Responding to Zoo Protestors

Julio C Castro said:
That’s all they can get from you, to tug at your heart strings and get you charged up whether on their side or against them.
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Exactly !

I don't think either of those approaches would work with me but when they start lecturing on conservation and zoos from a very reductive view that might just be enough to make me feel tempted to engage with them and try to have a dialogue.

Ultimately though I would probably just feel that it was futile / a waste of time and walk away.
 
Jude T said:
the thought of someone being given misinformation and put off by something that isn’t true really bothers me.
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Theres a lot of these kinds of tactics out there and animal rights activists really excel at it and in dominating the narrative.

It is definitely a strength of theirs and I don't think it should be underestimated by zoos or conservation.

Afterall it is often not the cerebral / logical arguments that end up winning people over in terms of popular support but the ability to strategically win people over by appealing to their emotions and fervor.
 
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Jude T said:
Yeah, I know I shouldn’t think on it so much but it just doesn’t sit right with me.
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No, I disagree, you should think about it and think critically, that is a good thing IMO.

There is a deficit of critical thinking about these issues on all sides and it is important that people do.
 
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Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
No, I disagree, you should think about it and think critically, that is a good thing IMO.

There is a deficit of critical thinking about these issues on all sides and it is important that people do.
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I suppose it leads back to the question: what can be done about it? As previously discussed, engaging in conversation is a bad idea, so do we debate online? You could suggest educating the general public on the matter but that’s easier said than done.
 
Jude T said:
I suppose it leads back to the question: what can be done about it? As previously discussed, engaging in conversation is a bad idea, so do we debate online? You could suggest educating the general public on the matter but that’s easier said than done.
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Well, as we live in a polarized world where the ability to engage in dialogue has largely been thrown out of the window that is a relevant question that could equally be posed for many different subjects.

I don't think it is always impossible to engage in conversation with these kinds of activists but rather that having a conversation with them is contingent on them wanting to enter a dialogue and to debate and most of them do not want to talk or to rise to that challenge so the opportunity rarely presents itself.

But there surely must be some people amongst that very wide and diverse spectrum of "animal rights" that would be willing to engage in civil debate on the subject of zoos and who would be open minded enough.

Personally I would like to see a chaired discussion / debate on this issue with prominent people / figures representing different viewpoints on this matter broadcast online through social media or youtube or whatever for a wide and diverse audience.
 
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Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
But there surely must be some people amongst that very wide and diverse spectrum of "animal rights" that would be willing to engage in civil debate on the subject of zoos and who would be open minded enough.
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There are moderate critics of zoos; but since their critique is not uproarious and extreme, they will never be invited to such a roundtable discussion. By now, you should know how the media and the internet work: a balanced, nuanced and intelligent discussion among smart, open-minded experts? 10 - 100 clicks / viewers. Gaudy, brassy ideologists interrupting & insulting each other? Social media gold...
 
Jude T said:
what can be done about it?
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1. Do your job as a zoo as effectively as possible. Give them as little points of attack as possible. And if something goes wrong, be transparent and professional about solving the issue as efficiently as possible. Communication is key.

2. Don't focus on the extremists, but on the greater public and the people in charge. Don't waste your time and resources on someone who doesn't want to be reached and has little true influence. Instead, make sure that their extremist point of view does not become the mainstream public opinion. How? See 1.

3. As mentioned by others: don't engage directly with protesters. Despite what Hollywood movies want to make you believe, the chance that you will find the love of your life among them and win her/him over, both romantically and argumentatively, are close to zero.
Yet be polite and the better person. I liked how Chick-fil-A staff handled protests in front of their stores by handing out drinks to the protesters standing outside in the heat. At the end of the day, we're all humans.
 
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Batto said:
There are moderate critics of zoos; but since their critique is not uproarious and extreme, they will never be invited to such a roundtable discussion. By now, you should know how the media and the internet work: a balanced, nuanced and intelligent discussion among smart, open-minded experts? 10 - 100 clicks / viewers. Gaudy, brassy ideologists interrupting & insulting each other? Social media gold...
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Have to say that I share your opinion about the likelihood of moderate critics of zoos being invited to a roundtable discussion on the future of zoos on tv or via some sort of digital media (there could be more likelihood with the format of a radio / podcast perhaps).

Its such a shame because I think that due to this polarization we lose that important middle ground through which both dialogue is possible and real progress can be made in improving / reforming zoos and their role in society and biodiversity conservation.

Again, totally agree with you about the media but in my defence I am an idealist / optimist and I would like to think that it is possible that not every discussion in the mass media needs to take on the aspect of a crass reality tv show.

However, yes, I agree that we live in a trashy media saturated world and the "media ecosystem" is completely out of kilter.
 
As others have said, the best way to deal with protestors is to ignore them.

I'm all up for having a reasonable discussion and trying to see other points of views, but from what I've seen, most of the time they'll refuse to acknowledge anything you say, and they're overall nothing but a lost cause. Can you change others' minds? Not completely impossible, but as what others have said, a protest isn't necessarily the best environment to engage in debating. To add to that, animal rights and logical reasoning don't often go hand-to-hand. Unfortunately, it's just people being ridiculous in general (ex. COVID).


If only these people utilized the same energy combatting actual animal abuse... :rolleyes:
 
Azamat Shackleford said:
If only these people utilized the same energy combatting actual animal abuse... :rolleyes:
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That would be incredible if they did and I'm sure there are many which do.

I don't want to think of "Animal rights activists" as a monolithic movement with only a single fanatical ideology as I'm sure there is a spectrum within the activist movement which encompasses moderates too.

Certainly if the more radical elements would direct their energy towards more constructive goals it would reduce all of the unnecessary conflict that they direct towards good zoos and conservation in general which IMO really is cutting off their nose to spite their face.

I actually think there is a huge need for animal rights activists in the sense of assisting with the humane management of feral inner city cats and dogs for example and no doubt there are many more areas where they could help.

However, when they direct their energy misguidedly (I'm putting it charitably there) towards conservation initiatives and / or zoos that are genuinely involved in conservation they absolutely cross the line.
 
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I have only ever encountered this beast on entering Twycross by car. I just drove past I think, though a hand gesture was probably needed!!
 
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EternalPigeon said:
I’ve personally never seen any protestors at a zoo before, but if I ever encounter one, I would just ignore them. No matter what you say to them, their frame of mind probably won’t change anyway and it might just lead to a conflict. I already know that (most) zoos are great places for animals, since they provide a safe place for them to live and save a lot of species from going extinct in the wild. So frankly, I don’t really need some random person telling me otherwise.
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Second this. And frankly, I don't see the anti-zoo crowd as a threat. They're a small, vocal minority and I don't think zoos are gonna go away any time soon. Shoot, I think there's actually a good side to it: it puts pressure on zoos to keep improving, so they can prove those folks wrong. It wasn't that long ago that most zoos were pretty lousy. And I think we can all agree that there are still plenty of places that deserve to be protested, lol.
 
TheMightyOrca said:
Second this. And frankly, I don't see the anti-zoo crowd as a threat. They're a small, vocal minority and I don't think zoos are gonna go away any time soon. Shoot, I think there's actually a good side to it: it puts pressure on zoos to keep improving, so they can prove those folks wrong. It wasn't that long ago that most zoos were pretty lousy. And I think we can all agree that there are still plenty of places that deserve to be protested, lol.
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I misread your comment and thought you said "shoot" in the context of the protestors :p :D
 
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