keeperchat:

eruditionanimaladoration:

Zoos arent just about the research. We also are here to educate the ignorant. To bring awareness to the problems of conservation.

 And how would you propose we educate people? flyers on car windows? Lectures on college campuses? How many people you think will be intrigued by that? Its been proven that people learn more and want to keep learning when they are enjoying what they are learning. Education through Entertainment 

Oh and what about the animals that need help but no one cares about?all the small racer snakes, dart frogs or even the bali mynah? You think you could get enough people to care enough for just them alone? A zoos collection is diverse to encourage people to come out. People might come to see one animal and end up learning about 20 more the had no idea existed 

And you’ve obviously never worked for a research unit otherwise you’d know how hard it is to get funding just to see how to handle the problem. Let alone fund a 10+year venture to fix the problem? But maybe if we can entertain while we educate people would be willing to donate to help us educate others. Thus funding our research in the process.

Now I have said countless times i dont disagree with the anticap movement. Because i feel we are all trying to do whats best for the animals. BUT You all dont seem to understand, or want to understand how the world works. You say things like “Why dont we just let them go and leave them alone.” I wish we could just let them go and thats that. But Its not the zoo people who are killing endangered animals, destroying habitats. We arent the ones you should be fighting. 

Again. If you can give me a better FEASIBLE plan to  fund a conservation program with no true end date. By all means let me know and i’ll quit and come work for you. But until then I’ve got animals to love and care for

Hey hey yo gotta add my 2 cents here and I have had a rough week so buckle up.

“If zoos were just about conservation why have it like a theme park? why not just have a research facility?”

One word: MONEY.

eruditionanimaladoration said this already, but allow me to add a few cars to his train of thought.

Dear Anon, who may I ask is funding these magical ~*research facilities*~ you want so badly?  Do you realize how expensive it is to simply house animals, let alone try to breed them, let ALONE conduct long-term research?  ESPECIALLY exotics and rare species, who need such highly specialized care in everything from their food to their housing to their veterinary care?  That shit costs money.

And guess what zoos are?  They’re businesses.  Businesses that make money.

People coming to the zoo to look at the animals = people paying money that can be used for conservation and research.  And it IS used for those things, so unless you’ve studied the budget reports of every AZA facility and can prove me wrong, don’t get in my face with the “but it doesn’t ALL go to conservation” whining.  Obviously it doesn’t all go to conservation.  It also goes towards feeding the animals, and buying their enrichment and medication, and keeping the lights on and the water running, and maintaining the facility, and oh, I don’t know, paying the staff who take care of the animals 24/7/365.  All of these are important things, yeah?

Read up on C2S2 (Conservation Centers for Species Survival) and then tell me there are no zoos devoted to research.  Some of them are closed to the public, like SCBI, but guess what SCBI is affiliated with?  Smithsonian’s National Zoo.  The money has to come from somewhere.  It’s not going to fall from the sky, it’s not going to grow on beanstalks.  When people come to my zoo and complain that an exhibit is too small, or that we don’t fund a particular conservation project, you know what my response is?  “Yes, I agree that it could be better.  Do you have a million dollars you’d like to contribute to the cause?”  That shuts people up real fast because somehow no one ever considers that keepers want the best for our animals, too.  We want the best for them more than you do, even.  We’ve dedicated our careers and a significant portion of our personal lives to making sure that our animals are well cared for – how could it NOT occur to you that if we could do better for them, we would?

So excuse my language but do not FUCKING tell me that “zoos don’t really care.”  Bull SHIT.  I work at a zoo, and I care so fucking much I can’t even put it into words.  To you we may be “cogs in the machine” who are doing the “bare minimum,” but with all due respect, what the fuck are you doing?  You’re making accusations from behind an Anonymous ask.  Come to work with me, or with eruditionanimaladoration, or with any keeper, and watch what we do all day.  See for yourself how deeply we care about these animals, how deeply we care about conservation, and how passionate we are about what we do.  THEN you talk to me.

Of course zoos aren’t perfect.  I never said they were.  eruditionanimaladoration never said they were.  Go ahead and read Zoo Story by Thomas French and educate yourself a little more about zoo ethics before you go running your mouth about “if zoos really cared about conservation they would just be research facilities.”  

Bottom line: zoos are one means to a single end that we all agree is important: conservation.  If you have a better idea, go ahead and share it; we’re all ears.  Until then, either help or shut up.

keeperchat OUT.