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  • Why Tigers Attack – Was it human error? The design of the new exhibit?

    http://www.newsweek.com/id/82067

    Can you imagine life in a zoo? Poor tiger. Cirque Du Soleil has shown that we can have a circus without animals. I hope that in the future, zoos will also be extinct. The nature programs on public TV let us see animals in their natural habitat. I feel really bad that people were hurt & killed, but there’s also a larger question to be explored.

  • omshantiomshanti Raw Newbie

    Im torn on zoos, really hypocritical of me as i boycott aquariums with mammals and sea world yet i keep horses and birds…well, ive been to some good zoos and some bad ones they all make me sad. But with habitat being destroyed faster than we can imagine where will some of the species go? what if a zoo can preserve and even restablish a species that would otherwise be extinct? my two muddled cents worth;)

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    I used to work at a zoo. Even though I am an animal rights person, I am not anti-zoo and my reasons are for conversation ones. Lots of people go to the zoo and feel sorry for the animals – and yes, it is natural to do this – but what they must realize is that these animals have no more habitat to be released too – why? Humans are destorying it! Right now, the only animals that are born in zoos and can be re-released into the wild are birds and reptiles. Elephants, tigers, lions – all the bigger animals can’t because humans have taken over their habitats and these animals require large areas of habitat and they are territorial.

    Even if you do find a habitat (there are people working on reestablishing habitiats for the larger animals but it takes time and money) you have to worry about poachers – most large cats in zoo are endangered and poachers are after them for the high price they will fetch them (normally parts for medicine or selling the fur). Same thing with elephants, rhinos etc.

    When I worked at the zoo, I worked with birds. A few of the birds I worked with were endangered and some extinct in the wild – (the reason they became extinct was human fault of course – even worse it was because of war!)- now, because the zoo effort, there are birds alive today that are being re-released into their natural habitat! If it were not for zoos, these birds would not have had a second chance.

    As omshanti says, yes, there are bad zoos but most of those have or will eventually be shut down by the AZA. A zoo needs to be accredited by the AZA to stay open. And believe me, the standards are really strict! When you visit and support zoos, only go to the AZA accredited ones.

    If you are confused about the places for zoos in the world, you should go and schedule a “behinds the scenes” tour and see what really goes on. It is all about conservation and educating that public about the animals. Not what it used to be which was entertainment. Zookeepers make practically nothing – all the rewards on that job are intangible. (Starting salary for a curator can be around $40,000 – and you need at least a Masters Degree to be a curator!) Most keepers love those animals as much or more than their own pets or children!

    As far as the tiger mishap, my guess is that their was a human involved in whatever happened. But since it doesn’t sound like a keeper left a door open – my guess is that a zoo guest did something to prevoke the tiger (and yes, visitor DO do these things – I have seen it). There are signs up all over most zoos – to not put your hands in the cages and not to throw things at the animals in the exhibits but yes, people still do it (oh boy do I have some stories of the idiotic things the visitors do!) and there is always a danger involved when you don’t follow the rules. I am not saying that is what happened – it is just a possiblity based on my own experiences.

    Zoo animals are very well fed (they eat better than I do!) and exhibits are supposed to be designed so escape is not possible. But there are lots of things we do not know about these animals – we have no idea if they are capable of feats we have no seen. I have been to the SF zoo but it was a while ago and I can’t remember what the cat exhibit looks like so I can’t really say whether I think it was designed wrong. I remember alot of construction going on at the time.

    This is will probably sound bad but everyone feels bad for the people involved and they should of course – But I was very upset to learn that the tiger (an endangered one at that – humans are far from endangered) was shot! I can’t believe the zookeepers were not out there with tranquilzer guns! Even though I didn’t work with the cats at the zoo, my building was right near the cat house, so we were trained on how to use the gun (thank god I never had to do it!). I certainly hope that that is also investigated also.

    Regardless, when it comes down to it, humans are to blame for all of this – not the tiger. The tiger was just acting like he naturally does – Humans made him endangered and humans put him in the zoo. Tigers aren’t the ones who have screwed up the planet – we are.

    Now, I believe that humans have a responsiblity to fix the problems they have caused and, for the time being, if that means zoos can help out than I am supporting it. (and from first hand experience, all zoos wish they had alot more and better space for their animals – so keep that in mind if you go to a zoo where it doesn’t seem like they have much space for the animals – normally those are old city zoos who can’t expand). I wish we lived in a perfect world where habitats are not being destroyed and animals are not going extinct but we don’t and the fault for that is our own.

    For those people who don’t think that other animals have just as much right to live on this planet as humans do – think about how the balance of the planet will be effect when these animals are gone for good. Tigers are at the top of the food chain – the only predators they have are us.

    So far, the best zoo I have been too is the one outside of San Diego in Escondido. It will restore your faith in zoos. :)

    Sorry for the long rant – I just have alot of opinions on this issue. :)

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    I just saw a new report on the tiger incident:

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071227/ap_on_re_us…

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    queenfluff~ Those are my views also. BTW, the place you mentioned as being the best zoo is the Wild Animal Park. It is a sister zoo to the San Diego Zoo. The Wild Animal Park has large multi-acre enclosures where different species roam together. I love that place. They have a very successful breeding program to re-introduce endangered species when possible. I have a hard time going to a traditional zoo with cages. The San Diego Zoo, over the years, has improved and gone to many “habitat” type exhibits and away from cages. However, they are locked into a city area and will never have the open spaces like at the Wild Animal Park. I rarely go to the zoo for that reason despite it being next to another favorite area of mine, Balboa Park.

  • Just saw a news report that stated that one of the victims in the mauling was taunting the tiger. How sad for all involved!

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