Bauru zoo

Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Bauru zoo will now pursue the course of becoming a biopark (as Rio zoo currently is) according to this latest news article (in Portuguese) :

Zoo caminha para virar bioparque
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Gotta say something; I like the name "biopark", but I think it somehow gives the idea that these institutions are evolutions of zoos, as if zoos are bad, and bioparks are great. There are good zoos and good bioparks. It's not the name that actually changes stuff... San Diego zoo is not called a biopark, and is a world refference in many aspects, as we all know...
I mean, if the new bioparks in the country actually develop their conservation, educational and research functions satisfactorily, it's already fine, but I don't think it's fear to sanctify these places at the expense of zoos...

Anyway, now actually talking about Bauru zoo, it seems like an ok institution for what I know... Of course, has missing points, such as the big cats enclosures... Would like to visit it at some point of this year.
 
David Matos Mendes said:
Gotta say something; I like the name "biopark", but I think it somehow gives the idea that these institutions are evolutions of zoos, as if zoos are bad, and bioparks are great. There are good zoos and good bioparks. It's not the name that actually changes stuff... San Diego zoo is not called a biopark, and is a world refference in many aspects, as we all know...
I mean, if the new bioparks in the country actually develop their conservation, educational and research functions satisfactorily, it's already fine, but I don't think it's fear to sanctify these places at the expense of zoos...

Anyway, now actually talking about Bauru zoo, it seems like an ok institution for what I know... Of course, has missing points, such as the big cats enclosures... Would like to visit it at some point of this year.
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Yeah, I agree with you that it seems that they are trying to distance themselves from the zoo label and name which is unfortunate.

Exactly, the name change doesn't really change the fact that they are still a zoo, it is just a clever rebranding.

Bauru zoo is a decent zoo and has a lot of very good conservation programmes, there are some issues with some of the enclosures but they are by no means terrible.

Definitely plan to go there myself this year too.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Yeah, I agree with you that it seems that they are trying to distance themselves from the zoo label and name which is unfortunate.

Exactly, the name change doesn't really change the fact that they are still a zoo, it is just a clever rebranding.

Bauru zoo is a decent zoo and has a lot of very good conservation programmes, there are some issues with some of the enclosures but they are by no means terrible.

Definitely plan to go there myself this year too.
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Yeah, this biopark nomenclature makes them look better than zoos for the society... But the truth appears when they exchange animals with zoos. Would they really send and receive animals from the terrible wildlife prisons?:rolleyes: IMO, they shouldn't be changing names, but just showing how good their new structures and methods are; but once they already changed, I think it would be more fear to not associate the name with developing a work of quality or not. Simply say: "We are going to build structures and develop a good work based on the best methods of animal keeping institutions in the world". No need to say "That old idea of zoo has went out. We're now a good and kind biopark! We let animals free! Zoos arrested them on tiny lil cages".

About Bauru zoo, São Paulo state has quite a good amount of decent zoos indeed. Bauru, Sorocaba, Americana, Guarulhos, Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Taubaté... Of course, some are better than others, but most of them have quite acceptable structures and good contribution to either conservation or rescues of wildlife. Yes, most of them still need renovations, but they keep themselves being useful to the society... I plan to visit as many of these I can in the following years, to meet their work personally.
 
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David Matos Mendes said:
Yeah, this biopark nomenclature makes them look better than zoos for the society... But the truth appears when they exchange animals with zoos. Would they really send and receive animals from the terrible wildlife prisons?:rolleyes: IMO, they shouldn't be changing names, but just showing how good their new structures and methods are; but once they already changed, I think it would be more fear to not associate the name with developing a work of quality or not. Simply say: "We are going to build structures and develop a good work based on the best methods of animal keeping institutions in the world". No need to say "That old idea of zoo has went out. We're now a good and kind biopark! We let animals free! Zoos arrested them on tiny lil cages".

About Bauru zoo, São Paulo state has quite a good amount of decent zoos indeed. Bauru, Sorocaba, Americana, Guarulhos, Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Taubaté... Of course, some are better than others, but most of them have quite acceptable structures and good contribution to either conservation or rescues of wildlife. We can't forget most of them need a refurbish, but they keep themselves being useful to the society... I plan to visit as many of these I can in the following years, to meet their work personally.
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Yes, I agree , I mean this happened in Europe and the USA because of the old negative association that the word "zoo" was associated with (or percieved to have for the public).

Zoos in those regions during the 1990's and early 2000's began to steadily rebrand themselves as "wildlife parks / wildlife preservation park" or "conservation centers" etc. but many of these like the famous Jersey zoo eventually did change back to using the name of "zoo" (great move IMO).

Personally I don't really care for this rebranding of names or think it is effective as some scrabbling around with semantics ultimately doesn't change the fact that these institutions still remain zoos in everything but name, right ?

What is far more important than any name change / rebranding IMO is actual concrete changes and reforms that are actualized in the way that animals are exhibited / cared for and in the level of focus towards ex-situ and in-situ conservation.

So essentially for me it is less about the spectacle of change / reform and more about the substance of change and that these reforms are effectively realized in a real world sense.
 
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David Matos Mendes said:
About Bauru zoo, São Paulo state has quite a good amount of decent zoos indeed. Bauru, Sorocaba, Americana, Guarulhos, Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Taubaté... Of course, some are better than others, but most of them have quite acceptable structures and good contribution to either conservation or rescues of wildlife. Yes, most of them still need renovations, but they keep themselves being useful to the society... I plan to visit as many of these I can in the following years, to meet their work personally.
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That said, Bauru zoo really doesn't strike me as a zoo which is in an urgent need of a rennovation / revamp as it is not in such a bad condition and is actually a pretty good little zoo but perhaps this has come as a result of the pandemic or political pressure.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
That said, Bauru zoo really doesn't strike me as a zoo which is in an urgent need of a rennovation / revamp as it is not in such a bad condition and is actually a pretty good little zoo but perhaps this has come as a result of the pandemic or political pressure.
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Yes, Bauru has passed through some renovations, so the structures are not precarious nor anything alike, as far as I know; but they still need to improve the sizes of many of their exhibits IMO...
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Yes, I agree , I mean this happened in Europe and the USA because of the old negative association that the word "zoo" was associated with (or percieved to have for the public).

Zoos in those regions during the 1990's and early 2000's began to steadily rebrand themselves as "wildlife parks / wildlife preservation park" or "conservation centers" etc. but many of these like the famous Jersey zoo eventually did change back to using the name of "zoo" (great move IMO).

Personally I don't really care for this rebranding of names or think it is effective as some scrabbling around with semantics ultimately doesn't change the fact that these institutions still remain zoos in everything but name, right ?

What is far more important than any name change / rebranding IMO is actual concrete changes and reforms that are actualized in the way that animals are exhibited / cared for and in the level of focus towards ex-situ and in-situ conservation.

So essentially for me it is less about the spectacle of change / reform and more about the substance of change and that these reforms are effectively realized in a real world sense.
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Didn't know this "movement" also happened in europe... Great that they are not too worried about it nowadays...
Totally agree that what matters is the concrete actions, not the name. If these bioparks actually work in this point, it will be already ok...
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Yes definitely but what I mean is that this isn't a zoo that has conditions that are beyond awful like zoos in China or Korea or one of the USA roadside zoos.
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Oh yes, sure. The conditions there are pretty acceptable for now, for what I know. It surelly isn't the most renovation needy institution in the world, nor in the country, nor in SP state...
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Thanks for the interesting discoursen.

Any info on new animals, births and exhibit plans for "Bioparque"?
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So no new animals as far as the article implies (a mysterious unnamed species of primate may arrive there in the near future though ;)), I don't know about births either but in terms of exhibit plans, yes, there are.

Basically the concept of the "Bioparque" is apparently of a zoo that moves drastically away from the display of animals in the old style of concrete and bars and so the exhibits will reflect this and will have natural barriers.

So far this remodellation of enclosures has happened with the following species: lowland tapir, maned wolf, giant anteaters, waterfowl , flamingos and some large and small felids.

It is still yet to occur apparently with primates (and for obvious reasons wont with their callitrichids) though but it is on the cards for the future.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
So no new animals as far as the article implies (a mysterious unnamed species of primate may arrive there in the near future though ;)), I don't know about births either but in terms of exhibit plans, yes, there are.

Basically the concept of the "Bioparque" is apparently of a zoo that moves drastically away from the display of animals in the old style of concrete and bars and so the exhibits will reflect this and will have natural barriers.

So far this remodellation of enclosures has happened with the following species: lowland tapir, maned wolf, giant anteaters, waterfowl , flamingos and some large and small felids.

It is still yet to occur apparently with primates (and for obvious reasons wont with their callitrichids) though but it is on the cards for the future.
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I might know what species of primate they are about to receive :).
If I'm right, it will be great to have them in one more zoo!

Bauru has remodeled the big cat exhibits, but, as they are still quite small, I thought they would refurbish them again in this renovation... Now, looking at the R$5 million budget, I imagine they are gonna focus on what is really needed (although, as we said, the institution has no atrocities at all).
 
David Matos Mendes said:
I might know what species of primate they are about to receive :).
If I'm right, it will be great to have them in one more zoo!

Bauru has remodeled the big cat exhibits, but, as they are still quite small, I thought they would refurbish them again in this renovation... Now, looking at the R$5 million budget, I imagine they are gonna focus on what is really needed (although, as we said, the institution has no atrocities at all).
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Well I'm not going to give anything away but lets just say you could be right ;)
 
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