Dealing With "Zoo Sadness"

MonkeyBat

MonkeyBat

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hello, this is a bit of a stupid thread but I'd like to just ask a question

Sometimes, while I love being a zoo nerd, it sometimes can be toxic to my mental health. I get really sad thinking and hearing about zoos in decline, animal phase outs, lost species, ect. I guess like a "zoo sadness" if you can call it that. It's a bit of a weird reason to be sad and anxious but I can't help it. I can't really talk to anyone around me about it because it's not something they would understand or care about. Does anyone else have this issue? Are there any coping strategies you can use? Once again, sorry for this weird discussion.
 
MonkeyBat said:
Hello, this is a bit of a stupid thread but I'd like to just ask a question

Sometimes, while I love being a zoo nerd, it sometimes can be toxic to my mental health. I get really sad thinking and hearing about zoos in decline, animal phase outs, lost species, ect. I guess like a "zoo sadness" if you can call it that. It's a bit of a weird reason to be sad and anxious but I can't help it. I can't really talk to anyone around me about it because it's not something they would understand or care about. Does anyone else have this issue? Are there any coping strategies you can use? Once again, sorry for this weird discussion.
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Phase outs suck, but I try to keep in mind there’s usually a good reason behind them.

Animal welfare is (or should be) at the forefront of the mind of any decent zoo; and directly linked to this is evolving exhibit standards. What was considered a decent exhibit 20-30 years ago is now average or inadequate. Zoos want to build larger exhibits and often demolishing existing exhibits/phasing out other species is the only way to accomplish this.

Another reason is the suitability of that species to captivity. I miss seeing Asian golden cats in zoos, but I can’t deny there’s species better suited to public display; as well as species that are endangered and should be given priority.
 
I wonder if there should be a way to thank a Zoochatter for telling us about sad news. 'Like' is not an appropriate response
 
Look into ‘radical acceptance’. You can’t control changes like this, only how you interpret and manage them when they occur.
 
MonkeyBat said:
Does anyone else have this issue? Are there any coping strategies you can use? Once again, sorry for this weird discussion.
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Absolutely. Now I do have a suggestion for a coping strategy but it is going to sound disingenuous because I am not following this strategy. My suggestion would be taking a break from ZooChat. I sometimes find older users sharing their experiences seeing what is lost from the “golden days” a bit grating. And there’s the discussion about taxa kept in a certain region which will inevitably discuss phase outs. But it is not their fault since this website is based on sharing such experiences and information. So if you want to avoid harrowing news about phase-outs and anecdotes about what the younger users are never going to see again, my best bet would be just taking a break from ZC and avoid any resources that discuss what zoos plan to do with their collections.

The second strategy is easier to do. You just have to visit your local zoo(s) without thinking about any of the phase out plans and the such and enjoy what you have. You can be thankful that you are able to see species that are otherwise rare or non-existent in zoos in other parts of the world including countries that are considered the first world.
 
MonkeyBat said:
Hello, this is a bit of a stupid thread but I'd like to just ask a question

Sometimes, while I love being a zoo nerd, it sometimes can be toxic to my mental health. I get really sad thinking and hearing about zoos in decline, animal phase outs, lost species, ect. I guess like a "zoo sadness" if you can call it that. It's a bit of a weird reason to be sad and anxious but I can't help it. I can't really talk to anyone around me about it because it's not something they would understand or care about. Does anyone else have this issue? Are there any coping strategies you can use? Once again, sorry for this weird discussion.
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The good news is that there is also good news. Not all zoos are in decline, on the contrary, many are developing in a positive way and whereas some species are phased out, new ones are also brought in (not that it can completely compensate the losses). This does of-course depend a bit on the region where you are in, but it doesn't do to focus on the bad stuff only, when so much good is happening too. Practically all accredited zoos are improving animal welfare, which is the basis of everything else. Bad news attracts more attention and it is easier to write critical stuff, even on zoochat, than it is to focus on the good. Keep your eyes open and don't forget to enjoy what there is to enjoy!
 
To be honest: I'm too busy running & improving WdG to worry about other zoos.;)

Trips into the great outdoors (which can include birdwatching, herping etc) might be a good coping mechanism.
 
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MonkeyBat said:
Hello, this is a bit of a stupid thread but I'd like to just ask a question

Sometimes, while I love being a zoo nerd, it sometimes can be toxic to my mental health. I get really sad thinking and hearing about zoos in decline, animal phase outs, lost species, ect. I guess like a "zoo sadness" if you can call it that. It's a bit of a weird reason to be sad and anxious but I can't help it. I can't really talk to anyone around me about it because it's not something they would understand or care about. Does anyone else have this issue? Are there any coping strategies you can use? Once again, sorry for this weird discussion.
Click to expand...

I think it is possible to choose your attitude to the news but also to focus a bit more on the positive changes that happen. I use my zoo / photo time as my holiday / time to relax and switch off so I deliberately look for stuff to like.

It might be something really ‘trivial’ like moorhen chicks in the pond in the cheetah paddock at Whipsnade, or ducks landing in the water, or a great cormorant and young wild ducks in the lake at Colchester the other day. There was a good news article on the Dudley page the other day about a little nest of robins in the corner of the lynx lookout. Zoos give all sorts of wildlife a chance to thrive.

Often there are great plants or gardens or trees that are being well cared for. When considering the changes or phasing out or whatever it’s worth thinking how hard zoo staff are working on things like maintaining the benches, laying new paths etc and those things are worth looking out for. Even if a collection is changing there’s lots of evidence of peoples passion for what they do to still look for.

Most people don’t like change and if you look up the change curve you’ll see the anger / denial / grief phases are logical reactions to change that happen to nearly everyone and then the change has happened and is accepted and it’s on again. I’m a little sad there won’t be giant pandas here in the U.K. any more soon but there are so many other animals to enjoy it’s worth finding those instead imho.
 
I find it much easier to cope with when I feel access to a zoo, even if it's visiting my home zoo again, it lets me focus on the positive and my own experiences instead of getting lost in zoochat discourse. The animals that are still there and very real can't erase the experiences I wish I could have but are a reminder to make the most of what is available.
 
Dassie rat said:
I wonder if there should be a way to thank a Zoochatter for telling us about sad news. 'Like' is not an appropriate response
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I agree. I find it really weird/uncomfortable pressing the "like" button/seeing "likes" on a post for an animal who died, however at the same time I do appreciate the fact someone took time to share that information with us.
 
Neil chace said:
I agree. I find it really weird/uncomfortable pressing the "like" button/seeing "likes" on a post for an animal who died, however at the same time I do appreciate the fact someone took time to share that information with us.
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Pressing that like button when someone announces an animals death is more of an act of 'respect' for me. I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like that's the best way to acknowledge their deaths on here.
 
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Jambo said:
Pressing that like button when someone announces an animals death is more of an act of 'respect' for me. I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like that's the best way to acknowledge their deaths on here.
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I have thought the same on some occasions; I have also sometimes looked at it more as appreciating the poster for reporting and sharing the information with the rest of us.
 
Some of my zoo sadness is things I never got to see, and probably will never see (Baby for example) or a really iconic exhibit that was renovated or demolished (ABH for example). Sometimes it makes me wish that I was born earlier so I could have seen more of these things.
 
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