thousand US dollars income during the past year.
The civil war affected the animals of the Zoo. “Kabul Zoo was on the front line in the 90s and it turned into a ruin. It was looted. The animals were either eaten or shot by the warring parties.” added Saqeb.
Farhad who like many other Afghans go by one name is a visitor from western province of Herat. “I love animals like deer so I came here. I have a wolf at home, I like animals very much. I have only one request from the citizens that is not to harass animals because animals also have a life of their own.” adds Farhad.
According to the director, through its visitors, the Kabul Zoo has an important role in public awareness about not harming the animals, protection of wildlife and the beauty of Afghanistan’s nature.