As i keeper myself i understand the issue with price and so on, but for a private collection to maintain the enclosure quality, care of collection and in-situ conservation programs the park needs a high price. And the parks collection lives in some of the best conditions in any facility in the country. As the park grows more of the species will go on exhibit.
Australia Zoo Off Display Animals
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
As i keeper myself i understand the issue with price and so on, but for a private collection to maintain the enclosure quality, care of collection and in-situ conservation programs the park needs a high price. And the parks collection lives in some of the best conditions in any facility in the country. As the park grows more of the species will go on exhibit.
i don't mean to attack you personally zooworker, but i do hear this argument a lot from zookeepers. it's nothing more than a convenient diversion.
because loving animals doesn't automatically make you good at looking after them.
i have met hundreds of people over the years that are total animal fanatics, yet really know very little about them. and a fair share of these people have been zookeepers.
i read A LOT about animals. and i recognise the generic fact recital that comes with someone who knows a bit about the animals, but are a far, far cry from being an expert.
to care expertly for an animal you really need to be an expert on that animal. and i sadly can't say that for many people that care for animals.
Phoenix makes a fair point - there are people that work in the zoo industry who are "total animal fanatics" (as Phoenix calls them) who know only what they've been taught about their charges and very little else. And there are lots of them (and they seem to be increasing). To them zookeeping is a great job that lets them work with animals. And after a few years many of them leave for something completely different (that earns more money).
But then there are the people who don't see zookeeping as an occupation, but as a carreer. To them zookeeping is a way of life, it's a mindset. These keepers live and breathe animals. They have large libraries of wildlife books, many of them technical references, they read alot, they spend their holidays volunteering in Kenya at a Chimp orphanage, or doing reptile surveys in Costa Rica, or working on an endangered bird re-introduction program in Victoria.
These people know EXACTLY what they are doing in the zoo. And they do it well.
The major zoos in Australia have both types of zookeeper, and the major avoidable mistakes (that m575 was implying) don't happen because the experienced keepers don't let it get that far.
While Zooworker's argument might be "a convenient diversion" it is a valid argument nonetheless, because although there may be zookeepers that are fanatics and not experts, there are still expert zookeepers out there who are offended by the type of comments m575 made. Especially when he is not forthcoming with his 'hard evidence', but is quite happy to make suggestions of incompetence based on his own beliefs of what happened.
Hix
But then there are the people who don't see zookeeping as an occupation, but as a carreer. To them zookeeping is a way of life, it's a mindset. These keepers live and breathe animals. They have large libraries of wildlife books, many of them technical references, they read alot, they spend their holidays volunteering in Kenya at a Chimp orphanage, or doing reptile surveys in Costa Rica, or working on an endangered bird re-introduction program in Victoria.
These people know EXACTLY what they are doing in the zoo. And they do it well.
The major zoos in Australia have both types of zookeeper, and the major avoidable mistakes (that m575 was implying) don't happen because the experienced keepers don't let it get that far.
While Zooworker's argument might be "a convenient diversion" it is a valid argument nonetheless, because although there may be zookeepers that are fanatics and not experts, there are still expert zookeepers out there who are offended by the type of comments m575 made. Especially when he is not forthcoming with his 'hard evidence', but is quite happy to make suggestions of incompetence based on his own beliefs of what happened.
Hix
your right hix, and i'm glad someone else has noticed this.
i don't much care to dwell on m575's comments (i'm assuming they are a kid on work experience at werribee) and i wholeheartedly agree that you either spit it out or keep shut on these sorts of issues (i'm personally all for spitting it out!)
however, as a stand alone issue - i still think that zookeepers comments are completely invalid. just because you like/love something doesn't automatically make you good at caring for it.
i don't much care to dwell on m575's comments (i'm assuming they are a kid on work experience at werribee) and i wholeheartedly agree that you either spit it out or keep shut on these sorts of issues (i'm personally all for spitting it out!)
however, as a stand alone issue - i still think that zookeepers comments are completely invalid. just because you like/love something doesn't automatically make you good at caring for it.
That's why you shouldn't assume things
I'm all for spitting it out too, but with exceptions. And to be fair to the keepers, there is a chance that they didn't know what was going on, but from memory two rhinos died (?) which should've sparked something.. either way, let's leave it! And from now on, I won't post information that others don't know about.
I received my "Crikey Connection" e-newsletter today, and a pair of red pandas are supposedly on display near the Tiger Temple. That's one more exotic species for the zoo to have for visitors!
Rhinos Australia Zoo
Recently joined ZooChat and saw the thread on rhino deaths at Australia Zoo. Not sure what m575 is referring to with his 'hard evidence' & 'something went wrong'..I am good friends with the Zoo vet and know the Manager responsible for the rhinos. The two deaths were thoroughly investigated by both the Zoo and 2 independent bodies. The ARAZPA veterinary group has also put out a statement about the deaths. As noted by other members the post-mortem results leaned towards clostridium perfringens but not conclusively. Further analysis of the PM findings was carried out in the USA with the same result: inconclusive but clostridium perf toxins were present, though many other findings didn't tally with what would normally be expected. The Zoo carried out a series of soil investigations around the rhino areas and throughout the Zoo for comparison(the results revealed the soil to have a negligible presence of C.perfringens). The Zoo had the off-display areas stripped of substrate and replaced with new. Analysis of all foodstuffs (the source of which were different for each of the rhino that died) was conducted despite the fact that the 3rd rhino appeared fine as did the Zoos 11 ponies all eating the same food. As with all of us when deaths are inconclusive after exhausting all rational possibilities the vets and keepers entered the realms of fantasy trying work out the why. So m575 I can tell you now the keepers/vets at Australia Zoo would be forever grateful if you could put them out of their misery with an answer or even something to guide them in the direction of finding an answer.
Recently joined ZooChat and saw the thread on rhino deaths at Australia Zoo. Not sure what m575 is referring to with his 'hard evidence' & 'something went wrong'..I am good friends with the Zoo vet and know the Manager responsible for the rhinos. The two deaths were thoroughly investigated by both the Zoo and 2 independent bodies. The ARAZPA veterinary group has also put out a statement about the deaths. As noted by other members the post-mortem results leaned towards clostridium perfringens but not conclusively. Further analysis of the PM findings was carried out in the USA with the same result: inconclusive but clostridium perf toxins were present, though many other findings didn't tally with what would normally be expected. The Zoo carried out a series of soil investigations around the rhino areas and throughout the Zoo for comparison(the results revealed the soil to have a negligible presence of C.perfringens). The Zoo had the off-display areas stripped of substrate and replaced with new. Analysis of all foodstuffs (the source of which were different for each of the rhino that died) was conducted despite the fact that the 3rd rhino appeared fine as did the Zoos 11 ponies all eating the same food. As with all of us when deaths are inconclusive after exhausting all rational possibilities the vets and keepers entered the realms of fantasy trying work out the why. So m575 I can tell you now the keepers/vets at Australia Zoo would be forever grateful if you could put them out of their misery with an answer or even something to guide them in the direction of finding an answer.
Thanks for your well informed comments Noah, and welcome to ZooChat.
Stick around - it won't be long before you'll get heaps of questions about AZ topics.
Stick around - it won't be long before you'll get heaps of questions about AZ topics.