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Status:
"Just livin' day by day"
(set 25 days ago)
Location: USA
3,166 posts, read 3,359,979 times
Reputation: 5382
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I've always wondered how animals are actually being treated there. Having a big heart for animals, I'd wouldn't want to support Zoos if they're not being treated well.
I believe that the treatment varies dramatically from zoo to zoo. My daughter (very pro-animal rights) has mentioned that she will never visit certain zoos but a few are less bad than the majority and she may consider visiting them.
We've had a couple of friends who have worked at both the zoo and the nearby animal park. We've also lived here long enough to see several of the exhibits, whole canyons really, be completely upgraded from smaller cages and concrete style terraces to much larger, more elaborate and natural feeling environments for the animals. So, with most of those problematic exhibits being gone you can really tell the zoo has some positive care for the animals going on, and talking with the employees sincerely back that up.
The zoo employee friend has been great for behind the scenes forays, such as once taking us to the Polar Bear care area and have one stand up all 11' tall just a couple feet in front of us in a cage which absolutely brought out such a shocking primal fear and dread in me I have never forgotten it.
A former colleague and friend worked as an 'elephant keeper' as a summer job when he was a student. You can infer the duties and responsibilities pretty well. He only had the job for one summer
He had a great sense of humor and especially enjoyed discussing it when an interviewer would discover it at the bottom of his resume.
My surrogate uncle used to run the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri. He helped design Disney's Animal Kingdom. He's worked with the elephants for Ringling Brothers. Unfortunately, I never actually paid any attention to his endless tales about what he actually did.
I think he cares about animals though. He treats his pets quite well anyway.
He began cleaning zebra poop. He's been kicked in the head at least once, and bitten by something or other. It may have been a zebra.
I've always wondered how animals are actually being treated there. Having a big heart for animals, I'd wouldn't want to support Zoos if they're not being treated well.
Yes, I've known a couple of people. The animals are treated VERY well.
The days are long gone where animals were kept in small cages on exhibit. Even then, the animals were well fed and kept clean and had the best veterinary care.
Since it has been discovered that their mental health improves with large enclosures and more natural habitat, zoos have gone to the better enclosures. Animals are still well fed, kept clean, and still have the very best veterinary care.
My only negative observation about zoos is that the animals are often too well fed and overweight.
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