OK for visitors to feed animals?

P

Purg Davis

New Member
Hi, just starting a discussion on whether you guys think its OK that Zoos help pay for some of their operating costs by selling (live) feed to visitors so they can watch the animal's eating habits? Some people are open to it whilst others are not? What do you think?

Dalian Zoo in China allows for this, check out the video on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSkQPDerypk

Cheers,
Purg
 
First of all (about the video) - ten adult tigers in one exhibit? Seems inappropriate for a solitary predator like that, although their demeanor was remarkably peaceful.

The situation in the video is unacceptable for two reasons. One is that the amount of feed is not being monitored (as far as I can tell). Two is that it teaches the animals to beg.

In situations where feeding can be monitored and controlled by staff, then I think it can be fun for visitors and a good source of income for zoos. Here in the USA, the classic example is giraffe feeding which seems to have become more common than uncommon in the last few years. It is done at select times on a special platform that zoo staff control access to.
 
The Tigers look as though it could be a harem situation with only one male; I have read that this can work, although not 'natural'. Better than a lot of what goes on in China with Tigers.
 
Feeding can be very valuable. It adds another dimension to the animals life and it allows the visitors to get a up close and memorable experience with the animal.

It can be a problem if the animal stops behaving normally, or as normally as you can get it captivity, and spends all it's time begging for food.

Supervised feeding of proper food could also encourage visitors to feed inappropriate things to animals, or to stop respecting them as wild animals.
 
Arizona Docent said:
The situation in the video is unacceptable for two reasons. One is that the amount of feed is not being monitored (as far as I can tell). Two is that it teaches the animals to beg.

In situations where feeding can be monitored and controlled by staff, then I think it can be fun for visitors and a good source of income for zoos. Here in the USA, the classic example is giraffe feeding which seems to have become more common than uncommon in the last few years. It is done at select times on a special platform that zoo staff control access to.
Click to expand...

.... and the giraffes beg
 
Zooplantman said:
.... and the giraffes beg
Click to expand...

Hi ZP, with respect. A very contentious and interesting perspective

And the
Seals,
Walruses
Dolphins
Whales
Birds
Penguins

Beg....
 
Agreed monitored consistent feeding time might be a good thing. So, I found another youtube video where in the same Zoo, a guy dropped a live chicken into a pen full of coyotes. It caused a lot of controversy by some of the people who watched the video. You think live feed is better than already prepared feed?
 
I think feeding of live food to zoo animals either in front of public view or by the public is barbaric. If you want to give your animals live food do it after hours. There's a reason US zoos don't feed live animals and if you ask many keepers why they're feeding dead animals they will tell you. If people want to see the feeding and hunting habits of animals then they should watch National Geographic. If I ever visited a zoo that did that you can bet that would be the last time I visited that zoo, even if it was the only zoo in the state.
 
Live feeding like that is completely pointless. The animals getting fed get nothing extra out of it and you just cause unnecessary suffering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top