Smoking in zoos, yes or no?

[littlezoo]

You see it differently when you are an employee at the zoo. First, the animals come first, not the people. Their safety and health is paramount. They should not have to be in a situations that could cause them harm, such as being exposed to toxic fumes and risk of enclosure fire..

Also, as a zoo employee, I have seen smoking areas "abused" by the public. I've seen smoke blown in animals faces, ashes flying in the air from butts and landing on dry leaf matter near enclosures and catching fire,etc..

Also, financially at small zoo's, it is hard to have a few benches off to the side so people can have a cigarette. Why? Lots of reasons. Benches cost $$ to install-most have to be ultra heavy duty due to public abuse, need to be cleaned by staff which takes time and money,etc,.

For financial, safety, animal care, and sanitary reasons, it is a no go at the zoo for us.


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[tschandler71]

It should be up to the individual Zoos to handle how it fits their current situation with local demographics, culture, economics, etc. Otherwise a one size fits all policy would be bad, I mean a completely non smoking policy by the AZA might offend Booster A and Zoo X and he pulls his money the zoo suffers.

If I was running a zoo it would be simple, a designated smoking area that is easily accessible to the rest of the Zoo but isolated enough so that secondhand smoke doesn't effect the other guests, staff, or animals.

 

[hedigerfan]

If we really want to improve the visitor experience in zoos, how about banning children? They are messy, more inclined to drop litter, they are often loud and disturb the animals, zoos have to spend large amounts of money hiring education officers and making exhibits child friendly, they climb on and sometimes over the barriers, and they are completely oblivious to adults without children who are trying to have a quiet, enjoyable, interesting day at the zoo.

Anybody have a light?

 

[Hix]

When I worked in a zoo I remember saying many times to my colleagues that the zoo would be a great place to work if there was no public.



Hix

 

[zoomaniac]

If we really want to improve the visitor experience in zoos, how about banning children? They are messy, more inclined to drop litter, they are often loud and disturb the animals, zoos have to spend large amounts of money hiring education officers and making exhibits child friendly, they climb on and sometimes over the barriers, and they are completely oblivious to adults without children who are trying to have a quiet, enjoyable, interesting day at the zoo.

Anybody have a light?

Well, all true. But I have seen those behaviors also from adult smokers...

 

[Hvedekorn]

If we really want to improve the visitor experience in zoos, how about banning children? They are messy, more inclined to drop litter, they are often loud and disturb the animals, zoos have to spend large amounts of money hiring education officers and making exhibits child friendly, they climb on and sometimes over the barriers, and they are completely oblivious to adults without children who are trying to have a quiet, enjoyable, interesting day at the zoo.

Anybody have a light?

Funnily, I seem to experience grown-ups doing those things just as often as kids. Children may actually be less annoying, because if they are young enough, they don't have a chance to know that those things are inappropriate (at least not if their parents/"role models" show them it's okay by being pests themselves).

 

[Buldeo]

Ban it. 100%.

One of my worst zoo experiences was @ the St. Louis Zoo. In one of the exhibits nearest to the South entrance, there were a handful of people smoking while watching the animals. Once finished, they flicked the butt into the exhibit. A quick glance into the exhibit indicated that this had been going on for quite a while; the ground was littered with cigarette butts.

 

[dublinlion]

Ban it. 100%.

One of my worst zoo experiences was @ the St. Louis Zoo. In one of the exhibits nearest to the South entrance, there were a handful of people smoking while watching the animals. Once finished, they flicked the butt into the exhibit. A quick glance into the exhibit indicated that this had been going on for quite a while; the ground was littered with cigarette butts.

The problem with these people is they were anti social litterers rather than smokers. They would just throw something else around if a no smoking ban existed or ignore the ban altogether. Most smokers I know, are perfectly civilised people who smoke in designated or suitable areas and will dispose of their ciggie buts and ash in dustbins.

 

[karoocheetah]

Ban it. 100%.

One of my worst zoo experiences was @ the St. Louis Zoo. In one of the exhibits nearest to the South entrance, there were a handful of people smoking while watching the animals. Once finished, they flicked the butt into the exhibit. A quick glance into the exhibit indicated that this had been going on for quite a while; the ground was littered with cigarette butts.

Obviously that's unacceptable but the more worrying thing is that the keepers clearly don't tend and clean the enclosure that often if the butts were accumulating?

 

[Elephas Maximus]

Ban the smoking and sue the naked apes for violation!
Reasons:
1)No restricted place can stop the GODDAMN SMELL. That sticks to the smoker after leaving from the area.
2)If smoking is not totally banned at the zoo, there would always be people that are too lazy to get into smoking area. A giving up smoker in a no-smoking zoo has less temptation to poison himself once again.
3)Cigarettes are often given to animals (primates, ungulates)
4)Fire risk from thrown butts.
5)Smoking staff is more likely to get nervous and make errors, which can result in animal escapes and other troubles.

Don't smoke. Be smarter than chimps at least.

 

[wensleydale]

Ban smoking in zoos. Period. Did you know that cigarette butts are the most common type of litter?

 

[TheMightyOrca]

I can get behind designated smoking areas.

 

[azcheetah2]

I think it should be limited to certain areas, away from animal exhibits and areas heavily trafficked by people. The zoo's would also need to enforce the restricted smoking areas. I was at a zoo once and a guy was walking around with a lit cigarette. I have asthma and can't be around heavy smokers or smoke smells.

Don't even get me started on the people who walk up and sit down next to you on a bench somewhere (not in a designated smoking area) and just light up like they're the only ones who matter. Those e-cigarette commercials annoy the heck out of me. "It's time to take our freedom back" the guy says. What about MY freedom to not have to breathe in that crap?

Sorry. It just annoys me.

 

[MRJ]

In Australia smoking has been banned in almost indoor areas for some years (the exception being areas like the high rollers room in casinos). This is gradually being extended to outdoor areas and now included the government zoos and sports arenas. There are now moves to ban smoking on beaches.

We have always banned smoking but in the early days that is as much about the fire threat as anything else.

 

[elefante]

Of the three zoos I've visited most recently, Omaha, Hogle, and Detroit, the only one that allowed smoking was the Detroit Zoo. This one was in a rather secluded area, although the peafowl seemed to enjoy hanging around that area. I think the main problem is probably not the smoke as much as it is people flicking their cigarettes into the exhibits. I think a smoking area is the way to go.

It's interesting how smoking is so much less tolerated these days. How many of you remember when it was allowed in restaurants, malls, airports, and other public, indoor places? It's always strange to see movies that depict it in these situations.

 

[Crowthorne]

I’m fine with designated smoking areas away from the exhibits and crowded areas. ZSL’s smoking policy is quite loose and have seen it flouted numerous times and they all seem to get away with it too (next to the African Aviary at London Zoo seems to be a particular hot-spot). Vaping and e-cigs are also being used a lot more now, especially as they can hide the dispenser in their hand and pretend they're not doing anything. If the zoo had designated smoking areas this would all probably be much easier to enforce.

I was however much heartened to overhear a lady at Bristol Zoo asking staff if there was anywhere to smoke instead of just lighting up wherever.