Complete Ignorance!

CiaranDUK

CiaranDUK

Well-Known Member
I have a friend who thinks Zoos are a bad idea because she thinks that it's cruel to keep in an animal within a boundary. She only really listens to the bad points about Zoos. For example: I told her I went to Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens last week and I thought it was horrible because the grass inside the Tiger exhibit was very lush looking as the Tigers kept pacing up and down the perimeter fence (plus other things). She said "that's the problem with Zoos" which is completely wrong and ignorant. Admittedly that was the worst case of stereotyping I have ever seen, but, my local Banham Zoo's Tiger exhibit is perfect! I have NEVER seen any stereotyping within that exhibit and they have a large pool they can swim in, a large wooded area they can walk about in aswell as large grassy areas, a climbing frame-like-structure and a big indoor area which they can use if they do so wish. I said this to her and she replied "Yeah... But... Animals shouldn't be kept in cages, I would rather see them in the wild" So I left it there because I couldnt be bothered to prove her wrong...

But what I am trying to say is that I believe the whole 'should animals be kept in cages' debate is one of the most controversial things in the entire world. (except anything to do with Religion, inc. War) But people who think Zoos are being 'cruel' or that they are a bad idea are completely ignorant. What is the difference between having a tiger in an enclosure and keeping a cat as a pet? Or any animals for that matter? I have seen Domestic Rats in Zoos before now, they're cared for much better in the Zoo world than in a pokey little cage in somebody's home!

Grrr... I get SOO wound up when people say to me that Zoos are a bad idea!! What do you say when you come across this ignorance!
 
I just grin and bear it. It only shows how small minded they are that they won't see the good points of zoos before making up there mind
 
CiaranDUK said:
Grrr... I get SOO wound up when people say to me that Zoos are a bad idea!! What do you say when you come across this ignorance!
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In an Ideal world zoos would not be needed, Okay we don't live in an ideal world. The "Anti-zoo brigade" do have some valid points and we should not be blind to some of these points as we are then just as bad as them because we are not willing to listen to their views because they have a different opinion.
 
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"I disagree with everything you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it".....Voltaire

They are entitled to their opinion, no matter how wrong they are. And I let them have their opinion.

As long as they don't try to convert me to their way of thinking.

Anyway, I'm not likely to bump into them in a zoo anytime soon!

:p

Hix
 
I know everybody is entitled to their opinion, but when these people tell me that Zoos are cruel, that crosses the line! These people are telling me that the career path I want to go down is full of animal abusers!
 
CiaranDUK said:
I know everybody is entitled to their opinion, but when these people tell me that Zoos are cruel, that crosses the line! These people are telling me that the career path I want to go down is full of animal abusers!
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There are good zoos and there are bad zoos, I think responsible zoos should work closer with the anti zoo brigade to give the animals in the dire conditions they are kept in in some zoos a better quality of life.

However even in the wild animals are restrained by boundaries, suitable habitat, availabilty of food and shelter within that habitats and their territory within that space.

I had a discussion not so long ago with a bunny hugger at work, oh the elephants should be free as they walk miles everyday etc etc I pointed out that they only need they only traverse such vast distances due to the availablity of food and the requiremtns of living in a herd. If you went to a place in the 'wild' and made suitable food and water available would the animals just say hey you know what I think i'm going to wander 5 miles today for no apparent reason, no they are not they are going to stay close wo the food source.

I assume your friend has never been to the wild, and she assumes its all predators and prey skipping along holding hands singing disneyesque songs!

I'm going to Sabah in malaysian Borneo in 2 weeks time I'll be visiting the kinabanatang area in Sandakan, which is a a wildlife haven, it has no choice, its hemmed in on 2 sides by palm oil plantations and a big river on the other. The last time I visited that area it was a 2 hr drive THROUGH the plantation that only a few years earlier was lush rainforest, 10 years on I am expecting it to be closer to a 3 hour drive.

Its a real eye opener as to how screwed the world really is!
 
CiaranDUK said:
I know everybody is entitled to their opinion, but when these people tell me that Zoos are cruel, that crosses the line! These people are telling me that the career path I want to go down is full of animal abusers!
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It's impossible to please everyone and while some people believe that zoos are bad, there are a lot more people that support zoos, going so far as to donating millions of dollars or hundreds of hours of their time.

When you encounter these people the last thing you should do is react. And, believe me, I know that's hard. Any negative reaction to their statement can be used against you and zoos in general. And people are listening and watching, just waiting for zoos to "screw up." You can sometimes even pick the secret PETA/IDA people out of the crowds. People are entitled to an opinion and when you disagree it's best to just leave it at that.

And most of the time, people are merely misinformed. I truly believe that everyone wants what's best for animals. I just think that people who are against zoos don't really know what's going on and refuse to pay attention to all the amazing work zoos do.
 
I can think of few generalizations like these about zoos that do not apply equally well to schools, life in corporate offices, in the military, flying coach class, the suburbs, the city, etc. (Talk about stereotypical behaviors!)
Your friend can either think and discriminate, or make easy ignorant outbursts. I guess a lot of people enjoy the self-righteous outbursts. So much easier than actually doing something to make the world better.
 
Zoos are always the easy option because zoopeople are fine people - real ladies and gentlemen.Compare this to sectors where animal mistreatment is rife (factory farming / laboratories / hunting ) and you can se that the latter are all protected by such arrogant and wealthy lobbies that only the truly courageous give them any trouble.Point that out to your friend next time she comes out with these annoying opinions.While you´re at it , don´t forget to mention the millions of cats , dogs and other pets condemned to a miserable life because of the terrible irresponsibility of their owners, and compare this to the situation in zoos , where every effort is taken to ensure optimum levels of comfort and welfare.Ask her if she has been brainwashed by pharmaceutical & farmers´lobbies to avert her attention to the easy option.
 
Specks and Logs

Taken from the thread "What Animals Would You Like to See in Your Local Zoo":

CiaranDUK said:
I don't like Elephants in Zoos!
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I find it funny that you express your anger at the ignorance displayed by those who don't like zoos in this thread and yet reveal this about yourself in another. What is the difference between pachyderms and other large mammals? How about great apes as they're more intelligent? Other monkeys? Primates? Heck, why not all mammals? And, well, some think parrots are just as clever as elephants...

I think this thread is a case of not pointing out the speck in your brother's eye when you cannot see the log in your own ;).
 
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