While I know criticizing animal rights activists is very popular on this site, I don't think it is fair to blame this entirely on them. It was as much, if not more, the fault of overenthusiastic birders making it difficult for zoo officials to get close enough to the owl to capture it.
Central Park Zoo Eurasian eagle owl "Flaco" set free by vandals at Central Park Zoo
- Thread starter ZooElephantMan
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King of Komodo Dragons
Well-Known Member
I was including the birders in the "animal rights" activist group as they have made many anti-captivity posts on twitter, it got so bad I had to block some birding accounts as I got frustrated about the situation(if the vandals broke out a tiger, gorilla, or reticulated python, i really doubt the sentiment would of been the same) At the very least I hope this can serve as a situation to those people that while they may think have the animals best intentions in mind they actions are often to the detriment of the animal's actual health and in this case survival.
Well, there are many ARAs who think it is better for an animal to live a ‘freer’ but shorter life in the wild than to live a longer but more restricted life in zoo captivity. There are many who will say (and have already said) things along the lines of: ‘it’s sad that Flaco died, but at least he died free’.
Mary
Well-Known Member
In the zoo, he would have been free from suffering, hunger, territorial fights, harsh weather, and the need to secure his own safety and wellbeing. In the wild, he was free to eat poisoned rats and fly into a window when he never would have been faced with those challenges before having his life doomed by a crazed and selfish member of the public. "Freedom from" and "freedom to" seem to be lost on these people who say zoo animals have no freedom. Freedom goes beyond physical boundaries.
King of Komodo Dragons
Well-Known Member
yep, in a zoo, Eurasian Eagle Owls can live into their 60s, when in the wild, they can live up to 20yrs, Flaco was 14, he could of lived so much longer and its depressing and rage inducing with how many people online saw this as a good thing but unfortunately there isn't anything else we can do at this point and everything that could of been said has been said...
These people think being in a zoo is exactly the same as slavery. Better to die young and freed than live a life as a slave. What they ignore is for the vast majority of zoo animals, especially in AZA, it's nothing like slavery. There are laws and regulations and inspections. There is proper vet care, with AZA zoos having a dedicated vet on-site or very close by.They are fed the proper nutrition they need. Slaves had none of that, not even the bare minimum in requirements.
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
The zoological phobic will always find a way to criticize institutions that exhibit non domestic animals.
They continually anthropromorphicize non human animals.
The fact is , a Eurasian eagle owl lived well and healthy - and might have, eventually, bred- in captivity and died 1 year after being “freed” in the Homocene world.
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Mary
Well-Known Member
Yes, and above all else, comparing the suffering of human beings that were enslaved to animals isn’t the serve that animal rights activists think it is. It’s actually appalling.
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
Meanwhile,the New York Police Department has done nothing in terms of an investigation, arrest or conviction.
New York City politicians and media have treated the entire incident as a joke and a circus sideshow.
Not one has advocated building a breeding facility for Eagle Owls at CPZ with the proper housing that could be destroyed .
This was an act of vandalism and larceny - nothing less .
In New York City a politician’s response to its zoos and aquaria is to
withhold funds or advocate the requisition of elephants.
One did want to pass a bill that required 15 acres per elephant .
All for that . Expand the Bronx Zoo by 75 acres and add a breeding of 5 elephants - AND $150,000,000 for a breeding facility from the annual - ONE HUNDRED BILLION per annum NYC budget to pay for it.
As a NYC homeowner and tax payer I am ALL for it!
No arrest/conviction doesn't mean they haven't looked into it. With the amount of news coverage that would come with an arrest, they really need to be sure they have enough evidence to convict.
Why would anyone advocate for a breeding facility at CPZ?
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
A breeding facility for Bubo
Why not a breeding facility for Bubo bubo at CPZ?
They have bred other species ?
It would maintain the species in perpetuity at a relative small cost and the special requirements to do so would be minimal
I assure you had the owl victimized by vandals been mated it would have returned to its fabricated habitat
... why? That is not part of the zoo's plan or goal. Having the room to breed animals like owls is not cheap or minimal. We have no idea if he would have returned or not. They tend to be monogamous, but they're also solitary and only get together to breed.
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
Penguins have been bred at the zoo
If the zoo’s intent is to exhibit singletons then the idea is not Avery good one .
A relatively small aviary to house a pair of eagle owls in separate enclosures when not breeding would be a far superior idea than a single individual
As to their “plan” I have no idea what it is .
Had they maintained breeding polar bears NYC - which once maintained three separate - if poorly planned - populations in Prospect Park, Bronx and Central Park.
The Central Park Zoo participated in the Eurasian eagle owl Species Survival Plan (SSP) by the AZA. In almost every SSP, there is a need for both institutions that breed the animal, but also institutions to house individuals that the SSP does not want to breed. So yes, for some zoos to house singletons of a solitary species IS a good idea. The SSP's job is to ensure that the populations of a species remain genetically diverse in the long term, so genetically overrepresented animals oftentimes will not be given breeding recommendations, and some individuals may never be given a breeding recommendation. Someone needs to house these individuals.
The fact Central Park has bred penguins is neither here nor there. What goes into managing penguins, a species that lives in large colonies, is very different than what goes into managing a solitary owl species. For penguins, oftentimes almost every zoo with the species is given breeding recommendations, albeit not for every penguin at the zoo. Don't get me wrong, it's great the zoo has bred penguins, but the management strategies and what it takes to breed penguins is very different than what goes into managing and breeding owls.
WCS did not maintain three separate polar bear populations. Each of the zoos with polar bears would've participated in the polar bear SSP, and would've housed individuals that are part of the AZA Polar Bear population. These polar bear programs also were not "poorly planned"- Bronx Zoo had a number of polar bear births over the years! The polar bear SSP overall right now is struggling, which is (at least partly) why neither Central Park or Bronx currently have polar bears, although I'm sure if the US polar bear population gets back on its feet, one of the WCS zoos may at least consider bringing back polar bears.
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
Thank You for your informative response to my comments.
I would hope that , in spite of the burglary and vandalism , WCS - via the Central Park Zoo- does not abandon its SSP involvement with Eurasian Eagle Owls.
A better, more fortified habitat to exhibit this species should what comes out of it and a fortified security to
protect them should be what comes out of this.
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
1. Build a better enclosure and more conducive habitat for the, hopefully , next Bulo to be displayed.
2. Install better security cameras and more efficient safeguards .
3. Find a punish the perpetrators , whose acts ultimately lead to the death of this animal .
The media circus, gnashing of teeth and misplaced grief won’t cut.
A greater appropriation of monies by the city to fund the city zoos - particularly Central Park, Prospect Park and Flushing Meadow Park ( Queens) will
2. Install better security cameras and more efficient safeguards .
3. Find a punish the perpetrators , whose acts ultimately lead to the death of this animal .
The media circus, gnashing of teeth and misplaced grief won’t cut.
A greater appropriation of monies by the city to fund the city zoos - particularly Central Park, Prospect Park and Flushing Meadow Park ( Queens) will
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Investigate and prosecute those "freedom giving" dorks that enabled the bird to do a runner. Pr
Neil already covered this well, but again, the owls are a solitary species. Even if a place is breeding the species, they're usually kept alone most of the time.
Exactly, you have no idea what their plan is, so why are you telling them what to do? You don't seem to know much about how zoos work in general.
They didn't choose not to breed polar bears, or keep the species. Polar bears are really struggling in captivity and rarely breed; there's been 0-2 births for quite a few years now. Old bears are dying, and there's none to replace with them. You can't force animals to breed.
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
“Free” in the sense that he loosened into
a environment of skyscrapers, automobiles, concrete and glass structures, millions of people and pollution that was far more alien to it than the enclosure , specifically designed for it, at the zoo.
It wasn’t as if the vandals released it into a coniferous forest in Scandinavia or into the Urals but Manhattan island - one of the most densely populated areas on earth. Hardly conducive for one of the largest owls on earth - despite the abundance of diseased pigeons, rats and garbage for it to , oportunistically feed upon
Don Majeski
Well-Known Member
Yes , unfortunately