Opposition to the arrival of an Indonesian veterinarian to care for the third yak cub
Iran's Veterinary Medical Organization opposed the presence of an Indonesian veterinarian to care for the only remaining Asiatic cheetah cub.
Mohammad Reza Safari, head of the Veterinary System Organization, in a letter to the head of the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization, while requesting documents "proving the professional competence of the Indonesian veterinarian in question to provide the services required by that organization for review, approval, and issuance of the necessary license," emphasized that "otherwise, the provision of professional veterinary services by him in the field of veterinary consultation, treatment, and care in the Islamic Republic of Iran is contrary to laws and regulations."
A female Iranian hyena, named "Iran," gave birth to three cubs by cesarean section on May 11, and environmental officials announced that all three hyena cubs are female and healthy.
But the first yawning cub, "Iran," died on May 4, three days after it was born. At the time, the Environmental Organization announced that the cub had been weak since birth and had not gained weight, and after an autopsy, the cause of its death was declared to be a congenital abnormality of the left lung and lung adhesions.
After the first "Iran" yawning cub died, while the gender of all three yawning cubs born at the Turan Reproduction Center had previously been announced as female, Bahram Ali Zahiri, head of the Semnan General Environment Department, said that the two remaining cubs were "male."
After the death of the second yak cub on May 17, Hassan Akbari, deputy director of the Environmental Protection Organization, claimed that the lack of suitable milk for feeding Asian yaks in Iran was the reason for the death of the second cub. He also announced: "The third cub affected by the milk issue was injured and we hope it will survive."
The deputy head of the Environmental Organization, while admitting only “some of the errors,” said: “These errors will decrease as experience is gained.”
Despite all this, a short while later, Ali Selajgeh, head of the Environmental Protection Organization, announced the arrival of an Indonesian veterinarian to care for the third cub of "Iran".
Yesterday, Hassan Akbari said in a press conference about the third cub's chances of survival: "We don't know the third cub's chances of survival. It consumes formula milk, and formula milk can never replace breast milk." According to the deputy head of Iran's Environmental Organization, the third cub's condition is "acceptable at the moment."
Previously, Iman Memarian, a veterinary consultant for the Animal Rescue Organization, had said: "The leopard cubs were touched without gloves during the cesarean section, and the human scent on the cubs caused the mother to not accept her offspring. The medical team and the people selected for the cesarean section and care for the "Iran" cubs have never seen a cheetah before."
Source: Voice of America
