Hi from a new member, Lancashire, England

T

Tim Brown

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Hello Everybody
I'm Tim Brown from Todmorden in Lancashire. Around eleven years ago I started the Independent Zoo Enthusiasts Society here in the UK. We are an organisation of around 350 members and publish both Zoo! (an occasional magazine) and Zoo Grapevine which is our quarterly newsletter. I can't say that we are computer orientated at all but on a rare occasion browsing the internet I was amazed to stumble across your forum and was delighted to see so many (presumably young to youngish) zoo people. For years I have had a simmering feud with the wicked witch of Dorking and her nepotistic, for-profits scam known as the Born Free Foundation. As a poor typer and generally very busy person I can't say that I will contribute to the forum as much as I would like to but I will enjoy reading all your comments. I have visited over 300 zoos around Europe and North America and over the years have known such great zoo enthusiasts as Marvin Jones, Clinton Keeling (both now sadly deceased), Herman Reichenbach, Ken Kawata and many more. It seems like a new generation is coming along. My dream was always to unite like-minded people in the cause of good zoos. One day we will have a website but for now you will have to send me an e-mail to receive a sample of our publications. I hope to hear from all of you.
Regards
Tim
 
hello Tim, I have only just started posting today, but I see you have trouble with born free, well a few of us started a website a while ago backing captive animals in the UK, to start with it was reptiles because that and inverts is what I keep, but the more I found out the more I saw that our whole hobby is at threat, after seeing the RSPCAs no reptiles policy it made me think we need to take a stand against them because they are a massive rich organisation which I refuse to call a charity, lol rant over.
 
I've searched up the independent zoos enthusiasts, I thought of joining around a month ago but didn't. Could we write articles for it? oh and welcome aboard!!
 
Welcome to the forum . You are not the only person who has fought against Born Free -- their tentacles have tried to reach down under !
 
Hi Tim,

I was one of your original IZES members back in 1995, I think. (Still am). I found this site completely out of the blue. It has proved to be most interesting.
 
A professional keeper I know was once given an orphaned tawny owl chick by one of his neighbours. The donor had contacted the RSPCA and asked what to do and was told it would be okay to give it bird seed.

The RSPCA seem to have been infiltrated by animal rights idiots.

siuk said:
hello Tim, I have only just started posting today, but I see you have trouble with born free, well a few of us started a website a while ago backing captive animals in the UK, to start with it was reptiles because that and inverts is what I keep, but the more I found out the more I saw that our whole hobby is at threat, after seeing the RSPCAs no reptiles policy it made me think we need to take a stand against them because they are a massive rich organisation which I refuse to call a charity, lol rant over.
Click to expand...
 
bongorob said:
A professional keeper I know was once given an orphaned tawny owl chick by one of his neighbours. The donor had contacted the RSPCA and asked what to do and was told it would be okay to give it bird seed.

The RSPCA seem to have been infiltrated by animal rights idiots.
Click to expand...

The stupidest action I ever saw the RSPCA take was when they prosecuted someone((?) a policeman?) who deliberately ran over an already badly injured cat in order to kill it as quickly as he could. There are perhaps better ways to humanely kill an injured cat(a thick stick?) but he was clearly acting as best he could on the spot, and it was so obviously NOT a case of deliberate cruelty. Yet they pursued his case.

When the RSPCA sent me a 'voluntary' questionaire through the post, instead of binning it, I filled in all the little 'tick' boxes and then added at the end that for all the good they do, they let themselves down by just one such idiotic decision as this example...
 
That was in my area. The officer concerned had tried to contact a vet but none were available. So instead of leaving the mortally wounded cat to die a painful and slow death he killed it. He ended the animals suffering but was charged with cruelty. I can't remember, but I think he was found not guilty.
 
The latest edition of the IZES newsletter zoo grapevine popped through my door today, as usual full of interesting articles including ones on the bbc2 programme Ben's zoo, Jemima Parry-Jones proposed new bird of prey centre in Herefordshire, a book review and zoo visit reports to Madrid, Erfurt, Blankenberge serpentarium and NOP parrot centre Eindhoven.

A wonderful mix of articles, this society deserves a larger audience than i'm sure it gets, they are also organising a zoo memorabilia meet at the Cotswold wildlife park on Sunday 9th march.

If anyone is interested in joining the address is
IZES
PO Box 4
Todmorden
Lancs
OL14 6DA

I strongly recommend joining to anyone, if only to receive the high quality newsletter.
 
TodTim said:
I was amazed to stumble across your forum and was delighted to see so many (presumably young to youngish) zoo people.
Click to expand...

Welcome to Zoobeat, Tim. I stumbled across this site in much the same way as you did, and I've enjoyed it immensely. I'm afraid that I'm not even youngish any longer - when I visited Port Lympne last year, they almost insisted that I should pay the OAP rate :D - but I don't feel disqualified by that!
I'm sure you'll be able to tell us a lot.

Alan
 
@TodTim: welcome to the forum! If you have been to over 300 zoos, which is an absolutely staggering number, then what are your favourites? Would it be possible for you to choose the 5 or 10 best that you've ever visited?
 
Hello Tim,

Nice to know there are more zoo lovers out there in the wilds of Lancashire. :)
This website brings together zoo lovers the world over and we keep each other busy with insights in each others continents, wildllife and zoo doings. It has been very educational. It would be nice if you could contribute to it as well as a veteran.

Yep, it is interesting you should mention Born Free - **** I hate the word - Organisation. It is indeed targetting zoos as ill thought out plans to molest wild animals and has a totally backward view of zoos and the role they actually play in education and conservation today. They would be better off sending their cash to pay for sound in situ conservation projects .... :cool:
 
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