General Zoo Misconceptions
- Thread starter CZJimmy
- Start date
I think the media have a lot to answer for. I've seen white tigers described as an endangered 'species'.
Recently the Amazilia hummingbirds at London were listed on their website as a rare species. IUCN list Amazilia amazilia as least concern. The zoo ought to do better when educating the public.
I'm sure that if someone bred brown rats the media would say they were rare or endangered.
Recently the Amazilia hummingbirds at London were listed on their website as a rare species. IUCN list Amazilia amazilia as least concern. The zoo ought to do better when educating the public.
I'm sure that if someone bred brown rats the media would say they were rare or endangered.
Someone is going around at present raising funds to 'save' rare White Lions. "There are only a hunded or so of these creatures in the world and none have been seen in the wild for fifteen years. Without help these beautiful creatures could soon become extinct"....
Writhedhornbill
Well-Known Member
Without our help, Liger AND Tigons could become extinct!!
That may also come up too!
That may also come up too!
you must all feel really superior, i think there should be a forum general misconceptions about the public that pay to go into zoos and pay your wages. I came on to this site to try and understand why when i went to melbourne zoo today the bears were in the most disgusting enclosure i had ever seen. Ive been reading on this site for like minded people but was disturbed to find pro phasing out of bears and people were not quite as fond of them.
What a shame. Those bears were restless they just wanted to be back inside there private enclosure, one would repeatedly stand up and down for some compassio. there water mote was ot even a foot deep and was filthy, after seeing this i wondered why i had even gone. The tortoise had a whole lake practically with an island and shubbery. What kind of loonatics own thi place.
ALSO HOW CAN you educate people when the material they are reading is brief, tells you nothing of whether the animals are brother and sister mother and young whether they were bread or rescued, howw old they are what there diet in the zoo consists of rather than the wild.because thats pointless these animals will never be released and i will never come across one in the wild.
today was a huge dissapointment for me i saw some beautiful animals mistreated, frustrated and people bored in there jobs of looking after these species, i've seen dogs in a pound happier.
What a shame. Those bears were restless they just wanted to be back inside there private enclosure, one would repeatedly stand up and down for some compassio. there water mote was ot even a foot deep and was filthy, after seeing this i wondered why i had even gone. The tortoise had a whole lake practically with an island and shubbery. What kind of loonatics own thi place.
ALSO HOW CAN you educate people when the material they are reading is brief, tells you nothing of whether the animals are brother and sister mother and young whether they were bread or rescued, howw old they are what there diet in the zoo consists of rather than the wild.because thats pointless these animals will never be released and i will never come across one in the wild.
today was a huge dissapointment for me i saw some beautiful animals mistreated, frustrated and people bored in there jobs of looking after these species, i've seen dogs in a pound happier.
So what makes a tortoise less special than a bear?
The sad truth is, there are many bad exhibits around the world for large and small animals alike, however there are also many, many good exhibits for these same animals.
Would you have expressed such a strong opinion if the tortoise was in a pen not much bigger than itself?
It is also neccessary to educate people about animals in the wild, not just the individuals in the zoo, because people go to the zoo to see animals that would normally be inaccessable for them. (This also increases the conservation message) Would you like people to come away from a zoo thinking elephants only eat hay or monkeys eat primate pellets and chopped fruit. It is important to describe their natural diet in order for visitors to actually learn something!
The education in zoos isn't totally meant to be about the individuals in the collection. A modern zoo should strive to teach it's visitors about conservation and animals in the wild.
Regarding you comment about the "public-paying-your wages", there is a large number of people on this site who have no professional connection to a zoo (me included) however these are people who are deeply interested in zoos and know a thing or two.
The main point of this thread wasn't to ridicule the average visitor, (who most people would agree, keep zoos afloat) but to list common mistakes made. One of the earlier posts actually demonstrated a scientific study!
ashley-h is right, you should perhaps think about an animal rights group...
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johnstoni
Well-Known Member
Someone mentioned the Amazilia hummingbirds at London being described as 'rare'. Well, they are in captivity!
The gem I heard when I was at London was in the hummingbird room itself. As the air was misted with vapour at regular intervals, a visitor entered the room and said 'oh my god, is that water or smoke?', to which her friend replied helpfully that it was water, and she said 'right, I ain't going in THERE!'. Maybe she was hoping a few people were just having a cigarette by the hummingbird cages.
The gem I heard when I was at London was in the hummingbird room itself. As the air was misted with vapour at regular intervals, a visitor entered the room and said 'oh my god, is that water or smoke?', to which her friend replied helpfully that it was water, and she said 'right, I ain't going in THERE!'. Maybe she was hoping a few people were just having a cigarette by the hummingbird cages.
Meaghan Edwards
Well-Known Member
I keep hearing all sorts of "dog" comments at the Toronto Zoo hyena exhibit, when the sign says they aren't in the dog family . . .
Hello, I thought what better way to introduce myself than to share some of my annoyance:
I was talking to a woman about going to see a baby tapir.
Her: "Oooh, I like snakes too."
Me:
I heard someone say "Euggh, gross. Is it an amphibian then?" about a tapir, when they read the sign that said that it liked to bathe in its pool.
At London, a teenage boy with his parents saw the aye-ayes and said, "Great, I didn't know they had hyenas here." Then he expalined the lifestyle and habits of spotted hyenas to his parents.
I was talking to a woman about going to see a baby tapir.
Her: "Oooh, I like snakes too."
Me:
I heard someone say "Euggh, gross. Is it an amphibian then?" about a tapir, when they read the sign that said that it liked to bathe in its pool.
At London, a teenage boy with his parents saw the aye-ayes and said, "Great, I didn't know they had hyenas here." Then he expalined the lifestyle and habits of spotted hyenas to his parents.
NZ Jeremy
Well-Known Member
???
I thought they were, they were shown during the dog section on the carnivores episode of the Life of Mammals...