(23 Dec 2006) SHOTLIST
1. Main entrance of zoo
2. People looking at the balloons and animal toys
3. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Ioana, zoo worker:
"I have been working here many many years and I think that this zoo has to be European."
4. Jaguars in their cage
5. Grandma and nephew looking at the Romanian Bear
6. Various of bear through old iron bars
7. Various of pelicans
8. Man taking pictures of a Bengalese tiger with his cell phone
9. Tiger in cage
10. Couple looking at animals
11. Keeper feeding animals
12. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Vox Pop, Visitor, No name given:
"I think that this zoo park is small and every animal is kept in tiny cages. I hoped to see something nicer."
13. Various of workers laying asphalt
14. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Codrut Ioachim Visoiu, Deputy Zoo manager:
"Once we Join EU, I and the animals are hoping to join the EU ZOO Association and to give a chance to our animals to have the same good conditions like elsewhere."
15. Ostrich enclosure
16. Tiger cubs playing with their mother
18. Various of zoo workers feeding tigers and lions
19. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Ion, zoo worker:
"I have been caring for this lion since he was only four months old. I love him so much and we understand each other very well."
20. Ion scratching lion
21. Pull back of lion in cage
22. People looking at lion
STORYLINE
When Romania joins the EU on New Year's Day, the animals in Bucharest Zoo may benefit as much as the people by way of improvements in their conditions.
Bucharest City Hall recently approved a project to move the zoo into a wildlife park of 60 hectares (148 acres) in western Bucharest - about nine times bigger than its current size .
The move was designed to "bring the zoo to European norms," a statement said.
Keepers will also move animals out of their cages and put them into bigger spaces separating them from visitors by glass and tunnels rather than metal bars as they currently are.
"Once we Join EU, I and the animals are hoping to join the EU ZOO Association and to give a chance to our animals to have the same good conditions like elsewhere," said Codrut Ioachim Visoiu, the Deputy Zoo Manager.
Built in the late 1950s, the zoo was visited by more than 100-thousand people by the end of October.
The zoo's move would suit the city's estate agents because it current occupies some of the city's land for residential and retail development.
Keepers say another reason for the move is restitution claims on the forested land in which the zoo is set.
Once in a bigger zoo, keepers would like to acquire a greater variety of animals including zebras, camels, and elephants.
There are also plans to train animal carers to look after one or two breeds of animals, forging a closer relationship with their charges.
Romania is being admitted under unprecedented EU conditions that will require it to report back every six months and ensure it is making progress on key economic and political reforms - or risk losing lucrative EU subsidies.
Romania and Bulgaria will raise EU membership to 27 nations.
Keyword-animals wacky
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