Guzoo animal farm

I didn't join this forum so that I could argue the merits or otherwise of Guzoo, but as snowleapard and czjimmy have already expressed their opinions I feel it is right to start this thread.

First of all I am not Irene Gustafson, anything she wrote to defend the zoo was written by her and is none of my business.

Second has anyone who posts on this board visited Guzoo? I'm guessing not. You are taking your opinions from a 17 year old girl who knows nothing about zoos. (before anyone says anything, I know she's 19 now, but she was 17 when she made the website)

Photgraphs can be cropped to show just whatever the user wants, captions can be written to pull on the heartstrings of the reader. Ms McDonald is very adept at that.

I am not a zookeeper, and have never claimed to be. However, I live and work with animals 24/7, I have studied farm livestock and management at Bishop Burton College of agriculture near Beverley in England.

I am the President of the Friends of GuZoo. Our mission to to raise funds for the benefit of the animals at Guzoo, and we have indeed raised thousands of dollars over the last few years. We provided the funds and the manpower to build a new perimeter fence, and have provided funds towards the building of a new 2 acre lion enclosure, which should be finished next year.

Guzoo operates on a shoestring budget. However, regardless of what many people, most of whom have never been there, believe, I personally believe that this is a good place that provides a valuable service to both the people and the discarded animals of Alberta.

Ask questions if you wish. I will answer them to the best of my ability.

 

I'm not going to judge the place, because I haven't visited, but from those photos, it doesn't look good (yet).

However, good news that the lions are getting a large enclosure and hopefully more animals will follow suit...

All i was stating in the other thread was how Irene Gustafson appeared very arrogant, rude and quite ignorant towards someone asking quite valid questions.

 

I would agree with you. I read the letter she sent, I was horrified, but it was her letter, not mine.

 

I have to say too that from the photos it looks like a horrible place.

Could you then provide us with your own photos? If these photos are cropped to highight all the bad things, could you then show us GuZoo from your perspective?

 

@animalpassions: My goal wasn't to offend a brand new member of ZooBeat, as this is an amazing website and I honestly hope that you stay and are an active participant on the threads. It's just that I'm 32 years old and have lived about 30 years in Canada. I was born and raised in Edmonton, and have travelled all over Alberta and have seen just about every tourist attraction there is for the public to see. In all of my travels I have made it a point of avoiding GuZoo at all costs...

I have NOT been to GuZoo wildlife park simply because it is a legendary collection of wildlife in western Canada. It is infamous for all the wrong reasons, whether it is the tiny enclosures, visitors being allowed to go inside the baby animal exhibits, or for the shocking photos that large companies like Zoocheck have taken. I have read many, many articles about GuZoo and unless you can prove otherwise I'd have to say that it is a highly disagreeable establishment that should have been torn down years ago. Please post some photos highlighting the excellent exhibits that you claim they have, and I honestly wish you luck with the 2-acre lion enclosure that you claim might be built in the future.

 

http://www.zoocheck.com/Reports pdf's/welfare_risk_Guzoo.pdf

A shocking, 28-page document that is a comprehensive 2004 review of Alberta's GuZoo animal farm. If you are easily upset by terrible animal conditions then don't bother reading this article or looking at the photos. The establishment is obviously not the greatest in the world, but runs on a shoestring budget and that's my only defense for the tiny exhibits.

 

It doesn't look like a 5 michilin star hotel to me, but it does also look a bit tainted to me as well. I hate it when they open a negative document with two photo's of animals behind a chain-linked fence. If that's the standard of a "bad" zoo, then any zoo in Europe is bad.

The next photo is of an enclosure with no animals in sight. I can show you a part of a construction yard in any decent zoo and claim that it's a crappy exhibit...

In short though, the "zoo" does look very bad. It looks like an "enthousiast" of wild animals dug a hole so deep it can't get out of it. But the document is at least a little prejudiced if you ask me.

 

This next document is a different one from the 28-page review that I posted earlier. This new review is from 2007, three years after the first review, and is only 15 pages long. But the photos are even more shocking than ever, with many horrible enclosures and poor quality water conditions for the animals. The barbary ape and fox exhibits are just atrocious, but then again basically all of the enclousures should have been torn down years ago. It's amazing to think that after the 2004 review it appears that this wildlife park didn't improve at all. Even the structural confinement of the animals is poor, as there are written examples and photos of dilapidated fences in many cages. In total there are over 100 violations of the captive wildlife act.

http://zoocheck.com/Reportpdfs/Guzoo07.pdf

 

I do have photographs, but most of them are real photos not digital images as I only recently bought a digital camera.

I will be at Guzoo this weekend planting trees. I will make sure I take my camera. I will also look at Ms Mcdonald's photos from 2007 and try to phot the same things from a different perspective.

I see snowleapard mentioned the fox exhibit. that's something I do have a digital photo of. I'll just go look for it.

 

These are the fox pen pictures. I'm really sorry I took so long. I was busy with my horses.

It seems I can't show them so you can see them here
Picasa Web Albums - ivorydog - zoo forum

 

but as snowleapard and czjimmy have already expressed their opinions I feel it is right to start this thread.
Good on you ! It is good to hear from the other side of any views that any of us have on any zoo . And I agree with you 100% that the photos that were on the Zoocheck/WSPA site could have easily been altered to suit their purpose and not show a full picture

I am not a zookeeper, and have never claimed to be. However, I live and work with animals 24/7, I have studied farm livestock and management at Bishop Burton College of agriculture near Beverley in England.

I am the President of the Friends of GuZoo. Our mission to to raise funds for the benefit of the animals at Guzoo, and we have indeed raised thousands of dollars over the last few years. We provided the funds and the manpower to build a new perimeter fence, and have provided funds towards the building of a new 2 acre lion enclosure, which should be finished next year.

Guzoo operates on a shoestring budget.

In which case , I would like to ask .... is Guzoo in a position where it can house all of the animals that it currently has , and provide quality care for them and visitor safety ?
I am sure that is your goal , and that you are aiming towards being just that
( and I certainly applaude all efforts that you make in improving this zoo )
but is there any animal ( example ; lion ) that takes up so much $$ for the barest upkeep , that the zoo on the whole suffers ?
( has the zoo bitten off far more than it can chew ? )

can the current shoestring budget adequately cover the new 2 acre lion enclosure (with its inhabitants ) at this current time ?

I looked at your photo of the fox exhibit .... not flash but certainly an improvement on what was .
I think your zoo is starting to go in the right direction , but you obviously have an uphill battle with funds , materials and reputation .
I think every zoo has potential to improve , even private ones . I get disappointed when small zoos close because they cannot afford to continue , and they have large animals that chew up most of the zoo budget .

Please dont bite off more than you can chew at any one time , and I sincerely hope that you can turn round this zoo to the point where it can give itself a reputation and standard it can be proud of


Ask questions if you wish. I will answer them to the best of my ability.[/QUOTE]

 

Thanks, Nigel, for your positive response.

first of all, the management of the zoo, ie acquiring new animals, is nothing to do with the friends of Guzoo. We have absolutely no say in which animals are kept, or where, or how.

The new lion enclosure will be paid for by Friends of Guzoo (FoG) that's why it won't be ready before next year. We need to raise at least another $10,000 this year towards it.

The lions are retired movie animals. If they hadn't come to Guzoo they would have been euthanised.



but is there any animal ( example ; lion ) that takes up so much $$ for the barest upkeep , that the zoo on the whole suffers ?

I don't believe any animal at Guzoo suffers. (contrary to the belief of animal rights activists) meat for the carnivores is provided entirely by roadkill and by many of the local farmers and ranchers.

Just because something doesn't appear attractive to the visitor doesn't mean it is detrimental to the animals.

Many of the pens exceed caza standards. I read in one of zoocheck's reports that the owl's pen was too small for the bird to achieve flight, but the writer obviously didn't do her research. I know for a fact that this pen exceeds the caza standard. Unlike the report writer, I also know that the owl housed in it is unable to fly. but it can hop from branch to branch so the pen was made tall to give the bird the opportunity to "swoop down" on its prey.

 

That is a misnomer, you do in fact endorse the zoo's actions by your participation in the friends of the zoo... You support them morally, through your effort and presumably own donations...

Why in the next paragraph you talk about how your efforts are paying for a new enclosure...

I'm not saying this is a bad thing, volunteers are admirable in this day in age but I know Snowleopard knows Western Canada and I wouldn't be volunteering...

 

Perhaps Zoobeat members would be interested in this YouTube video

YouTube - Guzoo Animal Farm - The Definition of a Roadside Zoo



I think that every zoological facility has a dark underbelly, but surely there is a limit that should be drawn.

 

It is difficult to read these reports and watch the video.

In part, because they were prepared by "animal rights" groups and so are designed to defame the zoo. (These people are just mean spirited. To make a big deal about an employee saying "the bears are dancing" is simply dull. I have heard docents say far more ignorant things at the Bronx Zoo!)

Much of what I see would, some time ago, have been considered tolerable at a small zoo. But times have changed and much we see is no longer acceptable. "Good enough" simply isn't good enough.

Fortunately we have here someone with great influence over the situation. Any "Friends" group for any zoo has great influence since they raise the real funding. They can demand that the owners set their sights higher than they have. Rather then merely care for and show every animal they can get, they can create the best zoo that their resources allow. Perhaps they can't do right by bears. They can do a terrific racoon enclosure. Perhaps they can't offer a truly decent enclosure for macaques, they can have a great wolf enclosure. Attacking the owners will not accomplish that. They need to rethink what is acceptable, Do what they can do well and not try to do everything on the assumption that it is good enough.

Animalpassion, you can be a leader or a defender. I can't imagine that you look at some of these enclosures with pride. I assume you would like to.

 

There is a huge difference between supporting something and being in charge of it.

Regardless of how Guzoo is seen by outsiders I will defend it and its owners with all my heart.

Zoocheck, Devon McDonald WSPA and Voice for Animals are set on closing down Guzoo. The place could be gold plated and they would still find fault.

Regardless of how Guzoo is seen by outsiders I will defend it and its owners with all my heart.

10,000 visitors a year can't be wrong. Guzoo plays an important role for the people in the area. We are not all oil magnates. For many families a visit to Calgary zoo or the Valley Zoo in Edmonton is totally out of the question both in terms of time (3 hours traveling time for Calgary and 4 hours if you drive fast, for Edmonton) and money (for a family of 2 adults and 3 children it costs $66+GST of 5% admission at Calgary plus the cost of gas to get there, compared to $35 at Guzoo).

 

I asked
You answered
That's clear enough

 

@animalpassions: you will defend GuZoo and its owners with all your heart? Have you ever been to other zoos to compare their exhibits with the ones that you like at GuZoo? This sounds harsh but if I could drop a bomb on GuZoo today and blow it up I honestly think that I would because then the animals would be much better off. I admire your bravery in defending the state of the atrocious enclosures, but a photo is worth a thousand words. For example, you claim that the pitifully tiny fox exhibit was better than the posted photograph...but regardless of what angle the photo is taken from the cage is still about ten feet by ten feet. Brutal. The black bears inside a horrible little wire cage with rusty playground equipment in the background gives a bad name to zoos everywhere. I've known about GuZoo for years now, and there is nothing kind that can be said about it.

GuZoo is so terrible that the Alberta Wildlife Act was altered through the process of several amendments between 2004 and 2007 almost exclusively for this particular zoo. The Discovery Park at Innisfail was another Alberta tourist attraction that was attacked in the media, and justifiably so. At that location visitors can pay to get up close and personal with a performing grizzly bear, and it's a miracle that no one has been mauled when children of all ages quite literally are "kissed" on the face by the 900 pound "tame" bear. I'm not sure if that is allowed anymore, as there have been complaints for years about the close contact with such an enormous mammal, but people can still get their close-up photos with the grizzly.

Discovery Wildlife Park

Two years ago my wife and I took a long B.C.- Alberta road trip, and on our way from Edmonton to Drumheller we stopped directly outside GuZoo animal farm in the Three Hills area. We kept driving to the highly impressive Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, with its world-class collection of dinosaur bones. But for about 5-10 minutes we stopped outside GuZoo and could see just about the entire collection as it's an extremely small park. But we could simply not pay money and see animals in enclosures that are falling to pieces, with terrible living conditions for each inhabitant. I've been to many small wildlife parks in the past, but refuse to anymore and instead only concentrate on accreditated institutions as it's simply too sad wandering around staring at crappy little wire cages.

I already replied in one of these threads stating that this is not a personal attack at all, and I even sent you a lengthy private message because I'm feeling guilty bashing GuZoo and I'm really glad that there is another Canadian here at ZooBeat. But the links I provided show some absolutely shocking enclosures, and I truly hope that the Alberta wildlife laws are amended yet again and the establishment gets completely torn down. It is an eyesore for captive wildlife everywhere, and the owners should never be allowed to obtain exotic wildlife ever again. Harsh words, but I've been a massive zoo fan for over 30 years and GuZoo is legendary in Canada for all of the wrong reasons. It is well known as being among the "worst of the worst" in terms of caged wildlife.

 

@Taccachantrieri: that video of GuZoo Animal Farm was sickening to watch. The coyote's exhibit is definitely smaller than one of my bathroom's, and the pacing raccoons at the 3:25 minute mark was equally shocking. GuZoo should be wiped off the face of the earth, and preferably the owners along with it.

 

Some more Guzoo questions

What is the history of the place ?

Is there a masterplan , or any plans for zoo management to improve the zoo as funds/material permit ? ( and not on an ad hoc basis )

Does any zoo staff have any qualification to do their job , or do they just "like animals " ?

Does the zoo have any protocol for selection of obtaining new animals , or otherwise ? ( eg if somebody offered the zoo an animal for free , would the zoo accept it or turn the offer down ? )

How does the zoo management respond to constructive criticism ? ( eg ; from other zookeepers -- not PETA or WSPA )


Although I havent ruled out the idea that this place CAN be made into something to proud of , there is alot of evidence to suggest that it barely meets minimum Govt standards .
To be passionate about the animals is far too inadequate to be useful , and even though I applaud the planned lion enclosure will be a huge improvement on their current housing , if the "Friends of the Guzoo" are REALLY concerned about the animals , they should exert more pressure on Zoo management to make more improvements or support will be withdrawn .

Which leads back to one of my earlier questions -- is the zoo over committed with its current stock ?
If the zoo runs on a shoestring budget , this is one question that they should regularly review .
If the zoo has more than a shoestring budget , it should be ALOT better than what is being reported and shown ( and I am not talking about cropped photos here )

I know of at least 2 instances where a reasonable zoo started from a small ish private "roadside" style , ( Hamilton Zoo and Australia Zoo ) so I think there is potential for Guzoo . But there needs to be MAJOR improvements , both physical and philosophical , by zoo staff and all other bodies that stick up for this place ...... I can totally understand where Snowleopard is coming from .

Please do all you can to improve this place .