If you’re around 18 and you dont find this nostalgic I feel bad for your childhood
Tag: shit
Ok, folk, sorry the queue is dead. I literally cannot keep up with how fast things are exploding in the zoo world right now, much less try to write about / post about all of the implications. I’m going to put up a masterpost of all the currently important stuff tomorrow with links and some context so people are at least aware, because just … holy shit, guys. AZA’s choice to publicly let the CEO of HSUS speak at their 2017 conference turned the entire industry on its ear. I don’t even have cogent ways to explain the degree to which things are getting messy.
@kessuburd you should be very concerned for the continued existence of zoos and the conservation programs they run. period.
Please stop fear mongering. You are acting like zoos are closing tomorrow and literally no keeper I, as a keeper, know, is nearly as worried as you are.
^ exactly. Nobody at my facility is freaking out like that…
I’m really glad that hasn’t been a thing you encountered, however, it might be worth paying really close attention to what happens in the next few weeks.
- AZA just publicly turned down two major sponsorships – one from an anti-AR org, one from another humane association – in favor of HSUS.
- I know of multiple facilities for whom this has confirmed their choice to not apply for AZA accreditation.
- I know of multiple facilities who are cancelling plans to have their members attend the conference due to the collusion with HSUS.
- Partnership with HSUS always comes at a cost. For Seaworld, it was orca breeding – we don’t know what AZA’s is, but all indications are that it is going to be related to ending breeding, removing elephants from zoos, or allowing HSUS control over some aspect of animal welfare regulations.
If you don’t think this is causing a huge schism between AZA and the rest of the zoo industry, and you haven’t studied the history of both the animal rights organizations in general or more specifically their tactics regarding going after zoos, you need to do some research. I’ve been studying the progression of the politics surrounding how AR is interacting with the zoo field full-time for almost a year now and it is very legitimately that scary. This is how zoos end – not today, not tomorrow, but when we suddenly wake up one day to realize that HSUS is now controlling AZA and they’ve collaborated to legislate all other facilities and accreditation out of existence.
The fact that staff at AZA institutions still is not aware this is happening is kind of exactly why it’s such a big freaking deal.
PiraticOctopus 