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Comments are moderated. Only comments signed by the writer will be posted. Absolutely no profanity!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Are Zoos For People Or For Animals?
I have my own thoughts on this but wanted others to offer their opinion. Are zoo to exist for the benefit of animals or the benefit of people? Can they benefit both without harming either group?
6
comments:
Anonymous
said...
I think zoos are for the benifit of both the animals and for humans. I have been out in my yard and have watched the hawks scoop down and if it were not for the cage protecting the rabbits and chickens they would be gone. Also look how many animals in the wild do not make it due to the "circle of life". Zoos give our children and us experiences some of us never have. We learn about animals and get a first hand experience caring for them at some zoos. I feel as long as the cages offer large space for muscle growth and as close to a natural environment they are a good thing. In this day and age with all the pollution and dangers sometimes a zoo is a safer place then in the wild... but that is just my opinion. :) michelle :)
I believe zoos can benefit both in many ways if and only if animals have ample access to:
*clean, fresh water *healthy, tasteful food *shelter from cold, rain, and wind *privacy *social interaction - either with humans or other animals - but not be all alone. *stimulation - they should be able to explore a stimulating environment *medical veterinary attention
Has anyone seen the videos of the elephants who literally take paintbrushes and paint pictures that sell for a lot of money? http://youtu.be/SNogdpHeuiE
or the African Lion that a woman saved and 6 years later she went to visit the bear in the zoo. The bear recognized her immediately and knew she had saved his life. The bear kissed her all over her face and was so full of joy to see her. http://youtu.be/GUIbrtG8BgI
Animals are amazingly smart and need to explore a rich environment that is full of life (not decay)
Any animal I search for videos of, I am amazed what I can find.
Here is a cow mimicking a human http://youtu.be/8etdFxh57mU
Many think the wild is so awful because animals get attacked and killed.
Have any of you seen a slaughterhouse? I think the rituals in a slaughterhouse are a million times more horrific than being attacked and eaten by an animal.
Many humans, food industries, and zoos think a life of boredom, discomfort, lonliness, illness, major infections, etc. are better than dying in the wild.
Once, I went to a public zoo where the adult giraffes were acting like mechanical robots doing the same behavior over and over for hours. One was wrapping her tongue around a pole over and over. The baby was running around trying to get stimulation from the people but there was too much space between the people and the baby. I tried to engage with the baby by jiggling a tree and that made her so excited. then I hid for awhile and she looked for me. when I reappeared she literally ran to me (so fun to see) then she performed three loopy circles and followed me everywhere (their area was huge, even to the very end of her fenced-in area. As I walked away she kept staring at me. I was so sad to leave her - that I was her best entertainment and she is likely to turn into her parents and be a robot. I don't care to see animals so bored that they engage in repeat behaviors. It makes me really sad. Like circling back and forth.
I think zoos, if well run, are great educational tools. I love animals! I don't have a problem with zoos if the animals don't suffer and the kids can see them in a natural setting. But I would not support a zoo that keeps the animals in poor situations, dirty cages where they are simply on display. My kids don't need to think that buns are a healthy food for any animal (they don't get white buns so why should the animals) or see rotting carcasses in the cages and dirty water. They do see our own dogs eating raw bones and animal parts, but they also help fill the water and I remove the bones on a regular basis. It's not that hard to do it right.
6 comments:
I think zoos are for the benifit of both the animals and for humans. I have been out in my yard and have watched the hawks scoop down and if it were not for the cage protecting the rabbits and chickens they would be gone. Also look how many animals in the wild do not make it due to the "circle of life". Zoos give our children and us experiences some of us never have. We learn about animals and get a first hand experience caring for them at some zoos. I feel as long as the cages offer large space for muscle growth and as close to a natural environment they are a good thing. In this day and age with all the pollution and dangers sometimes a zoo is a safer place then in the wild... but that is just my opinion. :)
michelle :)
I believe zoos can benefit both in many ways if and only if animals have ample access to:
*clean, fresh water
*healthy, tasteful food
*shelter from cold, rain, and wind
*privacy
*social interaction - either with humans or other animals - but not be all alone.
*stimulation - they should be able to explore a stimulating environment
*medical veterinary attention
Has anyone seen the videos of the elephants who literally take paintbrushes and paint pictures that sell for a lot of money?
http://youtu.be/SNogdpHeuiE
or the African Lion that a woman saved and 6 years later she went to visit the bear in the zoo. The bear recognized her immediately and knew she had saved his life. The bear kissed her all over her face and was so full of joy to see her.
http://youtu.be/GUIbrtG8BgI
Animals are amazingly smart and need to explore a rich environment that is full of life (not decay)
Any animal I search for videos of, I am amazed what I can find.
Here is a cow mimicking a human
http://youtu.be/8etdFxh57mU
Many think the wild is so awful because animals get attacked and killed.
Have any of you seen a slaughterhouse? I think the rituals in a slaughterhouse are a million times more horrific than being attacked and eaten by an animal.
Many humans, food industries, and zoos think a life of boredom, discomfort, lonliness, illness, major infections, etc. are better than dying in the wild.
Once,
I went to a public zoo where the adult giraffes were acting like mechanical robots doing the same behavior over and over for hours. One was wrapping her tongue around a pole over and over. The baby was running around trying to get stimulation from the people but there was too much space between the people and the baby. I tried to engage with the baby by jiggling a tree and that made her so excited. then I hid for awhile and she looked for me. when I reappeared she literally ran to me (so fun to see) then she performed three loopy circles and followed me everywhere (their area was huge, even to the very end of her fenced-in area. As I walked away she kept staring at me. I was so sad to leave her - that I was her best entertainment and she is likely to turn into her parents and be a robot. I don't care to see animals so bored that they engage in repeat behaviors. It makes me really sad. Like circling back and forth.
That's what my heart tells me.
Christine :))
they can definitely benefit both... however; allowing them to directly interact with each other is a danger to both.
I think zoos, if well run, are great educational tools. I love animals! I don't have a problem with zoos if the animals don't suffer and the kids can see them in a natural setting. But I would not support a zoo that keeps the animals in poor situations, dirty cages where they are simply on display. My kids don't need to think that buns are a healthy food for any animal (they don't get white buns so why should the animals) or see rotting carcasses in the cages and dirty water. They do see our own dogs eating raw bones and animal parts, but they also help fill the water and I remove the bones on a regular basis. It's not that hard to do it right.
Both so that humans can learn from and about animals as animals learn about us.
The comment about picking up bones that's fine if too big for dogs ...Who picks up the bones in the wild?
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