useless Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 As a child I used to love the zoo and sometimes I find myself wishing I was at the zoo now back in those happy times but then feel guilty. Was watching a video of some gorillas on youtube in a zoo and seemed just as cruel to cage them as it would be to do the same to a human being, obvisously could say the same about any animal but their resemblance to us makes it seem even more so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted November 27, 2020 Moderator Share Posted November 27, 2020 7 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: Yes. And not in the slang use of the word If Dr Doolittle was alive, he'd tell you that the following species disagreed with you California condor. Golden lion tamarin. Arabian oryx. Przewalski's horse. Mauritius kestrel. Galapagos giant tortoise. Corroboree Frog Bongo Regent Honeyeater Panamanian Golden frog Bellinger River Turtle Amur Leopard Pygmy Hog Iberian Lynx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 The brilliant conservation work that zoos do can be a force for good. I've also always wondered what it would be like to visit one at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Lifeboats Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 1 minute ago, useless said: The brilliant conservation work that zoos do can be a force for good. I've also always wondered what it would be like to visit one at night. Dark. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted November 27, 2020 Moderator Share Posted November 27, 2020 6 minutes ago, useless said: The brilliant conservation work that zoos do can be a force for good. I've also always wondered what it would be like to visit one at night. Singapore Zoo do a Night Safari, it's excellent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted November 27, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted November 27, 2020 On 15/11/2020 at 15:51, Mark Albrighton said: Batman sincerely mulling something over, or giving a chinny reckon? When I was at school. If someone did something embarrassing you would do the chinny in a really OTT exaggerated way and say "Ooohhhh Brassings, Brassington Brassings. Shaaaaame. Oooohhhhh Brassings" If you were on the receiving end it would make you so angry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 The argument that zoos are *not* terrible is almost always based around their conservation work. The flip argument is that you could do the conservation work in other countries without keeping gorillas and lions and polar bears and other megafauna in small enclosures in the middle of cities. And the flipside argument to that, in turn, is that you need people to see animals and feel a connection to them to get them to donate to wildlife charities and push politicians to be better about wildlife issues. Dunno which is right, but the argument that you need to keep a small number of animals in misery and poor conditions for the ultimate betterment of their and other species is a 'Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas'-type argument: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_Who_Walk_Away_from_Omelas 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 I think it’s difficult to criticise zoos too wholeheartedly, if you drink factory farm milk or eat factory farm meat or factory farm eggs or factory farm fish. Chicken nuggets in the freezer, disapprove of penguins being kept in Regents Park. I’ve been to Paignton Zoo quite a lot with the kids. It’s a family favourite as quite a few of the animals have space where they can **** off out of sight if they just aren’t feeling it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) Zoos done properly are a good thing , educational , conservation etc not to mention some animal like sea-lions get taught excellent ball skills that they wouldn’t have otherwise learnt in the wild . I went to a zoo in Asia where visitors were throwing peanuts and sweets into the bear enclosure , that clearly isn’t so good and the education side isn’t working there . The preference is of course that wild animals live in the wild , but if the alternative is that some word removed is going to shoot it for it’s horn or tusk or even sport ,then preserving and protecting them in a safe environment whilst educating future generations , might one day mean we don’t need zoos actually as a footnote to this , and whilst not a zoo , it’s kinda close enough .... I went to a panda sanctuary in China in 2000 , it was a little run down , hardly any visitors , we were allowed to have photos sitting next to the pandas and stroke the red pandas ... it wasn’t so much that the animals were neglected it was simply that the sanctuary didn’t have the funding and the Chinese people didn’t really give a monkeys about the pandas and that they were close to extinction ...I went back there in 2016 ... it was rammed with people , the pandas have huge enclosures , there are posters and signs everywhere all about the conservation of these animals , breeding programs in the place , I saw 5 baby pandas less than a few weeks old , that turn around was a result of proper funding and proper education ... I can’t say for sure it wouldn’t have happened anyway , but it does ensure that future generations will also be protecting these creatures Edited November 28, 2020 by tonyh29 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted November 28, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted November 28, 2020 I was listening to “At the zoo” the other night as it happens. I find myself wondering what prompted Paul Simon to laugh during the second refrain of “I do believe it’s true” lyric (around a minute into the song for those unfamiliar with it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 18 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said: Dark. and full of animals, no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Lifeboats Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 4 minutes ago, Xela said: and full of animals, no doubt. Hard to say. Too dark. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Genie Posted November 28, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) I went to Seaworld about 15 years ago and had a great day and being completely honest didn’t really give animal welfare much of a thought. This year we went to Florida and the park ticket we bought had access to Seaworld included. We talked quite a lot about whether to go. We decided to go and it was heartbreaking. They make a big fuss now about all of the conservation work they do but still. The tanks the orcas especially are kept in are ridiculously small. We basically used it as an opportunity to show the kids what shouldn’t be happening. The yellow zone is the car park, the red area is a lake which people can use for paddle boating, the blue is the area they keep all of the killer whales for their entire lives Edit: The original satellite photo was from a non-Orlando branch of Seaworld (probably San Diego). I’ve switched it now to Orlando Edited November 28, 2020 by Genie 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 How is it not illegal to keep whales in captivity? Like, at all? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted November 28, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted November 28, 2020 4 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: How is it not illegal to keep whales in captivity? Like, at all? I think we’ll see a change on that front if the SNP secure a second referendum. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Zoos in general are incredibly demoralising places if you give it a moment's consideration. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy Lifeboats Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) I haven't been to Dudley Zoo for decades. I remember them keeping an Orca in a pool that's now consider too small for seals. I also remember the Polar Bear just standing in the middle of his concrete cell constantly swinging it’s head. I can see that zoos are suitable for certain animals. They also have a role in conservation. But I fear that many zoos use conservation as a convenient justification. Edited November 28, 2020 by Mandy Lifeboats Speeling mishsteaks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's Your Round Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 2 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: How is it not illegal to keep whales in captivity? Like, at all? It’s mind blowing that it’s still allowed to happen. Even after the Blackfish documentary cast light on the situation across the world. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 3 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: How is it not illegal to keep whales in captivity? Like, at all? Haven't they stopped the breeding programmes of the Orcas? I guess the ones alive can't be released in the wild as they wouldn't survive, but I guess they could build bigger tanks/pens for them and let them live out their days in relative comfort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Not a fan of zoos... horrible to see animals like Gorillas, bears, tigers, lions, etc, in a small enclosure. The smaller animals I don't feel so strongly about, possibly because their enclosures are quite big compared to their size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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