Marjan Now Bolted Down

The bronze lion sent from Austin, Texas to the NC Zoo to Kabul (Afghanistan) Zoo has been bolted down and officially accepted, as this very recent NC Zoo media release explains:

"STATUE OF HEROIC LION INSTALLED AT KABUL ZOO

"ASHEBORO—A bronze likeness of “Marjan,” the blind and battered African lion who became a symbol for the recovery of the Kabul Zoo as well as the people of Afghanistan, has finally taken its place at the gates to the war-torn zoo that was for so long his home.

"Officials with the city of Kabul and the Kabul Zoo received the 400-pound statue created by Texas artist Bob Coffee on May 3. Days later, the ¾-life-size bronze lion was set in place during ceremonies at the zoo entrance.

"In November 2001, the story of Marjan gained worldwide attention for the plight of the war-torn Kabul Zoo. The elderly male lion, blinded and scarred by an Afghan soldier’s grenade, continued to fight for survival, despite neglect and the near total devastation of his zoo home. His story plucked at the heart strings of animal lovers the world over.

"Spurred by public requests, North Carolina Zoo Director Dr. David Jones and the N.C. Zoological Society spearheaded an effort by member institutions of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums to raise funds to repair the Kabul Zoo and save its few remaining animals. Within three months the effort raised more than $570,000, including nearly $435,000 for the zoo and another $137,000 to help other Afghan animals.

"Teams of zoo professionals from Europe and animal welfare experts from South Africa were dispatched to Afghanistan and within a year had rebuilt much of the zoo’s remaining exhibits and animal holding facilities, reconnected electricity and water, and provided a constant supply of healthy food and regular veterinary care for the surviving animals.

"Sadly, Marjan did not survive to see his zoo home recover. The valiant old lion passed away in his holding quarters in late January 2002. But his cause lived on. Coffee, the Texas sculptor, moved by the plight of the Afghan animals and Marjan’s death, created the statue as a tribute. Officials with the N.C. Zoological Society accepted Coffee’s kind contribution in March 2004 and displayed the statue at the N.C. Zoo for more than a year before arrangements could be made to ship it safely to Afghanistan.

"Now, a proud and permanent likeness of Marjan rests at the Kabul Zoo gates as a symbol of hope and strength for the zoo and the Afghan people. Today the Kabul Zoo is still struggling with where its future lies. But the zoo remains an island of calm and a place where families can get away from the economic and physical stress of everyday life."

Photos of the Marjan statue at the Kabul Zoo are available on the N.C. Zoo Web site at: http://photos.nczoo.org/gallery/882960.