Born Free attacks London Zoo (again) » London Zoo

Chlidonias · **Born Free attacks London Zoo (again)** 09-10-2008

Quote:

Déjà vu at London Zoo?
8 October 2008

The Born Free Foundation has stated its dismay to learn from recent reports that, following the opening of London Zoo’s controversial Gorilla ”Kingdom" (£5.3 million), the Zoo now plans to redevelop its exhibits for Sumatran tigers at further great expense.

Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundation, said:

“The venerable captive animal institution may like to cite aggression and lack of reproductive interest between a male and female tiger as justification to redevelop its big cat exhibits. However, the announcement is more likely prompted by a requirement imposed on the zoo by Government Zoo Inspectors that plans for a new outdoor tiger paddock must be submitted - or else.

“We have seen this before at London Zoo: huge investment to shore up flagging public interest in seeing animals in captivity. It’s disturbing to think that it took the words of a government inspector to push the zoo to address the shortcomings of the current tiger enclosure, in which tigers have been living since 1976.

“Whatever the Zoo’s motivation, plans to redevelop the 1970’s Big Cat Terraces (at vast expense) fail to address several fundamental issues. While male and female tigers may tolerate each other in the wild, 24 hour enforced proximity is a different matter. It is therefore unsurprising that aggression occurs. What is perhaps more surprising is that, despite the relative ease with which tigers can be bred in captivity (as evidenced by the thousands of captive tigers languishing in Thailand, China and the USA), London Zoo has failed to breed their Sumatran tigers for at least the last 8 years.

“The advanced age of the zoo’s ‘bad tempered’ female Sarah, reportedly 14 years old, may be one explanation. The miserly size of their ‘habitat’ may be another. But whatever the reasons, we should be doubly concerned by the Zoo’s proposals. The glut of captive tigers worldwide has done nothing to address tiger conservation in the wild so captive-breeding is not the answer. And spending millions of pounds on a new big cat exhibit at London Zoo will only drain resources and effort away from what should be our number one priority – investment in real tiger conservation in the wild.”

In October last year, Born Free commented on the Gorilla ”Kingdom" exhibit saying:

"Over the years, London Zoo has repeatedly used expensive new exhibits in attempts to attract an ever-more sophisticated, and diminishing, public. Soon after it opened to the public in 1847, a hippopotamus was reportedly imported from Egypt to double attendances and prevent bankruptcy. In the early 1990’s, London Zoo was a whisker away from closure due to a financial crisis.

“The various plans put forward to save the Zoo at that time proposed astronomical sums for redevelopment (up to £61 million), and huge amounts of money were donated to keep the Zoo open. The Zoo did not close, but visitor numbers have never returned to the numbers seen in the late 1950’s (2.7 million), and, not withstanding the high-profile projects and high profile animals (for example the Giant pandas), the trend has been inexorably downward.

“The Gorilla "Kingdom" seems set to repeat that trend. Declining visitor numbers have been temporarily shored-up by massive financial input. The most recent and improved figures appear to be little more than a short-term reaction to this hugely expensive development. The Gorilla “Kingdom” reportedly cost more than £5 million.

“And, just as in the past, Born Free predicts that once the shine has worn off, once the public realise that behind the hype, the Gorilla " Kingdom " is little more than an acre of land for a dysfunctional group of 3 gorillas set in the centre of the 36 acre London Zoo site (itself just a 3% of the minimum normal home range for wild gorillas), numbers will slide once more…. Until the next multi-million pound attempt to revive their flagging fortunes.”

The Born Free Foundation concludes that the time has come for the Zoological Society of London to recognise changing public attitudes towards the keeping of animals in captivity, and to bring down the curtain on this outdated, out of touch and outrageously expensive edifice. If there are millions to be spent on wildlife then Born Free recommends that we direct the money, our energies and our talents towards real conservation and protection of wildlife in the wild where it belongs.

ashley-h · 09-10-2008

What a shock

CZJimmy · 09-10-2008

Extremely petty of Born Free to bring up an incident from 1847 just to criticise the zoo...

It seems like a desperate ploy to gain publicity to me. I mean half of the article was repeated from last year's, which shows that they did not have enough propaganda to fill a new one.

snowleopard · 09-10-2008

While I do not agree with Born Free on many of the organization's issues, I think that it's safe to say that the Gorilla Kingdom exhibit has been a failure. Judging from reviews and reports here on ZooBeat it is apparent that the mainly open-air concept for the "family" of gorillas is nowhere near as good as its price tag warrants. For the most part the habitat has been heavily criticized for its huge amount of hotwire, the lack of a proper ape group, and the dearth of climbing opportunities and overhead cover.

zoogiraffe · 09-10-2008

As far as i`m concerned people in glass houses shouldn`t throw stones,and this appears to be just what Born Free my arse are doing again.

Tigerlemurguy · 09-10-2008

oh dear, you can do it london!

Pertinax · 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CZJimmy

I mean half of the article was repeated from last year's, which shows that they did not have enough propaganda to fill a new one.

You are correct. They have to repeat previous critisism as they have no fresh ammunition. Also they are too lazy(or stupid) to find out if anything has changed leading to innaccuracy-e.g. the 'dysfunctional group of 3 gorillas' is actually now a much better balanced group of four with plenty of mating...

In the past I've seen them say in a report about ZSL- 'its not known if such and such an animal as bred', or 'how long x has lived there'. Such easy facts to establish but they seem totally oblivious for some reason.

*MARK* · 09-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pertinax

You are correct. They have to repeat previous critisism as they have no fresh ammunition. Also they are too lazy(or stupid) to find out if anything has changed leading to innaccuracy-e.g. the 'dysfunctional group of 3 gorillas' is actually now a much better balanced group of four with plenty of mating...

This would seem to be the case, very poor on their part

Pertinax · 09-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowleopard

I think that it's safe to say that the Gorilla Kingdom exhibit has been a failure. For the most part the habitat has been heavily criticized for its huge amount of hotwire, the lack of a proper ape group, and the dearth of climbing opportunities and overhead cover.

Things are improving..

The group, though still very small and with no proven breeding yet, is a lot better organised socially than it was before the arrival of the 3rd female (Mjuku).
The vegetation has grown and the hotwires are less obvious. More dead trees have been added so there are plenty of climbing opportunities. The worst aspect remains the 'fake' tree which is to somehow allow the Colobus access.

I'm the greatest advocate for 'covered' environments for Gorillas and without some sort of miracle, London's will never be that, but its getting better. A few fast growing trees,( e.g. Acacia or Eucalyptus) planted and hotwired for protection, would make an even bigger difference.

johnstoni · 10-10-2008

The hotwires being less obvious doesn't make things any better for the gorillas, but overall the space is better, and I always found most comments on here to be about the wasted opportunity of that investment as opposed to criticism of a welfare situation (although there were issues there, like zaire for a while, but born free haven't seemed to pick up on that. It's okay, it could be better but as Pertinax says, they have added much more climbing equipment, and the vegetation will soon grow right through the barriers allowing them to start selecting plants to eat.

The cat terraces is fair comment by zoocheck, but I think the real drive behind their statement is the knowledge that a new exhibit will permit tigers to be held in london for many years to come. In some ways, born free was lucky that ZSL never extended out their elephant and rhino paddocks as planned, as I think this could have put another decade at least on housing elephant and rhino at the site, even with the loss of a keeper's life.

Pertinax · 10-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnstoni

s.

I think the real drive behind their statement is the knowledge that a new exhibit will permit tigers to be held in london for many years to come.

I suppose they must be duty bound to make a critical statement referring to that particular species, each time the zoo announces plans for a new enclosure.

But surely they realise the Zoo will continue exhibiting as many of the higher profile animals as possible while it remains open to the public. and its very unrealistic to try and pressurise them into shedding individual species, such as Tigers. The move of Elephants and Rhinos from ZSL was rather a different issue but I suppose 'chipping away' is their only real option.

Kifaru Bwana · 10-10-2008

What a pathetic little bunch are BF, pffffffffffttt!

If only all their financial resources were put into stopping further loss of biodiversity on Earth or promoting zoo animal welfare in conjunction with zoos. It is all so abjectly negative and so ahum ****** PREDICTABLE!

And as sure ego-centrists go inside BF ... if you do not agree with them, you are against them (a bit like that no-no GWBush)! Tunnelvision without relief!

gentle lemur · 10-10-2008

Quote:

However, the announcement is more likely prompted by a requirement imposed on the zoo by Government Zoo Inspectors that plans for a new outdoor tiger paddock must be submitted - or else.

Or else what? ZSL sends the tigers somewhere else and puts a different species in that enclosure. That might be the best solution all round, provided the tigers go to suitable places (it's certainly the cheapest solution).

Alan

johnstoni · 10-10-2008

To be honest, yes, I agree. There is no reason why the cat terraces wouldn't make a fantastic small cat area, or even with some modification it would suit further primate groups.

I think the reason born free feel there is value in pushing against decisions to renew facilities for species such as tigers is that they were so successful in contributing to the decline of cetaceans and bears in this country, and to some extent elephants. Although there is an argument put forward by many who dislike them that they are simply riding the bandwagon every time, they are in fact a fairly powerful media-savvy pressure group. At the height of the london zoo closure crisis, it was born free who were chosen by the BBC to be the voice of opposition in their televised debate from inside the casson pavilion....if I remember rightly? So I think they do see mileage in this incident with the inspector that has only recently come to light and very possibly was the reason why some of us were hearing from staff of plans to redevelop the cat terraces earlier this year. I think Regents park is a perfectly acceptable place to keep large cats, only I object to this idea of needing £5 million to create a new enclosure. If only born free would listen to us and petition to give the tigers the North Bank!

Kifaru Bwana · 10-10-2008

Media savvy powerful group ... Exactly, my reason for viewing them as highly suspect. Besides they do not put their money where their mouths are. They should engage rather than use the media to talk to zoos.

F.i. johnstoni ... just hypothetically (it will never happen as we are both respected forum posters and can reason here without damage and loss of respect amongst ourselves) if I where to publish in the paper about you without ever even talking to you ... you would be hugely miffed (to put it mildly) and quite rightly so!

If BF are so concerned with zoo animal welfare (and not riding the bandwagon to exclude more and more wildlife from our zoos ... whilst pretending all is well in the wild (it is not) ... and equally forgetting that zoos are prime motivators/promotors along with IUCN and WWF to push the Countdown 2010 agenda and funding in situ conservation initiatives, they really should put their money where their mouths are and start spending some hard cash on captive animal facilities instead of talking media all the time!

Starting with funding better animal facilities for elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions, tigers in true conservation breeding zoos like London Zoo ..... etcetera etcetera etcetera!

Besides this, one should equally be highly suspect of their occupation with high profile mega vertebrates as if reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish and invertebrates are too non-descript to even get a mention in the huge biodiversity tree!

And finally, a group that puts its own ego before any credible conservation objective, be they biodiversity loss, climate change or any other you can reasonably come up with ... like animal welfare, should be treated with utmost caution.

All in all I think this organisation stinks from the bottom up. And might you think they are there for altruistic motives, think again, ... no their elitist view is that all zoos should be shut, and that in an age where our human condition's relation to our environment and its flora-fauna at large is becoming increasingly dislodged from that same environment and we talk credit crisis, banking crisis - for goodness sake it is only money - and forget the real crises like biodiversity loss, habitat encroachment, food insecurity, climate change and last but certainly not least human overpopulation)!

P.S. I should mention that your average new large exhibit in a zoo environment will cost in the order of 3-8 million pounds. Just scan the news for recent new exhibits across all European zoos. In addition, people like you and me expect every year a new attraction - mind a good zoo has 3 major objectives, recreation, education and conservation.

Well, a good day to you all!

Jelle

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