EU Zoo Inquiry: Born Free Foundation

P

Peter Dickinson

Well-Known Member
I am never exactly sure where the Born Free Foundation stands on zoos. Back in the beginning they were all for closing all zoos. It was one of the very few points that myself and other zoo professionals did not agree with. We were all for improving conditions and recognised that there were good zoos and bad zoos and there still are! Close the bad or force them to improve and meet standards...it needs to be done. But today the Born Free Foundation seem to have conflicting aims: "aims to phase out traditional zoos" and "Yes! Born Free believes it is cruel and unnecessary to keep a wild animal in confinement for human entertainment. Born Free works to end captive animal suffering and phase out all zoos and animal circuses."
Zoo News Digest: EU Zoo Inquiry: Born Free Foundation
 
zooman said:
A quote from the report.
"Estimates place the total number of licensed zoos in the EU to be at least 3,500. "

Personally before reading this l would have guessed at maybe 500 but 3,500 WOW!!
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I`m not surprised as I would say the UK alone is probably close to having around 300-400 collections on its own!
 
Well, sure it's very pretentious to call zoos all the 3500 places where animals they are displayed throughout Europe, authentic zoos aren't even half or so.
 
zoogiraffe said:
I`m not surprised as I would say the UK alone is probably close to having around 300-400 collections on its own!
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It is very rare that l personally visit a collection that does not house Gorillas.
Yet l had no idea that there are so many collections.

The idea that the UK almost fits into my home state of Victoria! You guys are spoilt for choice!!!

UK 244,110 sq km (94,251 sq mi)
Victoria Australia 227,600 sq km (87,900 sq mi)
 
zooman said:
It is very rare that l personally visit a collection that does not house Gorillas.
funny,I'm a bit like that too.;) Actually I do sometimes visit 'non-Gorilla zoos', e.g. Whipsnade, while Chester is excellent too, except for the absence of Gorillas. But all those places seem lacking something as a result.
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Indeed, Bron Free's conflicting aims are confusing. What you must remeber though is that Zoo's are like anything, resteraunts, schools, theaters, etc. You will always have good and bad ones, that is the nature of the beast. The difference is zoos are (or should be working) for an overall goal. The aim of a resteraunt isn't to feed everbody, its to make money. Whereas zoos work together for conservation. Despite what you think of the Bron Free foundation I think some of there goals are noble i.e circus's.
 
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