Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre Mountain View Conservation + Breeding Centre

I just started reading this thread and got really excited about this facility too- oh well...

 

A slightly longer article: (there are now dozens on the web)

Private zoo being investigated for animal abuse - The Globe and Mail

 

Trust me on this, it is all true. Mountain View was never what it appeared to be and this whole unsavoury exercise is long overdue.

 

Well hedigerfan,

It be nice if you would say where you were coming from and what you are exactly accusing Mountain View of and where we can find it in the fine print.

K.B.

 

Two investigations in Canada at the same time..? What is happening up there Snowleopard..?

 

Douglas Richardson, currently animal-collections manager of the Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland, is an ex-employee from Mountain View (2003-04) and he has become the 9th person to accuse owner Gordon Blankstein of not being preventive towards his animals in terms of calling veterinarians on a regular basis.

The latest article:

Necropsies to pinpoint why giraffes died

 

There is no fine print, what the staff, past and present, are saying in the press and to the investigators are the facts. The reputation of Mountain View was based on what the world was told or thought they saw for themselves. A zoo should not be measured on what you see on a bright sunny day, but by what you find during a miserable, cold winter, or locked behind closed doors.

 

In order to investigate one requires first degree testimony, not broad accusations. This is the reason why I asked for corroborating evidence. It seems the above link has now given more credence to earlier concerns aired in the media. I do respect very highly Douglas Richardson's professional track record.

For Douglas Richardson to give evidence as per his account lends credibility to otherwise obscure evidence. I should now think there would seem a genuine reason for concern re. Mountain View as a facility and an independent investigation on the part of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquaria may be called for.

 

A few more articles on what is happening at Mountain View, sorry if they are ones already posted.

CBC News - British Columbia - Cruel euthanization of endangered species alleged

Disturbing images in this one
CTV News | B.C. zoo under investigation for animal abuse

 

@KrissyR: thanks for posting the interesting 2-minute video, and the most intriguing aspect of it is that now there is photographic evidence in terms of Ivan the Indian rhino losing his horn and the eating of carcasses by the African wild dogs.

 

Oh man, I wish I didn't see that video Poor Ivan, and that antelope's leg!

 

What makes the entire enquiry rather questionable is that a non-specialist authority will review the zoo's credentials. I do not consider an RSPCA for one bit fit and holding sufficient wild animal expertise to review a wild animal collection. RSPCA's do some wild animal rescue, however their main focus has always been pets, farm animals and the animal welfare.

To have RSPCA evaluate say a maned wolf exhibit at MV, MV's wildlife vet work and/or animal management standards makes me absolutely cringe. It is pure sensationalist clientelism to an extreme animal welfarist agenda. If however, it had been CAZA or even AZA reviewing/re-evaluating the collection I would sit comfortable with any report or results from their review.

 

Just out of curiosity does anyone know how many other zoos practice life prey eating? Not sure if you caught the segment in the video where a Fossa leaped onto a live quail. How different is this from snakes eating live mice? I just have never seen this practiced before.

 

I believe the majority of animals were dead when they were fed out. I know our new male reindeer was supposed to be 'culled' before my boss piped up & said we'd take him. Now handsome young Lazarus has a much brighter future.

Feeding live is considered inhumane and can also be dangerous to animal they intend to feed, like with snakes. However, I know places where they intend to release the animals into the wild will feed live to get the animals use to hunting on their own. Both of the local wildlife rehabs feed live quail to their owls & eagles but our Zoo does not.

 

Cold, bad diet killed giraffe: Vet

Langley giraffe likely died of cold and poor diet

 

For the first time ever heaters have now been added to the giraffe barn:

B.C. zoo installs heaters after giraffe deaths - The Globe and Mail

 

Wow, they have never had any heat! That is not to good.

 

I'm glad Gordon has to finally realize how wrong he is, but please don't bash the keepers that are there working for the animals! There are some current employees that also filed suit, and are risking their jobs to get better care for their animals. The animals are like family to a lot of the keepers and volunteers there.
I haven't been back since the whole thing started, but I miss my animals so much, I just want to be there to do whatever I can to make their lives easier.

 

http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Giraffe+with+overgrown+hoofs+euthanized/2510381/story.html

 

The latest news is that Mountain View is contemplating a shift away from exotic species, meaning that there are a lot of endangered animals that could possibly require a new home in the future:

Troubled animal centre may stick closer to home