zoo priorities..
this is one thing that i actually respect steve irwin for - be sure that he builds the biggest elephant exhibit in the world. however, the elephants might just have to put up with him jumping into their pond (what is with the australia zoo obsession with wet khaki?!!!) and chasing them about all day.
"elephants are super intellegent and magestic animals, but their brute stregnth commands respect - don't muck with it!"
crikey, he give gives me the shits!
anyhow, all i can say is that considering i think melbourne zoos elephant enclosure is too small, i am saddend to hear that taronga and aucklands will be even more inadequate.
has anyone read the postings by membrers of the public on the taronga zoo website that supports the zoos [import] endevours? some of the comments of support actually contradict the zoos own mission statements!
i for one am sick to death of hearing zoos harp on about the importance of captive breeding programs when the breeding program itself is compromised so often by the zoo's own agenda - like ALWAYS having an animal on display. the elephant issue is at the heart of my problems with this - should they truly wish to breed elephants then they should recognise that they connot provide adequate facilities at melbourne, taronga, auckland, perth or any other small zoo.
captive breeding programs can be a wonderful tool in conservation of a species - but zoos are often not (though not always) the right place for it. i think zoo's claiming that this elephant import is going to directly benifit both the captive and wild elephants is both misleading and undermines the other realistic conservation projects that these zoo's are involved in.
the truth is asian elephants, as a species, would greatly benifit from a well- managed captive breeding program here in australasia - but i believe the sort of decisions that are going on with this recent proposed import questions the zoos priorities.
is breeding elephants really coming before simply displaying them?
not if your planning on only holding females!!!
this is one thing that i actually respect steve irwin for - be sure that he builds the biggest elephant exhibit in the world. however, the elephants might just have to put up with him jumping into their pond (what is with the australia zoo obsession with wet khaki?!!!) and chasing them about all day.
"elephants are super intellegent and magestic animals, but their brute stregnth commands respect - don't muck with it!"
crikey, he give gives me the shits!
anyhow, all i can say is that considering i think melbourne zoos elephant enclosure is too small, i am saddend to hear that taronga and aucklands will be even more inadequate.
has anyone read the postings by membrers of the public on the taronga zoo website that supports the zoos [import] endevours? some of the comments of support actually contradict the zoos own mission statements!
i for one am sick to death of hearing zoos harp on about the importance of captive breeding programs when the breeding program itself is compromised so often by the zoo's own agenda - like ALWAYS having an animal on display. the elephant issue is at the heart of my problems with this - should they truly wish to breed elephants then they should recognise that they connot provide adequate facilities at melbourne, taronga, auckland, perth or any other small zoo.
captive breeding programs can be a wonderful tool in conservation of a species - but zoos are often not (though not always) the right place for it. i think zoo's claiming that this elephant import is going to directly benifit both the captive and wild elephants is both misleading and undermines the other realistic conservation projects that these zoo's are involved in.
the truth is asian elephants, as a species, would greatly benifit from a well- managed captive breeding program here in australasia - but i believe the sort of decisions that are going on with this recent proposed import questions the zoos priorities.
is breeding elephants really coming before simply displaying them?
not if your planning on only holding females!!!