Zoos that their animals off their property

torie

torie

Well-Known Member
I recently came accross this on the Australia Zoo site.
Australia Zoo - Our Animals - Animal Diaries - Cheetah Week - a great success!
its basically a fundrasing event that they had where they took two of their adult cheetahs to a movie theater before the showing of a movie to rise money. it got me wondering is the practice of taking large exotic animals out of zoos into the public a common practice? I know Taronga has a zoomobile set up but thats only native animals such as lizards and pythons and the largest animal taken is usually a bandicot or something similar.

how many zoos around the world have a similar set up?
 
Wellington used to take a cheetah out for events ... until it attacked someone!

Rather predictably, the Lion Man takes his big cats out to shows, parties, what have you
 
torie said:
how many zoos around the world have a similar set up?
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It is actually quite common that zoo's take out animals, infact the majority of the mid sized zoo's in the us have one and there collections far trump taronga's zoo mobile, binturongs, andean condors, servals and the list goes on.
 
zooworker said:
It is actually quite common that zoo's take out animals, infact the majority of the mid sized zoo's in the us have one and there collections far trump taronga's zoo mobile, binturongs, andean condors, servals and the list goes on.
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how regular are attacks by these aimals on members of the public?
 
Some zoos have special animals reserved for education that they take out on a daily basis to schools/special events. Bowmanville Zoo here used to take out their jaguar, though no one was allowed to touch it, it basically stayed in a small pen where you could look at it. Otherwise, for zoos in Ontario, I've seen/heard them using lynx, cougars, "wolves" (not sure if they were hybrids or not), a black bear, reindeer, an aardvark, a lion cub, coatimundis, almost any parrot/raptor and reptile imaginable, it's actually quite impressive what they've managed to bring out.
 
torie said:
I know Taronga has a zoomobile set up but thats only native animals such as lizards and pythons
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We have a reptile zoo in Vaughn that's converted a trailer into a travelling zoo compete with sound system and stage! Likewise they have lizards and pythons, but also some caimens (complete with pool), rattlesnakes, cobras, and some really huge monitors.
 
The los angeles zoo also has a zoo mobile, but as torie said, most of them are just lizards and snakes. I think they also have some guinea pigs, an armadillo, a hedgehog, and some bunnies.
 
The San Diego Zoo has many different animal ambassador's that they take off grounds regularly for special events and presentations.
 
In britain there are strict rules and paperwork about moving dangerous animals. I believe they even managed to stop dartmoor wildlife park doing it by the end, and they used to love dragging poor tiger cubs down to the local shopping centre to raise money.
 
zelda said:
I believe they even managed to stop dartmoor wildlife park doing it by the end, and they used to love dragging poor tiger cubs down to the local shopping centre to raise money.
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Does anyone know the condition and/or status of the animals used in education? A lot of the ones I know are rehabilitation cases that can't be released for one reason or another...but by the sounds of the above it sounds like they were being bred specifically for public use/to make a profit...? Not to demean Dartmoor Wildlife Park in any way, I know nothing about them...just extrapolating off the post :confused:
 
Leptonyx said:
Does anyone know the condition and/or status of the animals used in education? A lot of the ones I know are rehabilitation cases that can't be released for one reason or another...but by the sounds of the above it sounds like they were being bred specifically for public use/to make a profit...? Not to demean Dartmoor Wildlife Park in any way, I know nothing about them...just extrapolating off the post :confused:
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In the UK a zoo is defined as a collection of animals that admits the public for more than 7 days per year - and such a zoo requires a licence which is issued after an annual inspection. Private collections, animal shelters and educational establishments are not zoos, even if they have occasional open days for the public. They only require a licence if they keep species scheduled by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (big cats, venomous snakes etc).

I work at a college that teaches Animal Care. The condition of the animals is monitored very carefully by our students and they would be the first to complain if they thought things were going wrong. In addition we get regular visits from teachers from other institutions, working for the examination board, to check the standards of our provision.

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
In the UK a zoo is defined as a collection of animals that admits the public for more than 7 days per year - and such a zoo requires a licence which is issued after an annual inspection. Private collections, animal shelters and educational establishments are not zoos, even if they have occasional open days for the public. They only require a licence if they keep species scheduled by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (big cats, venomous snakes etc).
Alan
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That makes for interesting reading Alan. Heythorp opens for 1 day a year. I wonder if thats to fitt into this law? Are there other collections that open for 7 or less days in the uk?
 
zooman said:
That makes for interesting reading Alan. Heythorp opens for 1 day a year. I wonder if thats to fitt into this law? Are there other collections that open for 7 or less days in the uk?
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i believe Heythrop is a private collection which just happens to open its gates 1 day a year, rather than being an official zoo (might be wrong on this though)
 
gentle lemur said:
In the UK a zoo is defined as a collection of animals that admits the public for more than 7 days per year - and such a zoo requires a licence which is issued after an annual inspection. Private collections, animal shelters and educational establishments are not zoos, even if they have occasional open days for the public. They only require a licence if they keep species scheduled by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (big cats, venomous snakes etc).
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Thanks Alan for the clarification! I know in Ontario you can wiggle around having people visit your facility if you fullfill a certain number of hours educating the public offsite (at least- that's how we've managed to do with our zoo permit :P) I looked up this Dangerous Wild Animals Act and I see it covers most carnivores/venomous reptiles/scorpions and some primates..but what of large hoofstock/ungulates? Or is there another law governing those?

It's really interesting getting different perspectives from different places though and seeing how the zoo laws/regulations differ...thanks again!
 
Leptonyx said:
I looked up this Dangerous Wild Animals Act and I see it covers most carnivores/venomous reptiles/scorpions and some primates..but what of large hoofstock/ungulates? Or is there another law governing those?
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The DWA Schedule is here. Virtually all ungulates, except most deer and the domesticated species, are included.

Alan
 
zooman said:
That makes for interesting reading Alan. Heythorp opens for 1 day a year. I wonder if thats to fitt into this law? Are there other collections that open for 7 or less days in the uk?
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Yes Heythrop Zoological Gardens is covered by that law due to the fact that its only open to the public less than 7 days a year,but it still very much a private zoo inspite of its name.As for other collections that open using that law there is a surprising number for example the Exotic Pet Refuge of which i have posted some pictures on here in the U.K photo gallerys.
 
gentle lemur said:
The DWA Schedule is here. Virtually all ungulates, except most deer and the domesticated species, are included.
Alan
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Interesting that most deer are excluded. Handraised(or otherwise tame) males can be extremely pugnacious toward people during the rut, especially species such as Red, Sika and Axis/Chital, the latter have, in the past, killed several keepers in zoos. In poorly fenced enclosures they could be more of a liability during the rut, than many Antelope.

I once saw a Wapiti stag in an American zoo in full rut- despite completely sawn-off antlers it looked to be an extremely dangerous animal.
 
Pertinax said:
Interesting that most deer are excluded. Handraised(or otherwise tame) males can be extremely pugnacious toward people during the rut, especially species such as Red, Sika and Axis/Chital, the latter have, in the past, killed several keepers in zoos.
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I agree. I think it's mainly a matter of practical enforcement. If native deer were included, any animal shelter holding a fawn would need a DWA licence (and that would probably have to include sika, muntjac and chinese water deer as well as red, roe and fallow deer). I think wapiti could easily be classed as dangerous, but how do you distinguish between a small wapiti and a large red deer, particularly a hind or calf?

Alan
 
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