Thursday May 31, 2012, 5:27 am
IMAGINE ..... a world without cages. (a)
IMAGINE ..... a world without locks or keys. (b)
-- (a) inspired by R.J.Sawyer's "Illegal Alien" (1998)
-- (b) inspired by TAHCA USHTE aka. Lame Deer (+1971)
( IMAGINE ... and fight for ! )

Bill Watterson -- Calvin & Hobbes - ZOO

Shut down all zoos ! preserve (what's left of) & increase the Wild instead !!

Thursday May 31, 2012, 7:12 am
People like Wolf don't seem to understand the valuable roles accredited zoos perform in education, conservation and recreation for families who come to see, smell and experience the joys of animals.

"Increase the wild?" Got a plan for that? Can you pay for that? Can you convince other nations to stop growing so you can "increase their wild? Got people to administer/monitor this non-existing plan?

Until you say yes to all those questions....YOU NEED ACCREDITED ZOOS AND BREEDING PROGRAMS FOR ENDANGERED ANIMALS....

Thursday May 31, 2012, 7:27 am
Long life in Missoula
although I absolutely agree with Wolf

Thursday May 31, 2012, 7:43 am
Pam you are quite right too, but the phrase "Shut down all zoos preserve Increase the Wild instead" I have understood as a Utopia.
I understand the educational aim (this is actually not much) of the zoo, families bring their children but what is the cost for the animals?
If they were born in captivity this is educational, but if they were taken, I'll leave you the answer.
Instead, for the preservations of species at high risk of estinsione you're right, if the zoo is just credited.
For other statements back in Utopia nations will always be very little, just an alibi, to save animals or the environment at the expense of business and their growth

Thursday May 31, 2012, 7:56 am
Noted- the ideal situation would be wildlife sanctuaries,,, but some zoos are better than others, most of them being roadside attractions.

Animals born in captivity rarely make it back into the wild, and sadly are sold to many hunting safari groups right here in the United States for canned hunts- most notably, Texas and Arizona.

Thursday May 31, 2012, 8:53 am
Curzio...it's almost unheard of for animals to be taken from the wild! Endangered animals are monitored by committees of dedicated experts who arrange for captive born animals to be exchanged among zoos to enrich the genetic diversity. These groups work internationally to increase species. The only exception to this that I'm aware of is the move of the last few Sumatran rhinos out of poaching areas and into protected ones. Which would you prefer---watching them go extinct at the hands of poachers? Or having a chance at remaining a viable species due to captive breeding programs.

Wildlife "sanctuaries" sound lovely ON PAPER...but realize that (a) sanctuaries do not BREED animals...most of those animals who are taken there are sterilized and never monitored by inspection agencies. "Sanctuaries" are less "safe" for animals than an accredited zoo because accredited zoos are inspected and held to standards of care.

Nyack, aying that "most of them being roadside attractions" is an outrageous statement. How many accredited zoos do you associate with? Unless you've made visits around the country, you're merely being slanderous.

"Animals born in captivity rarely make it back into the wild" is another outrageous statement. I can name at least ten formerly endangered species which have been reintroduced to their areas of origin in carefully monitored management plans and there are many more. Anti-zoo people (such as yourself) never like to mention the successful reintroduction of Arabian Oryx, California condor, Peninsular pronghorn, Mountain bongo, Calif. red-legged frog, etc. Of course not.

"Sadly sold to many hunting safari groups...." is also irresponsible. Accredited zoos do NOT do this.

Just because you don't agree with zoos doesn't make it acceptable to paint accredited organizations with inaccurate statements.

Once again, Nyack, I suggest you actually get involved with an accredited zoo, rather than take misleading pot-shots of half-truths and emotional, unproven statements.

Thursday May 31, 2012, 10:12 am
dear Pam
please do not angry, we're all on the side of animals and we do what we can to protect them.
About Sumatra's rhino certainly don't like to see him killed by poachers, you have full reason, but this is an aspect of the animal's capture I had not considered

This is a question so complex that it is difficult to describe in a few lines and very often what we write is not what we understand by reading the posts.

How about JUST ME, you're right when you write "misleading than take pot-shots of Half-Truths and emotional" post a comment I often take my hand .... i'm Italian and my temperament is Latin
I hope you manage to figure out what I wrote (my english is very poor)

Thursday May 31, 2012, 12:38 pm
NOTED, THANK YOU cHER

Thursday May 31, 2012, 1:09 pm
Thanks Cher.

Thursday May 31, 2012, 2:29 pm
ty

Thursday May 31, 2012, 2:48 pm
Noted, thanks

Thursday May 31, 2012, 3:30 pm
How adorable.

Thursday May 31, 2012, 3:52 pm
How precious! Thnx Cher!

Thursday May 31, 2012, 4:30 pm
what a little cutie!

Thursday May 31, 2012, 5:56 pm
awww so cute

Friday June 1, 2012, 4:36 am
thanks for sharing

Friday June 1, 2012, 5:49 am
Although I don't like seeing wild animals in captivity, maybe zoos are an opportunity to avoid some species to get extinct...

Friday June 1, 2012, 5:49 am
He really is adorable....

Friday June 1, 2012, 10:01 am
Noted, thanks.

Friday June 1, 2012, 10:36 am
noted

Friday June 1, 2012, 2:14 pm
adorable!!!!!!thnx