Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
After the lawsuit presented to at least 26 instances of different levels of government for the conditions of El Parque Central and for which a flat suspension was promoted, however, authorities did not attend to the needs of the species or care for the flora.
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Cindy Bernal García, federal legal advisor of the IFDP, who is in charge of the class action lawsuit, said that so far the response of the authorities has been little, as they have focused on “beautifying” the place without attending to its needs.
She said that the suspension seeks to guarantee a dignified treatment to each of the species of fauna found in the parque central of Ciudad Juarez, so that their lives are not put at risk, in addition to cease any act of stress, suffering, trauma or pain that could be caused.
He explained that IFDP’s request also included safeguarding the workers and the general public that attends that place, for which all necessary measures should be taken for their protection, since there is still a risk due to the presence of E.Coli in the lake, according to the studies carried out by IFDP’s experts.
Another request was that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) conduct an inspection of the parque central, order safety measures and, if there is an imminent risk of damage to wildlife or its habitat, conduct an environmental impact assessment to determine possible environmental damage.
However, SEMARNAT and the Dirección General de Vida Silvestre filed a complaint, as they considered that it is not within their powers, and requested the intervention of a Collegiate Court in this case.
Meanwhile, César René Díaz Gutiérrez, Director of Ecology of the Municipality, shared that a few months ago they conducted a review in the parque central to verify the farm animals, after a request made by the collective “Somos tu Voz” (We are your Voice).
initial inspection revealed unfavorable conditions for some farm animals, especially rabbits, so they even removed some from this space, as well as talked about the need to make improvements in the cleanliness and welfare of the animals.
He mentioned that in a second inspection a notorious improvement was observed, as well as animals including donkeys, hens, roosters and rabbits, were voluntarily surrendered by the parque central, so some of them found a new home through adoptions.
there is currently a concern due to the condition of a very large tortoise inside the parque central, especially due to the interaction with pigeons and inadequate feeding.
He said that they made some remarks to the authorities in charge of the space, as well as, requires that a special and specific place be provided for the turtles, which could improve their welfare.
He also stated that in case these suggestions are not heeded, they will seek to collect the turtle from the parque central.
Regarding the lake water in the parque central, Díaz clarified that the Ecology Department does not have laboratories to carry out specific measurements, but expressed the need to make improvements if it is determined that the current water is detrimental to the turtles’ health.
He also emphasized that if conditions do not improve, a request will be made to move the turtle to a more suitable location.
