Zoos - Page 2

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by veronicam

You didn't offend me in the other thread. I understand now that it was not your opinion you were stating, but rather the vegan argument. I think we have both been misunderstanding one another in these posts, Sayward.

Again, in these forums, it is very hard not to come across as rude, etc., because of the fact that you can't actually hear someone saying these things with the correct intonation, but I was really just trying to understand where you were coming from. I'm not into "catch-ya" games either. But I am the type of person that will ask questions if I am not fully understanding something--and that is exactly what I did.

Thank you for clarifying things. That's all I was looking for.

Yeah, I think it definitely sounds like a case of 'Internet Tonal Misunderstanding'. =)

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by ShadowMoon

I am a vegan and I'm also a zookeeper. I've worked in two zoos, both accredited by the AZA, ( http://www.aza.org/). The first was a large zoo and the one I work for now is very small.

I have struggled with my profession for a long time. I have very recently decided that morally, i can't stay in this field forever. I would much rather work for a sanctuary or animal rescue facility where I can utilize my skills and knowledge for a good cause.

All zoos are a business that must turn a profit. And as long as money is involved, animal care and welfare may not always come first. that's not to say the animals aren't treated well. Almost everyone that works directly with them cares deeply about their care and health. But animals are still bred so that there are babies for people to see, shuffled around from zoo to zoo without much thought of what that move might do to their psyche, etc. Many are kept in too small of an exhibit or holding area, (AZA and USDA standards for minimum required space are not that great).

Some AZA zoos do great conservation work but not all do. Millions of dollars are spent on exhibits, etc instead of on these projects where that much money would do wonders. And while some people will take something meaningful with them as they leave the zoo, most are there simply for entertainment purposes. Also, 99% of captive breeding in zoos is done simply to generate more animals for zoos. (We have SSP, or a Species Survival Plan for all of our endangered animals for this exact reason). Hardly any are reintroduced into the wild, (those that are would not normally be on public display).

Also, AZA inspects an accredited facility every 5 years. They are not a regulatory organization and can not enforce any of their ideals. They can threaten to pull accreditation or put you on probation but they very rarely will. USDA inspects a facility once a year and most inspectors do not have animal husbandry training or knowledge. So even though a zoo may be AZA accredited, it doesn't mean all that much. (There are also zoos that are doing great things but refuse to be accredited by the AZA because they either disagree with their philosophy or cannot afford the HUGE price tag that comes with the association).

Whew! Sorry for the long post but I struggle with this every. single. day.
Peace~

Thanks so much for sharing your experience. This was really interesting!

[Turquesa]

What a fascinating conversation! Thanks to all who posted, and thanks to ShadowMoon for sharing some firsthand insight.

I am 100% against factory farming, circuses, bullfighting, greyhound racing, and rodeos. In those cases, the cruelty is clear-cut. Zoos are more of a gray area for me. Yes, they are money-making ventures, and while there's nothing wrong with making money in and of itself, we need to remain vigilant that animal welfare is not sacrificed for profit. I haven't come to any decisions from this thread yet, but you've given me a lot to think about!

[eepster]

I feel it varies greatly from zoo to zoo. There are zoos that I feel do more good than harm and I support those. Then there are zoos that do more harm than good and I don't support those. Some zoos are run purely for profit, but many others use the profitable public parts to support their non-profit behind the scenes work.

I find it interesting that many feel aquariums are better than zoos as a blanket statement, since the animal attractions in my area I am least supportive of are both aquariums that are run by a for profit entities. Adventure aquarium, which was originally the state aquarium and featured only fish and animals found in NJ, but was very unprofitable so the state couldn't afford to keep it; and Jenkinson's aquarium which is one of the many boardwalk attractions run by Jenkinson's at Point Pleasant (they also run arcades, the changing rooms, a parking lot, a candy/ ice cream shop, the beach, several restaurants, etc.)

[somegirl99]

I like the aquariums that have an under-sea observatory, basically the people are in the "tank" watching the natural habitat around them.

[rhiOrion]

I was just having this conversation with DH the other day. I was saying how much I love the North Carolina Zoo, but hate zoos where animals are kept in cages. He said that he went to the Rochester, NY zoo one time and hated it for that reason. The NC zoo has huge habitats.

[BeanyMama]

They make me uncomfortable and I avoid them. My husband had me read Ishmael (http://www.amazon.com/Ishmael-Advent.../dp/0553375407) a decade ago, before we became vegetarians even, it really cemented by weird feelings about them. I know that some zoos and aquariums do good and preserve and educate, but it's really beyond my comfort level to frequent them.