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This is an editorial opinion by Emma Marris. It has me thinking that zoos may have made sense 100-200 years ago, but might simply be obsolete in a world of travel and internet.
Sadly travel (which can be expensive and dangerous) to see different types of rare or very diverse animals, is not realistic.
Thus zoos that have animals from various continents provide a means to do so for people who do not have the time or money to travel the world.
Additionally even if you do travel to say Australia or Africa to see certain animals in their natural habitat, there is no guarantee you will even see them after all the time and expense to get there.
As to the internet, it is not the same as seeing them in person. Heck when National Geographic was popular, people had the ability to read about and see pictures, but it was not the same either.
Lastly, many a zoo has breeding programs to help endangered species and rescue programs to saving injured ones.
[Some animals cannot be put back into the wild due to injury or sadly poaching]
They wouldn't have the funds to do so if not for paying visitors to help fund such things.
Most zoos today are not like the ones of close quarter cages and instead have room to allow more of a natural setting for the animals. We have come a long way when it comes to zoos.
I visited a zoo yrs. ago and never again. There was a fisher there, by itself. But, it was pacing in its cage, frantic and it was so upsetting to watch. I emailed the zoo about it, nothing, again and they sent me some stupid form letter. Repetitive behaviors are clearly from stress. Sad.
I visited a zoo yrs. ago and never again. There was a fisher there, by itself. But, it was pacing in its cage, frantic and it was so upsetting to watch. I emailed the zoo about it, nothing, again and they sent me some stupid form letter. Repetitive behaviors are clearly from stress. Sad.
Let's back up:
So, you visited one zoo one time years ago and you happened to see an animal that is normally highly solitary for the majority of its life apparently caged by itself. If you bothered to do any research about fishers you would have learned that they form a very short term bond if any with a mate. The female does most if not all of the kit rearing and families don't stay together once kits are weaned. Outside breeding season adults don't tolerate each other and space themselves accordingly. Do you want the citations?
Fishers aren't otters. Forcing them to cohabitate even in a large zoo enclosure would be inhumane or risky for both.
Obviously you've never been back to that or any other zoo since. You're painting every zoo you've never witnessed with the same stale dried out brush.
Got it.
Last edited by Parnassia; 09-12-2021 at 05:41 PM..
So, you visited one zoo one time years ago and you happened to see an animal that is normally highly solitary for the majority of its life apparently caged by itself. If you bothered to do any research about fishers you would have learned that they form a very short term bond if any with a mate. The female does most if not all of the kit rearing and families don't stay together once kits are weaned. Outside breeding season adults don't tolerate each other and space themselves accordingly. Do you want the citations?
Fishers aren't otters. Forcing them to cohabitate even in a large zoo enclosure would be inhumane or risky for both.
Obviously you've never been back to that or any other zoo since. You're painting every zoo you've never witnessed with the same stale dried out brush.
Got it.
Your overly defensive and snarky attitude about one simple post points to something else going on.
Are you a zoo worker or something?
Last edited by Nanny Goat; 09-14-2021 at 12:44 PM..
I don't particularly like zoos but they are incredibly important IMO for purposes of education, research, etc...
The fact is that seeing the penguins or seals or a tiger in the flesh is a lot more engaging and interesting, especially for young kids, than anything that can be done on the internet.
It isn't a replacement for seeing animals in nature, but it's an important introductory piece to the diversity of nature at large.
Your overly defensive and snarky attitude about one simple post points to something else going on.
Are you a zoo worker or something?
Nope. Don't know why you felt there was anything defensive about that post. A rational person realizes zoos are not identical across the board and neither is the management appropriate for all of their animals. A reasonable person understands that a zoo isn't going to be a perfect solution for all situations the world's wildlife finds itself in. I just find someone who uses one single observation about something about which they know nothing to condemn an entire discipline rather obnoxious.
Last edited by Parnassia; 09-14-2021 at 05:31 PM..
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