Paignton Zoo In poor taste?

Are these the people that do the chilli worm crisps-mmmm, crunchy! I've had alligator, kangaroo, ostrich, emu, donkey, horse, shark, catfish, swordfish and camel over the years-I shall definately add some of these to the list!

Silly to get your knickers in a twist over something so normal.

I always remember the 1980s cinema advert for a local farm which showed all the cuts of meat being wrapped by a cheery butcher while the voiceover said "The children are welcome to come and see the animals".

Cue the cinema audience exploding in laughter as everyone imagined hundreds of traumatised blood-stained moppets in a "Silence of the Lambs" style scenario-probably not quite what the advertiser had in mind.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Hehe, might be a long delivery time all the way from Paignton ;p.

I think I'll have the Buffalo Rump Steak with chips, but can I have it without salad :D (the typical me at a meal, a slab of medium rare steak and some chips. My girlfriend reckons I'll only eat something if it lived on land and drew breath)
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I've never heard of a slaughterhouse for potatoes... think you'll have to try harder if you want to be a pure carnivore *G*
 
I eat an almost vegan diet. Vegetarianism supports the beef industry by producing calves to keep cows producing milk, and supports the chicken industry by supplying it with adult hens retired from laying eggs after 1-2 years.

I would actually rather eat an antelope steak if I knew the animal had been shot. I would rather eat woodpigeon than chicken for this reason. I think this is by far the most humane way for meat to be produced. I think there is a huge difference between farming a kudu and a domestic cow. I would bet money that an antelope would find it far more distressing being taken to a slaughterhouse than a cow.
 
How easy it is to inadvertently stir up meat-eaters.
The reason for my original post was that I was struck by the juxtaposition of the two establishments. A major zoo, where you can admire, for example, zebra and the zoo's efforts to conserve them and, 5 minutes away, Occombe Farm, where you can drool over the carcasses of their cousins. Perhaps the irony is only apparent to vegetarian zoo fans.
Sunny Paignton: where you can not only see exotic species, but can taste them too.
I didn't for one moment think that zoo animals were involved.
Incidentally, Occombe Farm prides itself on its green credentials and, normally, locally sourced produce, so this new venture is a bit out of step for them.
 
This is usual practice in National Parks in Africa. The park lodges all have shops selling game meat for the visitors to barbeque during there stay.
The luxury lodges that dont have shops happily serve up kudu steak or wilderbeeste stew as part of the safari experience.
I agree with earlier comments that eating animals culled from living in the bush is preferable to supporting environmentally dubious fast food chains.
 
Gary said:
Are these the people that do the chilli worm crisps-mmmm, crunchy! I've had alligator, kangaroo, ostrich, emu, donkey, horse, shark, catfish, swordfish and camel over the years...
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I've happily eaten some of the meats on yours, and the butchers, lists (ostrich, roo, spingbok, kudu, eland etc) but I draw the line at things like shark, sea turtle, whale. For me the ethical issue is not eating meat per se, or the welfare side of things (welfare is important- but welfare requirements IMO can be met by proper farming methods(of couse, debateable- but let's not go there)). For me the main issue is one of sustainability and that for me is why shark is off the 'must-try' list.

I have no issues with veggies (as unfortunately some other meat-eaters appear to) but the argument here is never, 'is it right to eat buffalo?', it's just 'is it right to eat any animal?'. That argument's been done in the 'zoo cafe' bit, so let's not do it again.
 
I don't think the argument is as simple as that. I think the original poster had a good point, that there is a strange crossing of realities in one English seaside town where you can watch living, captive, managed species being conserved, while down the road you can purchase parts of many of the same animals, seemingly also as bi-products from conservation management.

If we're going to talk about sustainability (I mean it in the people-focused sense, not the eugenicist 'people are a cancer on the earth' sense), then choosing sources of protein that are more sustainable in terms of land use/degradation, tends to lend itself to non-animal sources of protein.
 
I can sort of understand the irony, but the fact is that it is not on the zoo's land and is not anything to do with the zoo. I think it would be in bad taste if it was a part of the zoo, with the butchers next door to the gift shop ;p.

I have no problem with veggies as I've stated, so long as they don't push it on others (I'm not stating that anybody here is).
 
Im glad this thread has been made. Some interesting points have been raised, and I may have the oportunity to try some of these meats! :D
 
johnstoni said:
I don't think the argument is as simple as that. I think the original poster had a good point, that there is a strange crossing of realities in one English seaside town where you can watch living, captive, managed species being conserved, while down the road you can purchase parts of many of the same animals, seemingly also as bi-products from conservation management.

If we're going to talk about sustainability (I mean it in the people-focused sense, not the eugenicist 'people are a cancer on the earth' sense), then choosing sources of protein that are more sustainable in terms of land use/degradation, tends to lend itself to non-animal sources of protein.
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Good points (and particularly your earlier point I had missed re: farming wild animals). I can see why it is strange for some people to have the option to eat the very same species that perhaps just the same day they were appreciating as a living, breathing, beautiful animal. but for me it is not really.


In terms of sustainability I don't doubt your right. What I meant, and I'm sure you know, is that if people are eating meat, (as at least some of the population are always going to want to do) let's not eat the ones that can't deal with human harvesting etc (like sharks and so on).
 
^Chris^ said:
What I meant, and I'm sure you know, is that if people are eating meat, (as at least some of the population are always going to want to do).
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Not so much a case of want, but it is part of a healthy balanced diet. Lets face it, the human race is naturally omnivorous.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Not so much a case of want, but it is part of a healthy balanced diet. Lets face it, the human race is naturally omnivorous.
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Not an essential one. There are healthy vegetarians. I wish to eat meat but this not the best argument to justify it.
 
^Chris^ said:
Not an essential one. There are healthy vegetarians. I wish to eat meat but this not the best argument to justify it.
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Of course. With me, I don't like the tastes of anything and the bulk of my diet is meat because that is one of the few things I like the taste of. I just thing eating meat is natural, just as natural as a lion or a tiger eating meat. Even chimps eat their fare share of baboons :D
 
Javan Rhino said:
I have no problem with veggies as I've stated, so long as they don't push it on others (I'm not stating that anybody here is).
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Very generous of you. I have no problem with meat-eaters, despite most of the posters on this thread pushing their carnivorous views. Live and let live, I say.
 
Gigit said:
Very generous of you. I have no problem with meat-eaters, despite most of the posters on this thread pushing their carnivorous views. Live and let live, I say.
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Exactly. (I hope you don't think I'm pushing, I'm just saying it is a natural thing for people to do so. Of course, we are evolved to know that we can make our own choices).
 
johnstoni said:
I eat an almost vegan diet. Vegetarianism supports the beef industry by producing calves to keep cows producing milk, and supports the chicken industry by supplying it with adult hens retired from laying eggs after 1-2 years.

I would actually rather eat an antelope steak if I knew the animal had been shot. I would rather eat woodpigeon than chicken for this reason. I think this is by far the most humane way for meat to be produced. I think there is a huge difference between farming a kudu and a domestic cow. I would bet money that an antelope would find it far more distressing being taken to a slaughterhouse than a cow.
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I couldn't agree more. To me Vegetarianism seems to be a halfway house situation. Animals produced for their products such as milk, butter, eggs etc inevitably end up in the meat industry. Therefore vegetartians are still supporting the meat industry. I respect Vegans despite the fact that I am a meat eater but I feel vegetarians who criticise meat eaters are hipocrites. Sorry if that offends anyone but that is my view.
 
Gigit said:
How easy it is to inadvertently stir up meat-eaters.
/QUOTE]

Hey Gigit - don't take our responses too seriously. I doubt that any of us carnivores are stirred up. We're just having a bit of fun!

Maybe human carnivores are more fun-loving than our vegetarian/vegan rellies?
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Javan Rhino said:
you think eating meat is wrong (which it isn't). I respect your decision entirely, but eating meat is only natural and it is healthy
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Different people have different thoughts on that matter. I think the majority already know my rather controversial view. When you are a vegetarian and kids think it's funny to lob meat at you, your views become a lot stronger. I was also quite shocked by this video:

Harry
 
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