Ok, so lets just assume the aardwolves are being 'rescued' from some rescue centre in Africa. I guess there was no suitable habitat in the rest of sub-saharan africa suitable for these wild-born aardwolves to be released, then. Well it's good of the RSCC to build them a stimulating, spacious reserve back in England, and do the job nobody else would do in keeping this species. I can imagine no reserves would want them in Africa, after all they must be considered a pest, eating all those insects as they do.
I don't really rate the wolf man and the North Devon zoo he operates out of. But you have a fair point. Only the fact that your dogs are bigger doesn't make smaller animals safer than them! Also, Pumas, especially Pumas with no fear of people, are known to kill humans from time to time in the Americas. Wolves are not.
Isn't it silly of me to forget clouded leopards are nocturnal! Well, I'm sure it is more about the animals than I realise at the RSCC. I was actually referring to the problems of rotating clouded leopards with a larger cat species in terms of the stress (according to studies) that clouded leopards experience being in close proximity to other, larger carnivore species. Sharing your space, and having olfactory evidence of a larger cat occupying your space, would therefore be potentially very stressful for a clouded leopard of nervous disposition. CLouded leopard mate-killing is not down to 'long teeth' (!), but to stress, lack of escape routes for the female, and a number of other reasons. Howletts has cracked this problem with years of careful introductions, lots of privacy, and a group of calm, approachable leopards who are often deliberately keeper-bonded to take the stress out of entering the enclosures. You can often see cloudies at Howletts because, although Nocturnal, they are relaxed and confident enough to use their secluded enclosures by day.
I feel the criticisms about authenticity are not on the whole meant to suggest that the RSCC need to try and be more authentic, only that they have wasted money trying and it just looks unpleasant and barren. Like I said, many animals like to chew, climb in, nest in, damage, climb up, and hide in bushes or trees. Ornamental tropical hardy shrubs do not lend themselves to this at all. A cage full of plank walkways, native tree cuttings and log piles is far more stimulating to a carnovire species than a cage with some bamboo and a palm tree.
Howletts I would hope have cracked the problem, after all they have over 50 years experience more than Todd!
I'm not saying that the Aardwolves couldn't have been re-homed in country of origin - but they obviously didn't want to do that else they wouldn't have been OFFERED to him would they? I'm pretty sure Todd didn't have some bizarre dream and woke up thinking, I'm going to Africa to see if there are any Aardwolves going spare!!!
Just out of interest, have you actually been and spoken to todd at all? Maybe it would be 'polite' if you tried to talk to him and find out first hand why he's done what he has rather than just rip him to shreds on a forum?
Anyway ... love to stick around and 'chat', however I'm at work and I've not done a thing yet!!!
He doesn't really want to expand it, not sure why. And I can't comment on the visitor numbers but there's no way the building work, imports etc could have been done by a 3, maybe 4 year old charity. The guy didn't give his bank details
They have a charity number! It's a charity FFS, that's why they ask if you would fill in the tax thing so they can claim that back or something - I'm not sure how it works but I know charities benefit from it! Maybe he CAN'T afford to expand - have you thought of that??
They have a charity number! It's a charity FFS, that's why they ask if you would fill in the tax thing so they can claim that back or something - I'm not sure how it works but I know charities benefit from it! Maybe he CAN'T afford to expand - have you thought of that??
I know it's a bloody charity! I'm saying that he wouldn't have made enough money in three/four years to do what he's done. Let's face it, it's a tiny zoo in the back of beyond with Howletts as a near by competitor. He might have, but I'm saying he's probably paying for a lot of it himself as he stated it costs over £100,000 yearly to feed the animals alone. Do you think they get that many visitors?
