There are thousands of wild animals that belong in zoos. Where are they? Wildlife rehab centers and sanctuaries.

For example, there are hundreds of wildlife rehabbers like myself who have small rehab centers. They often get owls with wing injuries so serious that the wing must be amputated, making it impossible for them to live in the wild.

These owls will spend the rest of their life in a small aviary on an underfunded rehab property. Of course they are treated well, but a big zoo can give them a million dollar enclosure that is much better. Some zoos do this and they are the few humane zoos around.

Also tigers, crocs etc kept as pets cannot survive in the wild, and they wind up at tiny sanctuaries.

But zoos instead will breed thousands of wild animals and force them to live in the zoo when they never should have been created to begin with.

It's time we demand all zoos take unreleaseable wildlife only.

Posted by: Maya | August 8, 2007 03:55 PM

I absolutely HATE zoos... the animals always look so miserable. They just stare back at you like "Why? Why am I in here?" All they get to do is eat, sleep and get pointed and laughed at...

Posted by: Brianna Fritchey | August 8, 2007 06:46 PM

Maya,

I am also a wildlife rehabber but over in Australia. The rules over here are that you can't show any animals to the public that have an obvious injury. So the zoos over here wouldn't be interested in taking on these animals as there is no profit in it for them.

I agree with your sentiment though.

The zoos over here are always quoting how they are helping by breeding endangered wildlife but I would love to see how many of these animals actually get released back in to the wild. It is all a money making thing as they can get funding for endangered animals.

Posted by: Sonia | August 8, 2007 11:05 PM

Wow....nothing else to say except what you said Jack..."Amazing."

I will never forget what Rabbi Gellman's grandpa told him...again, amazing.

Posted by: Tamara | August 8, 2007 11:23 PM

I once walked through a zoo alone, in the morning before it filled with people. That experience would convince anyone that zoos are bad places.

Posted by: KathyF | August 9, 2007 06:57 AM

I understand zoos, they are the stars and the dollars - they promote conservation and establish well needed breeding programs for rare aninals -- even though i think the real heroes are the wildlife rehabilitators (and i hope to be one myself) there is certainly a place for zoos, though i think they may be missing the mark -- zoos are often the only way for urbanised, guppy raised domesticated people to get off their duff and see what they often fear and are prejudiced against. Im noticing now that its not the animals that are the main attraction if zoos need waterparks and lengthy entrances and simulation rides. this is depressing. i wish their efforts could have been used to expanding the perimeters of their animals quarters to increase the quality of their lives. but again. its all about attracting that family that would have rather spent their lives in an armchair instead of giving their dollars to the park. could there be necessary evils?

Posted by: stasya berber | August 9, 2007 11:18 AM

Hi Sonia! Nice to meet another rehabber. Interesting about Australia, I didn't know that.

I had a wonderful conversation through email with a PETA staffer years ago and as she pointed out, there is NO evidence that seeing animmals in zoos makes people respect them more.

Reintroducing animals to the wild has been proven to make things worse, not better. Breeding in captivity should be banned. I'm glad this is being discussed!

Also I beleive there should be laws that force zoos to make humane enclosures for all wildlife, snakes and spiders included. Even the best zoos in the world have atrocious enclosures for these animals.

Sonia, best wishes for your rehab work.

STASYA, if you need any advice on getting licensed, click on my name and visit my website if you want.

Posted by: Maya | August 9, 2007 03:50 PM

Hi Maya!

I clicked...love the cat photos!!!! I also do cat rescue work!!!

.......nice website!!! :)

Posted by: Anonymous | August 9, 2007 04:00 PM

Hi, Anonymous!! Thank you very much! Wonderful that you rescue cats. It's needed now more than ever. ;)

Posted by: Maya | August 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Sorry, Maya.....it was me,I forgot to write my name.....

The cats need us out there helping them!! :)

Posted by: Ana | August 9, 2007 06:12 PM

Just a note, I think that is an 'internet only' article, cause I looked all through my copy of Newsweek and couldn't find it.

Anyway, the whole article is so touching.

I hate living in St. Louis where they think the zoo is just the most wonderful place in the world.

Posted by: Tamara | August 10, 2007 12:58 AM

It's so sad and sick to put animals in zoos. It's disgusting and needs to be stopped.

Posted by: Aleasha | August 10, 2007 03:57 AM

i really hate zoos, to me they're just as bad as abatiors. My family always say how stupid i am to hate zoos and they say that zoos are good. it makes me upset that my family supports zoos because i can see through the appearence of the animal and actually understand how the feel about living at a zoo. their misserable.

Posted by: Jody | August 10, 2007 03:30 PM

I know a lot of zoos around the world are pretty bad, but some zoos are okay. I admit, I don't agree with zoos entirely BUT (big but here) they do do some good for animals. For example, in Perth Zoo (Australia), there are 3 rescued elephants. One, Trisha, was once a circus elephant that was on the brink of death from illness and injury. She has now been brought back to health and is being looked after. She wouldn't be able to go back into the wild anyway, because she had never been in the wild and was too old to be rehabilitated.

There is also two new sunbears at Perth Zoo, that were rescued from a bear-fighting rink in another country.

Some zoos do actually help the animals, especially when they have no other place to go. And Perth Zoo honestly promotes and funds a lot of rescue operations all over the world.

I don't know about you guys, but an animal being saved and living in a zoo is much better than them being slaughted by people and illness out of it.

Posted by: Wolfie | August 11, 2007 11:17 AM

i did write something here supporting a good zoo that actually supported a zoo that was dedicated to conservation and breeding programs ect (perth zoo in australia, if anyone wanted to know) but it didnt get posted publicly...thanks a lot for allowing everyones opinions

Posted by: Scott | August 11, 2007 12:03 PM

oh good, i see someone else does like Perth Zoo :D .
Awsome

Posted by: Scott | August 12, 2007 10:41 AM

I agree with you there Wolfie.
I also live in Perth, and iv seen how good the work is that Perth zoo does. Not only do they resuce abused and mistreated animals, but they are also apart of many breeding and release programs. For example, the zoo breeds Sumatran Orangutans, which are a critically endangered species. Earlier this year, Perth Zoo released an orangutan named Temara into Bukit Tigapula National Park in Sumatra. She is going really really well, and has adapted to her environment and the wild orangutans.

The zoo also has a Native Species Breeding Program. This program breeds native Australian species so they can be released into the wild. This includes Numbats, Diblers, Western Swamp Tortoises ect.

And the way the animals are looked after is amazing. The keepers carry out regular stimulation excersizes with the animals to ensure they use their natural instincts and have chalenges so they do not sit there all day and be bored out of their minds. They are given excellent medical treatment, and the zoo has an on-site hospital.

There are a lot fo zoos out there that dont look after their animals and use them mainly for entertainment, and achiece this through cruelty, but Perth Zoo does so much good for not only the animals under their care, but animals in the wild aswell.

Have a look at their website and tell me what you think. www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au

Posted by: Ferretboy | August 13, 2007 07:37 AM

Perth Zoo also replicates the natural habitat of the animals as much as possible

Posted by: Ferretboy | August 13, 2007 07:53 AM

For all of you who support the Perth Zoo:

I agree on two things:

1. The enclosures look beautiful. Good for them.

2. Conservation work is fantastic, I'm really pleased they are so devoted to it!

However, I am strongly against breeding in captivity and reintroduction. I've provided a link to a post I wrote about why it's not good.

Mainly, the habitats where they reintroduce the wildlife are usually still being destroyed. So instead of protecting the habitat, they let loose more wild animals in a place that has been proven to not support those animals in the first place.

The reintroduction often causes the remaining endangered animals to have even more problems.

Breeding wildlife in zoos does not save the species, it only creates more animals to live in captivity. When as you pointed out, there are countless wildlife to be rescued.

Also, please consider that every time they build a large, natural enclosure for an animal, that takes up natural land that used to be used by native wildlife.

Here's the link:
http://maya857.vox.com/library/post/lynx-controversey.html

If Perth Zoo only did the first two things with humane enclosures and conservation, I'd say they were one of the best zoos on earth!! ;)

Posted by: Maya | August 13, 2007 10:39 AM

The Australian animals they re-introduce are in areas where there are already animals of that species, but numbers are dwindling, they wouldnt just release them anywhere and in areas that dont support them. They are released into areas that are away form roads and human settlements, and before they are released they are 'trained' how to live in the wild, e.g. they are taught how to forage in the wild and collect food, and they are also taught how to recognise a predator and run! (this is done by a fake eagle being flown across the roof and an eagle call being played).

The numbers of these animals are coming back in these areas. Perth Zoo never breeds more than they release, they only have about 2 or 3 Numbats on display and these are the numbats that are used for breeding!

I understand what your saying about being against cative breeding and release, and i read that link. But the breeding program mainly runs on public donation. All of the zoos programs run on public donations (including all their projects such as bringing the sunbears over to Perth and building them an enclosure, and supporting 21st Century Tiger ect). Numbers of animals in the areas have increased where the zoo have released them.
Even while in the zoo, the animal is living what is very close to their natural environment, even if they are not to be released.

And about that Lynx thing, thats terrible! It sounds like these people didnt even research anything at all about the environment they were releasing the animals into, or of what the impacts would be to the populations where the animals came from.
The areas in which the animals at Perth Zoo are released into have been carefully researched, this is so they know they are going to a safe area.

Posted by: Ferretboy | August 14, 2007 07:25 AM

Hi Ferretboy! Thank you for the response.

What you're talking about sounds more like augmentation, not reintroduction. I am not at all opposed to augmentation.

For example, if there were say 150 sunbears left in the wild and 2 female sunbears were released, that might be a good thing if the habitat was completely recovered.

As you and I agree, releasing 200 plus lynx or sun bears or whatever into an area that has inadequate protection is very very bad.

I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and I can tell you that a human teaching a wild animal "how" to live in the wild is an imperfect science at best. I've done it. The wild animal's mom is truly the only one who can teach them correctly.

Then you have the fact that an animal bred in captivity has not developed the correct immune system or had the right colostrum to survive illnesses, and they also have not undergone the years and years of natural selection that the native wildlife have.

Then there's the fact that a bunch of captive bred animals released into the wild will create competition for the few animals remaining and cause fights for territory, etc. I just think endangered wild animals have had enough torture from us human beings, and we should not keep torturing them.

Plus if it costs a million bucks to breed these animals the money is better spent on protecting the whole area.

However, like I said before if they're as cautious as you're describing, I think it's a good method. But remember, just because a zoo puts this idealistic plan on their website it does not mean they are actually doing exactly what they describe.

You as a consumer have the right to see it with your own eyes before deciding if you agree with it.

But I would LOVE to organize a group with you and others to reform zoos to be just like you and I both want them to be. Seriously. It's the year 2007 and I think it's time for zoo reform. ;) Peace!!

Posted by: Maya | August 14, 2007 11:31 AM

Hey Maya!
I have seen it with my own eyes :D and believe me they do. I also know a zoo keeper from there, and have met a few others. I went of a day course thingo once and they showed me all around the back areas such as the Native Species Breeding Program, and it is amazing.

And YES, I would love to be in a group like that as well, if there were enough people out there, we would be able to make a difference to the way some zoos treat their animals, and the conditions in which their kept. Believe me, Beijing Zoo isnt all that good. I know soemone who did work experience there, and the keepers beat the Orangutans to get them to do tricks, thats why they do tricks for the public. It took my friend over half and hour to get an orangutan to ocme over to her just for food, thats how scared it was of humans.

I still cant believe how people would release that number of animals into another area of the wild when it was completely inappropriate! Those poor Lynx didnt stand a chance.

Iv always wanted to be a rehabilitator. How do you find being one? Do you enjoy it, and does it get hard sometimes?

Thanks again!

Posted by: Ferretboy | August 15, 2007 07:22 AM

it only shows 21 commentsa here, but it says 22 on the other page D:

one day ill take you all to Perth Zoo to have a look around, you can see for yourselves haha

Posted by: Ferretboy | August 19, 2007 06:28 AM

Ferretboy, you can email me at karyfinch@yahoo.com I have lots of info! ;)

Posted by: Maya | August 20, 2007 07:22 PM

thanks Maya! i will do that

Posted by: Ferretboy | August 21, 2007 08:19 AM

I was reading an article the other day, and it said that Perth Zoo has released nealry 200 numbats, just under 500 Western Swamp Tortoises, and nearly 300 Diblers back into their natural habitat. That goes to show just how many animals get released back into the wild.

Posted by: Ferretboy | September 1, 2007 01:04 PM