Central Coast Zoo Central Coast Zoo

Babirusa said:
Appalling that this 'zoo' is letting the public take part in encounters with young Meerkats how inappropriate.
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Not really. The encounter is only offered as an experience due to these pups being hand-raised. It doesn’t interfere with their bond with their natal group as they were removed from their mob at one week of age (due to their mother producing insufficient milk).

Reintroducing the pups to their mob is not an option long term, so the future of these pups is likely living together as either a non-breeding pair; and if the same sex, potentially joined by mother raised meerkats of the opposite sex. The pups are being peer-raised (i.e. they have each other for socialisation); so worst case scenario, these pups will end up more sociable around humans than their mother raised counterparts (all the while, assisting the zoo with operational costs).
 
Actually it is very inappropriate, hand rearing the pups is not an issue if they were rejected but allowing people to feed and handle young animals like that is creating an inappropriate assumption that these animals should be handled and can be treated like 'pets'.

I suggest you do a bit of research if you think it's appropriate
 
Zoofan15 said:
Not really. The encounter is only offered as an experience due to these pups being hand-raised. It doesn’t interfere with their bond with their natal group as they were removed from their mob at one week of age (due to their mother producing insufficient milk).

Reintroducing the pups to their mob is not an option long term, so the future of these pups is likely living together as either a non-breeding pair; and if the same sex, potentially joined by mother raised meerkats of the opposite sex. The pups are being peer-raised (i.e. they have each other for socialisation); so worst case scenario, these pups will end up more sociable around humans than their mother raised counterparts (all the while, assisting the zoo with operational costs).
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Would you have the same energy if they were lion or tiger cubs like we've seen previously in US roadside zoos? I think not.
 
TNT said:
Would you have the same energy if they were lion or tiger cubs like we've seen previously in US roadside zoos? I think not.
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Darling Downs Zoo (a well respected Australian zoo) offered an encounter last year where people could pay to enter the enclosure of hand-raised African lion cub (Caesar) and spend time with him. 100% of the money raised went directly to the care of the animals and it was clear from public comments how participants came away with a renewed respect for the species. The welfare of the cub was the upmost concern of the zoo and there’s no indication the cub found the encounters anything but enriching.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Darling Downs Zoo (a well respected Australian zoo) offered an encounter last year where people could pay to enter the enclosure of hand-raised African lion cub (Caesar) and spend time with him. 100% of the money raised went directly to the care of the animals and it was clear from public comments how participants came away with a renewed respect for the species. The welfare of the cub was the upmost concern of the zoo and there’s no indication the cub found the encounters anything but enriching.
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And that's where it seems general UK and Aus opinions differ. There are several studies highlighting the benefits of having a hands off or more protective contact animal experiences (happy to find and share these later when I have time). Several UK zoos (Some respected , some not) have tried similar with a range of species and faced fair backlash from the zoo industry.

My opinion of this has become far stricter over the years. But what I like to say about these experiences is.. just because you can, it doesn't mean you should.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Not really. The encounter is only offered as an experience due to these pups being hand-raised. It doesn’t interfere with their bond with their natal group as they were removed from their mob at one week of age (due to their mother producing insufficient milk).

Reintroducing the pups to their mob is not an option long term, so the future of these pups is likely living together as either a non-breeding pair; and if the same sex, potentially joined by mother raised meerkats of the opposite sex. The pups are being peer-raised (i.e. they have each other for socialisation); so worst case scenario, these pups will end up more sociable around humans than their mother raised counterparts (all the while, assisting the zoo with operational costs).
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Meerkats can be tamed without the need to hand rear. In fact hand rearing can do the exact opposite especially with an extremely complex species like meerkats. If they’re not properly socialised while they are young, staff risk them becoming extremely savage towards people when they hit maturity.

I recommend checking out the Chayah Meerkat Rescue (formerly Solidearth Meerkat Rescue) and Kalahari Trails Meerkat Rescue, they have to deal with the brunt of surrendered hand raised meerkats and have plenty of information on the matter.

Meerkats are suffering terribly from the pet trade and offering an experience for anyone to take photos handling and bottle feeding babies is only fuelling that trade. Not to mention, this bottle feeding experience is being offered beyond the meerkat’s natural weaning age. This experience does not have the meerkats welfare in mind.

A more ethical zoo would have attempted to assist-rear or supplement the pups alongside their mother, not pull them and let strangers handle them.
 
I do broadly agree with you and to me it comes down to why the meerkats were hand-reared - which I am not aware of.

I will say though that the concern about it “fuelling the exotic pet trade” is overblown. In countries where private individuals could feasibly obtain meerkats, sure, that’s a valid concern. But there is never going to be a private trade in pet meerkats in Australia.
 
CGSwans said:
I do broadly agree with you and to me it comes down to why the meerkats were hand-reared - which I am not aware of.

I will say though that the concern about it “fuelling the exotic pet trade” is overblown. In countries where private individuals could feasibly obtain meerkats, sure, that’s a valid concern. But there is never going to be a private trade in pet meerkats in Australia.
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Do you have anything to support the opinion that the concern is overblown? Images and videos are not limited to Australia so therefore could encourage people to obtain exotic species as pets, that and the potential that overseas visitors might attend the zoo.

Can you confirm that there are no privately held meerkats in Australia?

There is also the potential for disease transfer from visitors handling the pups putting them at risk.
 
CGSwans said:
I do broadly agree with you and to me it comes down to why the meerkats were hand-reared - which I am not aware of.

I will say though that the concern about it “fuelling the exotic pet trade” is overblown. In countries where private individuals could feasibly obtain meerkats, sure, that’s a valid concern. But there is never going to be a private trade in pet meerkats in Australia.
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Yes indeed, thankfully there will be never a pet trade of meerkats in Australia. But with social media and how much people publicise their posts now to the world, the issue still remains.
 
Babirusa said:
Can you confirm that there are no privately held meerkats in Australia?
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It is of course impossible to prove a negative. However none have ever been identified, and any that were found in private hands would automatically be confiscated and the holders prosecuteed.
 
I eagerly await the announcement of their baby koala "poke and prod" experience... not o_O
 
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