My view of zoos is to educate, entertain, promote conservation and conserve themselves! Education can also be done in an entertaining manner, animal antics type displays and bird of prey demonstrations. Promotion of conservation of species can be demonstrated by not only being part of breeding programmes for endangered species but also having less endangered animals as well. This way the full aspect of bio-diversity can be shown. Okay, Madagascan hissing cockraches might no be endangered but they have an important role to play in the full circle of life in the Madagascar forests that the lemurs and many other endangered animals call home. Zoos should also be relaxing places to be. Indeed they have to be all things to all people, which is no easy task! Each zoo also has to decide which animals to have in their collections based on available enclosures, availability of funds for enclosure development and also climate! Travel between zoos for individual animals in a breeding programme also has to be considered. Some species travel better than others. Zoos also have to be prepared to continually evolve. Information on species should be shared between zoos and researchers in the wild to allow animals to be cared for in the best most natural enclosures. The greater number of zoos involved in breeding programmes the greater the possibility for genetic diversity, essential for survival of any species and to reduce the chance of inbreeding. Man has been responsible for probably 99% of animals becoming endangeered and therefore it is man's responsibility to do something about it. I'm sure the zoo debate will rage on but anyone in zoos today will tell you that in an ideal world, zoos wouldn't be required!
Part of my job is photography, thats what I do, whether I like the animal or not, and regardless of how they figure up the chain of "priority" wouldnt mean anything to me, why should it? I enjoy photographing animals, period! Am I right in thinking these animals still remain naturally in the wild? Well at least untill the 1990's? and that they suffer no inherited colour related problems? If so, flip flops have a very significant value in my opinion! Regarding canned hunting, yes I am aware of that, but its not only white Lions is it? Its anything they can get their hands on really, which backs up my point, if people want to profit from an animal they will!
Gentleshaw was quite bad when I went Maguari. It stank to high heaven, the Monkeys did. It was filthy indoors as well as outside, with patched up wire etc.. Again (knowing me by now) I mentioned it and was told it was because they are shut in at night, but when I said so are most other Monkeys at Zoo's, they didnt really have a reply, except to say they could see my point. The Coatis's were in poor condition, old I know, but they did look very poor, again it was dirty and smelly. What disturbed me greatly was the amount of RATS running round the place, frequently inside enclosures taking food, you could see the "runs" in the Coati's pen and also at the back of the recently revamped Puma enclosure. I asked about this too, and they seemed surprised! They said they cant use poison, of course not, but bait stations and boxes are normal where animals are concerned we have to use them by law at work, they are safe to use. Its basic husbandry that really annoys me Maguari, if I ran my kennels like some of these places and kept the kennels in similar condition, Id lose the license in a flash![/QUOTE] Hi Dawn, I recall you sending me an email with your concerns sometime back. I quite agree we are low on the ranking, as per usual money hold us up. I did not tell you that we lock our monkeys in at night, that’s not true. I think stank to high heaven is a little extreme but admittedly I do have trouble keeping the cats smelling sweet. The monkey enclosure was dirty the day you visited, no excuses, having spent a lot of time with one particularly stubborn cap I can now go in with her to clean so on days when she does not want to move I can still keep it clean. We had been trying various pest control methods but nothing was working. We then got a pest control man in and we have not, touch wood, had a problem in over 12 months. I did explain about he Coatis, nothing i can do about old age, and i have since had one of the boys PTS due to his arthritis getting worse. The other boy currently has a fabulous coat thanks to aloe Vera and a diet change. He also has a girlfriend. In your email you complained about the coati enclosure, unfortunately you had missed our information on the plans to revamp it. This has now been done and is slightly improved on the old set up. I am sorry you do not like us, we do our best and sometimes it’s not good enough. I would happily bore you with my plans both for the future and for when I win the lottery, I don't want to argue, you did not like what you saw, end of, but just remember that unlike most of your list, we are a rescue centre. We choose not to breed many of our species as the majority does not require it. But we do our bit for conservation by rehabbing wild birds of prey. We are a small, crappy centre, but I am trying my best.
Hello there. Im fairly certain I was told the monkeys were shut in, which was why all the mess was up the walls etc.. I dont have the emails to back it up, but its of little relevance now. Im pleased you have improved the Coati's living conditions and I hope the Rat problem is gone as that was particularly unpleasant to see. You did say you had "plans" but plans are just that until they are completed, having spoken to my friend who visited you a few months ago, from his description little had changed. I didnt mention the things I was impressed with on here, as a rehab and BOP centre in part, it was not relevant to this site. I was impressed with many of your aviaries and work was being carried out whilst I was there building more new ones, my friend told me they were, very good, clean and very well maintained. I agree the Cats did stink a bit, but appreciate tom cat pee is NOT easy to get rid of, as the manager of a large kennel and cattery, I can tell you any entire adult male cat will not be boarded by me for that reason. I didnt say I didnt like you, I said I was not pleased with the conditions I saw, I do however appreciate that many BOP would be in serious trouble or worse if it were not for you, for that I commend you very highly. Perhaps I could visit again in the future? Dawn.
You’re welcome over any time, as is anyone. Not sure when you friend visited, but can assure you things have changed, over the last 12 months, the Coati enclosure has been extended and the old indoor area replaced, 3 aviaries have been replaced, a new monkey enclosure is under construction, ½ of the reptile area has been renovated, there are no rats and if you had visited us 6 years ago you would think it was a different place. I know plans don't mean anything, but I hate to think people might presume I am satisfied with the centre as it is or that I am not aware of our short comings. Anyway, I don't want to take the subject off thread, so will leave it there.
Wow... right on! (snippage to save space - remainder read with great interest) Simon, your post showed one of the most enlightened and balanced views I've ever seen, and I couldn't agree more. Thank you! It's a personal hope of mine that our own species will, eventually, grow up to the point where we no longer need zoos or oceanariums. I doubt I'll see such growth in my current lifetime, but hope springs eternal. Happy travels.
It's actually a view pretty much drummed into us at Edinburgh Zoo and seems to be the view of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland in general. If asked any RZSS official will tell you the there are only three satifactory exhibits in Edinburgh Zoo for example, Budongo Trail, Rainbow Landings and Living Links. Budongo Trail allows the captive chimpanzees to display very natural behaviours whilst still allowing researchers to find out more about them in full view of the public and therefore really emphasising the educational aspect of zoos and the link to research and conservation in the wild! Rainbow Landing gives people an opportunity to feed an get close to animals (the Rainbow Lorikeets) whilste aslo allowing peopl to see and learn about other species that are lesprevailant, Victoria Crowned Pigeons, Nicobar Pigeons, Blue Faced Honey Eaters and Long Nosed Potoroos)/ Living Links demonstrates how Brown Capuchins and Squirrel Monkeys live together in the wild and, through the research bays, how different groups learn different skills. All of the other enclosures are merely "adequate". Given the funds you can imagine the Edinburgh would look very different indeed! There is no such thing as the "perfect zoo" and every good zoo will tell you that. They will also tell you that if it wasn't for mankind, we wouldn't need modern zoos!
