I can't tell how Zoochat feels about the AZA.

La Cucaracha

La Cucaracha

Well-Known Member
Moderator note: topic split from this thread: Zoo/Aquarium Hot Takes


I can't tell how Zoochat feels about the AZA.
If I criticize them, I'm a quack like Joe Exotic. If someone else is sore about their favorite random ungulate being taken out of collection, then by all means the AZA seems to be going to hell.

PS Your favorite ungulate was taken out of collection because you becry wild captures every chance you get.
 
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La Cucaracha said:
I can't tell how Zoochat feels about the AZA.
If I criticize them, I'm a quack like Joe Exotic. If someone else is sore about their favorite random ungulate being taken out of collection, then by all means the AZA seems to be going to hell.

PS Your favorite ungulate was taken out of collection because you becry wild captures every chance you get.
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You’re not alone. I feel the exact same way every time I criticize the AZA as well, and I too honestly feel like I get viewed as one of those pesky Joe Exotic/Doc Antle types when I do so. We also need more wild captures (in limited quotas of course) so we can create and maintain captive breeding programs, boost genetic diversity and save animals from their decaying natural environments when we can’t really do much about them in an effective enough manner (*cough cough* Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands)
 
Iguana_Cabana said:
You’re not alone. I feel the exact same way every time I criticize the AZA as well, and I too honestly feel like I get viewed as one of those pesky Joe Exotic/Doc Antle types when I do so. We also need more wild captures (in limited quotas of course) so we can create and maintain captive breeding programs, boost genetic diversity and save animals from their decaying natural environments when we can’t really do much about them in an effective enough (*cough cough* Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands)
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I'm also worried about endemic insular wildlife, but "born free, drown free" I suppose.
 
Also, are private keepers better at breeding birds and reptiles, or do AZA zoos just not have the interest?
I can't think of a single AZA zoo with two pairs of southern cassowary.
 
Iguana_Cabana said:
Sorry wdym? I have not heard that phrase before
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"Born free, die free" is a popular slogan by the Born Free Foundation, an animal rights group. Might have aged myself there, but I was just being facetious.
I do think ex situ breeding programs would be invaluable to insular wildlife, especially those that can be reintroduced to other islands or even used for proxy rewilding ie the Aldabra tortoises in Ile aux Aigrettes.
Unfortunately, things like the Fiji iguana are virtually impossible to get.
 
La Cucaracha said:
Also, are private keepers better at breeding birds and reptiles, or do AZA zoos just not have the interest?
I can't think of a single AZA zoo with two pairs of southern cassowary.
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AZA zoos have historically borrowed husbandry techniques from private keepers, especially for hero’s and birds. Today, private keepers continue to innovate husbandry, leagues ahead of the AZA facilities, often exhibiting stagnant care that fails to meet many of the species’ minimum requirements. As for your remark on southern cassowaries, those happen to be the most common rarities I see for sale other than the more well-known emus.
 
Iguana_Cabana said:
AZA zoos have historically borrowed husbandry techniques from private keepers, especially for hero’s and birds. Today, private keepers continue to innovate husbandry, leagues ahead of the AZA facilities, often exhibiting stagnant care that fails to meet many of the species’ minimum requirements. As for your remark on southern cassowaries, those happen to be the most common rarities I see for sale other than the more well-known emus.
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I personally don't see many ads for cassowary, I do know there's a private facility in Florida that supplies reputable collections.
 
La Cucaracha said:
"Born free, die free" is a popular slogan by the Born Free Foundation, an animal rights group. Might have aged myself there, but I was just being facetious.
I do think ex situ breeding programs would be invaluable to insular wildlife, especially those that can be reintroduced to other islands or even used for proxy rewilding ie the Aldabra tortoises in Ile aux Aigrettes.
Unfortunately, things like the Fiji iguana are virtually impossible to get.
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Oh I see. Agreed 100%. Though there are plenty of breeders worldwide working with Fijian iguanas and sending their stock to zoos (Jürgen Schmidt of Cyclura.eu is one such breeder).
 
La Cucaracha said:
I personally don't see many ads for cassowary, I do know there's a private facility in Florida that supplies reputable collections.
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Idk if I remember right but I could have sworn I saw plenty of ads from different sellers for sale like 3 or so years ago but that could just be me lol
 
Iguana_Cabana said:
Oh I see. Agreed 100%. Though there are plenty of breeders worldwide working with Fijian iguanas and sending their stock to zoos (Jürgen Schmidt of Cyclura.eu is one such breeder).
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The United States not so much, sadly. We can't even import those captive bred ones. Pretty wild when you think about the Galapagos iguanas that were definitely poached under falsified paperwork a couple years ago.
 
I don’t think it is impossible to import those iguanas to the USA (impossible currently due to shutdown), but it would just need the right facility with the right paperwork. I have still heard alleged reports of private trade/private zoo people importing CITES I species these days (though no Brachylophus)
 
Iguana_Cabana said:
I don’t think it is impossible to import those iguanas to the USA (impossible currently due to shutdown), but it would just need the right facility with the right paperwork.
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It would be nice if private keepers had them. The AZA doesn't even want experienced herpetoculturists taking their surplus animals. They'd rather freeze Komodo dragon eggs than let Tom Crutchfield keep them.
 
La Cucaracha said:
It would be nice if private keepers had them. The AZA doesn't even want experienced herpetoculturists taking their surplus animals. They'd rather freeze Komodo dragon eggs than let Tom Crutchfield keep them.
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Agreed. I heard on another forum that a few keepers at Zoo Miami (back when it was still called the MetroZoo) had acquired Komodo dragon hatchlings from their surplus. Pretty neat huh? Also I know the AZA would much rather rule the Kihansi spray toad and Panamanian golden frog populations with an iron fist than give some to private keepers who are good with breeding rare arboreal mountain stream-dwelling frogs like Nick Stacey of Fragile Planet Wildlife Park (this facility is not on ZooChat yet). The freezings of the eggs is new to me. How irresponsible to do that to highly valuable offspring of an endangered species!
 
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