Zoos - good or bad

How do you feel about zoos?

  • I think they are a good thing / educational

    Votes: 10 27.8%

  • I do not like them / exploitive

    Votes: 9 25.0%

  • I have mixed feelings

    Votes: 17 47.2%
  • Total voters
    36
saywhatkid

saywhatkid

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Saw this topic being discussed in another thread. How do you feel about zoos?
 
I like some aspects of zoos. They create a sense of wonder for young people, and that might encourage them to become involved more. They also might be a way to keep some species alive longer. However, the animals they have are not kept in such a way that they are totally natural, and in some cases, are nasty.
 
there are 2 types of zoo - one that is simple and local... purely funded by donations and volunteers... which I support.

and the other type of zoo which I don't like - something like San Diego Zoo. very commercialized and entertainment-oriented type.
 
My niece use to work in a zoo in Boston and she the worst part was deal with the pubic! People did not pay attentions to the rules about what NOT to feed the animals and this would put them at great risk of chocking on the something or getting sick!! People gave monkeys lollipop and the stick was a danger to the monkeys! I think the worst part about the zoo it is when there not enough people visiting the zoos run low on money and that mean they can't take good care of the animals. This happen where my niece worked. She left as she could not deal with the the stupid public!! If there was a family with 3 kids or more all the kids wanted a pamphlet too either if they could not read! And the parents demanded them, my niece tried to tell the parents that the zoo is in low on money and it they're only giving one pamphlet per family, but the parents did not care, their kids wanted a pamphlet too! It is too bad that some people do not understand when they take more than they need it take money away from the animals! My niece could not believe how the public treated the poor animals!!
 
DeafCaroline said:
first and last time I am touching upon this subject! This may provide some food for thought: it's a PDF download - no viruses, I promise.

The Conservation Fallacy
Click to expand...

Just a note - starting a paper like that with a quote about circus animals does not give me much hope that they're going to be objective, though I'm still starting to read it.
 
We've had good experiences with the Jax Zoo in my city....lots of walking and the animals seemed to be well fed and in a natural environment that was suited for them. The most shocking thing was seeing 2 elephants mating when my son was about 6....I couldn't explain that...but we will go again this summer since school is out.
 
rockin'robin said:
We've had good experiences with the Jax Zoo in my city....lots of walking and the animals seemed to be well fed and in a natural environment that was suited for them. The most shocking thing was seeing 2 elephants mating when my son was about 6....I couldn't explain that...but we will go again this summer since school is out.
Click to expand...

Did that "create a sense of wonder" for him?
 
Wirelessly posted (sent from a smartphone. )

It depends on the zoo and the space, donations, natural beauty and all the other reasons. So I have mixed feelings about zoos.
 
Same way I feel about prison.....only people/animals that really, really deserve to be behind bars should be put there.
 
sequoias said:
Wirelessly posted (sent from a smartphone. )

It depends on the zoo and the space, donations, natural beauty and all the other reasons. So I have mixed feelings about zoos.
Click to expand...

True, that. Some zoos are very well maintained and very animal centered. Others are deplorable in their conditions.
 
saywhatkid said:
Did that "create a sense of wonder" for him?
Click to expand...

:lol:....Dunno...guess he thought the elephant was "sticking up" the other elephant...all I remmy was that I hurried the boys along, and my other 2 were laughing, I got irritated and said...."Hurry it up....we haven't got all day!"....I went "deaf and dumb" for the rest of the zoo trip.....(see no evil...hear no evil...dunno if the elephants were having fun or not).
 
It is hard to say here, I never really agree with what they did to animals by trap them from wild and bring them to zoo for show and tell. But I think if endanger animals need to be saved and re population them then I guess it is all right. Other day we went to feed store and saw baby quails in little cage and I was upset because I thought they catch wild quails to keep them in cage then they lay eggs for $ or eat them. mixed feelings.
 
Well, I think the animals would be better off living in their intended natural environment. At least for their well-being, it would be.
 
DeafCaroline said:
first and last time I am touching upon this subject! This may provide some food for thought: it's a PDF download - no viruses, I promise.

The Conservation Fallacy
Click to expand...

A very interesting and revealing article. I agree with it that zoos do not make the public more interested in conservation and with with one sentence in particular: "A zoo filled with empty cages might be a more realistic way to convey the impending loss of species."
 
I have seen mostly good with the zoos and places I have seen. I was not really please with the care of the animals at Circus World or Sea World in Orlando, FL, but that was also back in the 70's and I am hoping they've learned a few things. I have been to the St. Louis Zoo, the Dreher Park Zoo (WPB, FL) and Lion Country Safari (WPB, FL). They all treated the animals very well and with respect. My kids will not go to a zoo again as they do not like the animals being caged up, but the good thing about the St. Louis Zoo is, when a person has an exotic animal and it is removed for whatever reason, most times, the zoo will take them if it is in their capacity. I know of an incident where someone had an elephant in their back pasture. Needless to say, that poor animal was not doing well and the Zoo took him in.
 
I would take my kids to the zoo. It would be for educational purposes and also to help them overcome their fear of animals.

I remember going to the zoo with my family a couple years ago. My nephew kept asking us when we were going to see the tigers. When we finally saw the tigers, he hid behind the wall and out of sight (it was a bridge view with glass windows). He refused to see the tigers. When we finally left, he kept bragging to everyone... "Hey, guess what!? I saw tigers!" ;)
 
I love going to the zoo. Just like everything....some are good and some are bad. I give the FW zoo alot of credit the animals there seem well cared for. I have been to a zoo where the animals were poorly cared for...that was horrible. off topic but I HATE the circus.
 
VamPyroX said:
I would take my kids to the zoo. It would be for educational purposes and also to help them overcome their fear of animals.

I remember going to the zoo with my family a couple years ago. My nephew kept asking us when we were going to see the tigers. When we finally saw the tigers, he hid behind the wall and out of sight (it was a bridge view with glass windows). He refused to see the tigers. When we finally left, he kept bragging to everyone... "Hey, guess what!? I saw tigers!" ;)
Click to expand...

cute story :)

but... I can't say same for your nephew's future children. Tigers are becoming extinct. Their future is very bleak as of now.
 
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