Ann Littlewood
Well-Known Member
Catching up with several points...
The original question is muddled by the dismal state of the wild habitat for so many species. Elephants are a great example, especially Asian elephants. The wild habitat is becoming degraded and fragmented and the animals are shot for the income or because they raid crops. Their future in the wild is cause for deep depression, at least for me! That's not to say captive environments are safe and adequate--many are not. But Eden is long gone, sad to say.
That's a good point about pinioned birds and their frustration. Enclosed aviaries are a lot more expensive to build, but also more appealing with birds able to be active in three dimensions.
My impression is that mainstream US zoos aim to have captive bred animals only, which would be simple common sense given the complexities of capture, import, and acclimatizing. But in Asia the situation is apparently very different. Anyone knowledgeable about those zoos?
The original question is muddled by the dismal state of the wild habitat for so many species. Elephants are a great example, especially Asian elephants. The wild habitat is becoming degraded and fragmented and the animals are shot for the income or because they raid crops. Their future in the wild is cause for deep depression, at least for me! That's not to say captive environments are safe and adequate--many are not. But Eden is long gone, sad to say.
That's a good point about pinioned birds and their frustration. Enclosed aviaries are a lot more expensive to build, but also more appealing with birds able to be active in three dimensions.
My impression is that mainstream US zoos aim to have captive bred animals only, which would be simple common sense given the complexities of capture, import, and acclimatizing. But in Asia the situation is apparently very different. Anyone knowledgeable about those zoos?