If you had a time machine, like the one in that film you've seen....(adapted from Busted 'Year 3000') What would you do if you could use a time machine to go to any zoo or moment in zoological history? Would you use it to observe an exciting achievement or milestone? Would you use it to warn a particular zoo of an impending disaster? Would you use it to give a zoo some advice, which on hindsight would prove invaluable? Would you use it to bring something back with you (i.e. a extinct animal)? Rules: -One two actions per person -Action must be zoo related -If bringing back an animal/animals, they must be able to fit in the telephone box sized time machine (animal/animals can be immobilised for the duration of time travel if considered dangerous)
I'd go back 50 years use it to have a frank and open conservation with the director of either the Auckland Zoo or the Taronga Zoo about the current lack of genetic diversity in our zoos and advise Australian and New Zealand Zoos to import additional numbers of species like hippopotami and giraffe while they can, without the restrictions that are in place today so that there was a larger founder population for our region's zoos.
Action must be zoo related but I otherwise like your thinking. Women from the Year 3000 sound well decent!
Depending on how much I can stretch one action.... 1) I'd go back to the early 70s to do a grand tour of major zoos. I'm thinking Frankfurt, Koln, the Berlins, Dvur, Rotterdam, Paris and London. No doubt there are some others I should add to that. 2) I'd go back far enough into the Pleistocene to collect founder populations of some of the megafauna that went extinct thereafter.
My idea for this post is no more original than any of the countless movies involving time machines, but as you can see for yourself - the intro gives a few more ideas for how to use the time machine and has a bigger emphasis on interaction (as opposed to observation) e.g. bring things back, warning people of disasters. Think of it as a remake to a movie (the 2018 edition)
Sorry, three species involved, which is greedy. Collect genetically diverse breeding founder populations of Passenger Pigeon, Crested Shelduck and Pink-headed Duck.
Oh all right then, but that could open the door to things like West Indian and Glaucous Macaws........ I thought I was being good not asking for Cnemiornis as well......
1) I would tell Kiwi colonials to not bring brush-tailed possums to NZ so zoos wouldn't mind keeping brush-tailed possums as unique marsupials in their collections. 2) I would tell Cincinnati zoo to improve the gorilla enclosure before a magnificent gori gets shot.
I would tell the most experienced and best facilities in cetacean breeding (dolfinarium Harderwijk, etc...) to capture various pods of Vaquitas and start a breeding program that allows a healthy worldwide population before it became critically endangered in the wild... And same for baiji, Irrawwady dolphin and any other endangered or now extinct odontocete