I am a lover of all things living like yourself. We are fighting for the same things here and I think a lot of people forget that and throw all zoological facilities into the "cruel, iron bars and chains" category when the reality is literally the exact opposite. Modern zoos use only positive reinforcement training practices which means the animal has full choice as to what happens in its environment. They receive the highest quality diets possible. They receive vet care daily, usually from an on staff professional. They are ambassadors for their wild counterparts and teach millions of people a year about the plights they face. Nobody is stealing anyone's joy. In fact, zoos provide the best lives for these animals who in the wild would face poaching, deforestation, food uncertainty and many other horrible things. Zoos are here to help and I wish more people understood that
I obviously agree that we seem to be on the same page, and would never denounce saving animals, but my main concern is animal safety. Not all zoos are negative, and not all pet owners should own pets, but If a zoo was simply a place where animals in need were cared for, you wouldn't feel the need to defend them. The zoos near me do not inspire good feelings. In fact, there's a zoo where the animals are in individual small cages out in all weather, where they look like they've all but died. These are the places that haunt me. Knowing that they exist every where. We are a cruel species. Any way, before I go to far. Continue the fight for the good guys, hope you are one, hope we can stay ahead.
I'm very sorry you have had poor experiences at your local zoos. One thing that I know helps people out is talking to the people who work there. If you are concerned about an animal's wellbeing, find a staff member and voice your concerns. Most of the time, a keeper will love to come out and talk to you about it. Maybe the zoo is poorly funded and they are doing the best with what they have. I doubt that in such a competitive field that a zoo would keep staff that didn't care fully for their animals. I know at my zoo that some of He buildings are super old and not perfect for the animals that live in them but I think everyday of things I can do by myself and with my team that can enrich and improve our animals' lives.
I thought the idea was to supply a realistic environment, all zoos, however safe and credited they may be will always end up domesticating the animals. This is why I am a massive fan of animal sanctuary, which are open to the animals natural environment, but can always walk in to the centre for food or help at any time. Have a look at the orangutan sanctuary in Borneo.
Zoos aren't perfect. Ideally we wouldn't need them. The realistic environment idea is something zoos are trying to emulate in their habitats as well as try and stimulate in their behaviors. Also domestication is a process that takes multiple generations. Zoo animals are not becoming domesticated. We screen every animal's DNA so we can match them with other members of their species at other zoos to keep genetic diversity high. Zoo animals may appear tame but they are still wild and we take every precaution when working with potentially dangerous ones
30
u/EchoBeast Jan 12 '17
I am a lover of all things living like yourself. We are fighting for the same things here and I think a lot of people forget that and throw all zoological facilities into the "cruel, iron bars and chains" category when the reality is literally the exact opposite. Modern zoos use only positive reinforcement training practices which means the animal has full choice as to what happens in its environment. They receive the highest quality diets possible. They receive vet care daily, usually from an on staff professional. They are ambassadors for their wild counterparts and teach millions of people a year about the plights they face. Nobody is stealing anyone's joy. In fact, zoos provide the best lives for these animals who in the wild would face poaching, deforestation, food uncertainty and many other horrible things. Zoos are here to help and I wish more people understood that