Is that selfie really worth it? Why face time with wild animals is a bad idea The phenomenon of kangaroo selfies hit the headlines earlier this month, when several tourists were injured while feeding wild kangaroos in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney. They may have wanted a memorable holiday snap, but ended up with rather […]
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Tag: Zoos
When Snapping Do Help Captive Animals
We, who visit places that host captive wildlife, can switch our attitude from one of a passive consumer to one of active empathy and compassion so that we actively help them. That enclosure does not look quite right? That animal does not seem quite ‘well’? Then engage in discussions with the staff. Dare to take that […]
Never Fear to Ask —It Could Spare a Life
You see something that you don’t understand, or that concerns you… Should you ask? Is there such thing as a naive question? The answer is ‘Yes’ you should ask. And ‘No’ there are no naive questions when the welfare of animals is at stake. Dare to ask, and engage in a respectful discussion with the […]
Zoo-ing Out: A First in the Travel Indus...
In April 2017, Responsible Travel became the first travel company to stop promoting any holidays that included a visit to a zoo. Their reasons are centered around the education value of zoos, how much is spent on conservation efforts and what percentage of zoned animals are endangered. This is a very courageous decision from a […]
Captive Breeding Programs: Which Shade o...
Increasingly zoo experts are questioning the effectiveness of isolated ex situ breeding for conservation. Some have argued along these lines that “there are far too many endangered species and not nearly enough space to breed them all in captivity and, in many cases, far too little habitat remaining in which to reintroduce them. In addition, […]
The Captivity Effects Denial Phenomenon
Our enthusiasm and indulgence for animal captivity is changing yet very slowly. But we can accelerate our pace, because it can only be a win-win for science, for the animals, and us as moral individuals… ‘Are zoo animals happy? There’s a simple empathy test we can apply‘ is a very good piece of journalism on a […]
The Rescues of Jogja
The weeks I stayed there watching the consequences that we as humans can have in an animal’s life made me think a lot about how selfish we can be, and how much more we have to learn and understand about how harmful our behavior can be. After an unforgettable experience wandering in the Sumatran jungle tracking and […]
Not ALL Zoos Are Bad… But How Do You Kno
Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about the captivity of animals and whether it is a good or a bad thing. With the instant reach of social media, people can be quick to jump on the bandwagon of “All zoos are bad” and “free all of the animals”. However, […]
Zoos: Many Questions & Not Enough Answer
The common public ‘rhetoric’ these days about zoos is: zoo changed and they are now good for both conservation and the collected/exhibited individuals. Well then good! But the topic is not an easy one, after all this is really about ethics and of course, as ethics goes it’s tedious and painful at times (remember the […]
Harambe and the Value of Zoo Collections...
Like many people, I have a mix feeling of incredulity and incredible sadness for what happened few days ago at the Cincinnati zoo and which led to executing Harambe the gorilla after an unattended 4-years child fell in the gorilla enclosure. At the root of all that is our relationship with wildlife. And we have […]