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General Zoo Misconceptions

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by CZJimmy, 24 Oct 2007.

  1. kc7gr

    kc7gr Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    It's perfectly natural to want to criticize people for ignorance (and, often enough, for outright stupidity). And, I think it's perfectly OK to do that in (relative) privacy. Lord knows I've seen other threads similar to this one, even on professional forums such as those run by the AAZK. I think swapping these kinds of stories serves as a safety valve, if you will. A stress reliever, one that probably prevents many of us from simply losing it in such situations, and going postal on the visitor(s) in question.

    As much as some people might deserve to be on the receiving end of such an outburst, I've always believed the best way to try and snap them out of this abundance of nature-deficit disorder is to, put simply, "lead by example." In short, if you have the time, become a volunteer or docent at your local zoo. Work to correct the very thing you can't stand to see, and which should not be allowed to grow any farther than it already has!

    For those who may be wondering -- yes, I've had to do this plenty of times, particularly when I'm working with raptors. My wife and I have assisted our falconry mentor with more than a few public presentations, and we invariably get asked questions about these huge, intimidating-looking birds sitting quietly on our gloved fists.

    It's not so much the info you provide in response as in HOW you provide it. Throw too much technical info into your response, convey the impression "You should know this," and you will lose your audience quicker than if a sudden downpour descended on where you're standing.

    You run a similar risk by making your replies too simple. No one likes to be talked down to, even if they don't know what the specific term means. Convey that impression, and you will also lose your audience very quickly indeed.

    The right way to handle questions is intermix your responses with questions of your own. In short, don't think of it as a bland query-response function. Think of it as an opportunity to start a conversation. Example: "No, they're definitely not pets. Think of them as colleagues, or as fellow predators. Would you like to know how to tell the difference?"

    (as an aside: Pets generally cannot survive on their own if they choose to take off for the wild, while most raptors can indeed do so).

    This same method works no matter what type of animal you're discussing, from egrets to elephants, from binturongs to blue whales. Heck, it works with just about any subject on which you're knowledgeable and the other person is not.

    Now, with the above said -- NEVER expect that you will, single-handedly, eradicate all ignorance, and certainly never expect you'll be able to cure true stupidity. You can't, on either count.

    HOWEVER -- If you can change just ONE person's mind per day, if you can make them interested in or caring about something they never did before, you will have more than done your job.

    I may be biased, but I also happen to believe controlled interactive programs are probably one of the single best tools in any zoo's arsenal to deal with ignorance. While certainly not practical for all animals, such a program, properly designed and run, can provide equal amounts of enrichment for animals and public alike. I think the opportunity to provide some serious hands-on education to the public is self-evident.

    Even as I type this, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo has developed (and continues to develop) some of the most amazingly well-done interactive programs I've ever seen. Most recently, they included tiger cubs (and you haven't really lived until you've done the classic tiger 'chuff' at a cub and had them literally rear up, brace their front paws on your shoulders, and gaze straight into your eyes in response), and they've also just started programs with wallabies. It is my understanding they're going to do lemurs next.

    Interactive programs are a relatively new thing. Oh, other parks have had such things for a while (the West Coast Game Park, Bandon, Oregon, comes immediately to mind), but I think even they could learn something from the folks in Alabama.

    Happy travels.
     
    Last edited: 24 Jul 2009
  2. foz

    foz Well-Known Member

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    I've just finished re-reading this thread and was reminded of an incident at newquay zoo where this one woman was convinced a tapir was a capybara after reading the illustrated cpaybara sign very intetnly before noticing a free range mara at which she exclaimed that the mara must be a capybara.

    sometimes I cant help myself just to help people along by correctly identifying the mara for the crowd around it. Other times i find myself answering rhetorical questions posed by visitors when they think aloud "what's that" to which i reply "thats a lesser malay mouse deer" or something along those lines. Other times I find myself talking loud enough to my family so other people can convieniently hear about the habits of spectacled bears.
     
  3. Blackduiker

    Blackduiker Well-Known Member

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    Blackduiker

    Just a few from the L.A. Zoo:

    Echidnas of course are Porcupines.

    Tapirs are always called Anteaters, even though their sign is clearly displayed.

    Cassowaries are "some kind of giant Turkey."

    Hyrax are "giant Rats."

    Harbor Seals are Sea Lions; maybe due to the fact they now occupy the former Sea Lion Cliffs.

    Gerenuk, especially babies, are always Bambi.

    Okapi?... "What is it?":confused:
     
  4. Cat-Man

    Cat-Man Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    you have no idea what type of insults people throw at me (im 11)

    just because i know a bit about animals and im do well and enjoy school i'm made fun of, to all the 'cool' kids in my school, im a nerd, a geek a dork, and thats my life in a nutshell, the people on this site are my only friends!
     
  5. MikeG

    MikeG Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Cat-Man, I bet many of us on this forum can empathise with your experiences. I'm over 50 now, but had similar experiences when I was at school. I think those who are 'different' in any way always have problems from those 'cool' people....who seem to think it's cool to be dumb!
    If it helps at all, I bet most of us on ZooChat think you're ultra-cool:D
     
  6. jbnbsn99

    jbnbsn99 Well-Known Member

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    Weirdest confusion I've ever witnessed was with one of our Okapi. Someone thought that it was a Hyena.
     
  7. James27

    James27 Well-Known Member

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    That's insane... I've heard zebra, giraffe, and even horse but how did someone manage that?
     
  8. jbnbsn99

    jbnbsn99 Well-Known Member

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    Longer front legs than back?
     
  9. James27

    James27 Well-Known Member

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    They mistook it for a dog, I highly doubt they'd think of that!
     
  10. Cat-Man

    Cat-Man Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    to me this site is cool, people insult me for event saying zoo!

    lucky for me its the summer holidays, next year secondry school, so finally i can escape
     
  11. Zambar

    Zambar Well-Known Member 15+ year member 10+ year member 5+ year member

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    Some tips Catman; unless you're primary school peers are going to the same secondary school then you can only avoid what you have got thrown at you if you keep you're interests secret. Might sound hard, but if you start talking about zoos and animals the average person hasn't heard of you will find yourself heavilly ridiculed. It sounds harsh but that's how the social hireachy works, if you have intelligent interests that others don't have you will automatically be put outside of everyone else, and the same goes for not making a point that you enjoy learning. I'm socially stable, but if I was to rant on about animals, zoos and Doctor Who I'd automatically be nerdy. Just keep certain things secret, go with the flow and you should be fine. ;)
     
  12. Quartz92

    Quartz92 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I don't agree at all, you shouldn't hide your true love. You will make new friends in secondary school and they will treat you with respect believe me, I was the same way I always bullied for my love of animals and other things. When you make new friends in secondary school they will respect you for what you have to offer. If someone says something like "your dumb, your gay, or..." anything else along those lines tell them to grow up! You will make new friends. If they are your real friends they wouldn't do such a thing. Until you establish yourself in the school though don't go and tell them every last detail about what happened at the zoo on Sunday, but in a conversation relating to the zoo you can say oh guess what... so and so happened... we should go to the zoo and check it out.

    I speak from experiance going into my last year I have had my fare take on friends, lost some, but gained more. To be honest don't care what others have to say about you, live your life, cause you only have one!
     
  13. CZJimmy

    CZJimmy Well-Known Member

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    Cat-man, "good things come to those who wait" when you eventually arrive at the older levels of education (college, university etc) you'll be surrounded by people with similar interests :)
     
  14. devilfish

    devilfish Well-Known Member

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    @ cat-man: I guess many of us have experience in this field, so expect much different advice. I'd say don't be secretive about your passion - if anyone asks, tell them. Just be careful about when you mention 'zoo' or 'animals' out of context. People are much more impressed when they don't expect you to talk in such depth about a subject.
    For me, I gave up preaching my interest in animals early in primary school, I knew there was no hope in correcting teachers after they'd say "tigers only live in Africa" or make other such statements. Nevertheless, my parents have always known about this craze and most weekends would either be a visit to the zoo or to the Natural History Museum in London - I first got ZSL membership when I was 7. I became more comfortable as the years went by, and most people found out about my interest in secondary school as I would correct the biology teacher, or give additional information. Now at university, though I know of nobody who shares my interest, all my close friends know and don't really mind - they're used to me running off to the zoo, to a museum or to do some birdwatching.
    Also be careful what you expect from secondary school and university - just make sure you're realistic in what you're looking for. :D

    ...sorry for going off-topic :eek:
     
  15. Cat-Man

    Cat-Man Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    thanks you guys, this thats what keeps me going, this site and all the people on it and when i go to uni
     
  16. Indlovu

    Indlovu Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I too have just left primary school (on Wednesday). It was a very emotional experience, and i'll admit to blubbering a bit. I'm going from the Biggest in a small school (200 pupils) to the smallest in a huge school (1800 pupils). i'll be fine i know, but i'm losing some of best friends. i think maths is my strongest subject at the moment, i got 100% in my SATS!

    Sorry for being so off topic!
     
  17. Zambar

    Zambar Well-Known Member 15+ year member 10+ year member 5+ year member

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    I agree that you'll be able to share you're interests more openly by the time you get to uni and perhaps later on in sixth-form, as that's when people start to mature and become more accepting. I might've sounded too tight when I mentioned keeping it all secret, as I agree with statements about biology teacher correcting, little things like that: Just don't see if you can start a debate about Aspinall's Gorilla Cages against CGF and DAK like you can here to everyone else.
     
  18. Quartz92

    Quartz92 Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Thats more understandable now Marwell. All and all Cat-man, don't let people push you down, I was never a popular kid in primary school I went to secondary school upwards of 3000 people and am now fairly popular (don't mean to brag) You will lose friends, but eventually will gain some. You will notice that most of the school breaks up into 4 areas. Well in Canada anyways: too cool for school, low lifes (i.e. nerds, failers...), normal (which would be me :p), and the gangsters. I used to have about 20 friends, in secondary school I now have more then 500 of them in all catogories. I promise you, you will fit in somewhere!
     
  19. Zoogoer2000

    Zoogoer2000 Well-Known Member

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    One of the most common misconceptions I always here is that if the animal is sleeping or resting, it must be bored
     
  20. Maguari

    Maguari Never could get the hang of Thursdays. 15+ year member Premium Member

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    ...or dead. Even when it's visibly breathing.

    You're right - it never seems to occur to people that it might just be sleeping. The other one is to look in an enclosure that's well-planted and has several very obivous nest boxes and not see an animal staright away, so loudly declare 'There's nothing in there!'. No chance it's just hiding for the moment, of course... (and a lot of the time, if they opened their eyes and looked the animal is actually in view - just not dancing the hula at the front centre of the exhibit)