Originally not--but walruses are infamous for swallowing anything tossed in with them, and at some point Pt. Defiance added the mesh to protect their animals from idiots.
The New York Aquarium recently did the same at their formerly open-topped and fronted walrus exhibit.
Very interesting and very saddening to read. I am admittedly ambivalent as to the purpose of keeping wild animals in captivity, anyway. Why do we humans do it, what is the benefit of it all? I honestly have no idea from a moral point of view.
I know about the "conservation" argument, of course, and I have tried to make an issue out of that in some other thread here in The gallery, but I got zero response.
Horror stories like this one, however, makes me even more pessimistic. So, in the US zoos, great big and wonderful walruses must be protected with nets to prevent idiot human beings harming them?
What? You got plenty of replies to your constant, rather priggish moralizing. If you don't want to take them into account, then don't be surprised if people stop repeating them for you...
Yes, this exhibit has underwater viewing, with underwater viewing for seperate harbor seal, sea otter, and puffin exhibits. I have posted many photos together of this exhibit in the Point Defiance Zoo gallery if you would like to see more!
Originally not--but walruses are infamous for swallowing anything tossed in with them, and at some point Pt. Defiance added the mesh to protect their animals from idiots.
The New York Aquarium recently did the same at their formerly open-topped and fronted walrus exhibit.
Oh, how unfortunate. At least I know I'm not crazy, I remember the walrus exhibit here to be very good and not have netting over it. I think the keeper was in with the walrus and talking with visitors when I was there.
