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#21
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"Marina" wrote in message ...
"Crdamz" wrote in I really have mixed feelings about zoos, too. The fact is, zoos use baby animals to draw in the public and increase proceeds---but when those animals grow up and they don't draw the crowds in anymore, they are likely to be sold to other, less scrupulous venues where they won't be well cared for and become targets for abuse. This may be true for some private zoos, which IMO should be made illegal everywhere. However, all respectable zoos carry out very valuable work in promoting species that would be facing extinction otherwise. There are programmes and contracts that cover zoos all over the world, in which many endangered species are bred, and their gene pool is maintained so that it is varied enough (i.e. no inbreeding, this is why zoos exchange animals systematically). All this is very expensive, of course, so getting a lot of visitors is certainly one goal. Of the animals in one of these reputable zoos, some 90-95% were born in captivity, and would hardly be able to make it in the wild. The 5-10% that were not are animals that have been found in the wild, hurt or injured in some way that they cannot make it in the wild any longer. As an example, I could mention the sea eagle that was found near our summer island one autumn. Some idiot had shot its wing full of buckshot. Sea eagles are a protected species here. The eagle was taken to the Helsinki City Zoo (where my sister works) and nursed back to health, but it will never fly again, because the wing was too badly damaged. However, this female eagle has had a number of eaglets, who have been planted back out in the wild to improve the population of sea eagles. This species was near to extinction in the 60s-70s, but is well on its way to recovery by now. I don't have the exact figures, but they are really doing well. Of course, it's not just thanks to this one eagle and her mate, it has taken a lot of other things, like feeding the eagles in winter and guarding their nests against intruders, but zoos can do very valuable work, too. It's not necessarily just a money-maker. Wow, better get off the soapbox now. I agree with you that many zoos are now performing a role in preserving endangered species and that's a good thing, although one wishes it wasn't necessary. I do seem to recall hearing of some private (in the sense of not being funded by a government) zoos that engage in this effort, although that's just a vague recolllection on my part. Looking on the web, I found (http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/6187722.htm)that the Candadian Lynx is listed as a "threatened species" by the US Interior Department, which is one step under an "endangered" speciees. There were about 800 of them in the continental US a few years ago when efforts were made to reintroduce more of them into the wild in the Rocky Mountains. This effort has had some success. The main problem for the Canandian lynx has been enroachment of its native habitat by civilization (no big surprise). Obviously, the guy involved here is just engaged in a business, although it might some unintended positive side benefit in terms of preserving the species if he avoids inbreeding. I felt sorry for the one that got loose when I read that he was apparently hanging around homes because he was looking to be fed. He's probably incapable of fending for himself in the wild at this point in his life but being a wild animal he can't really be a someone's pet. |
#22
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"Marina" wrote in message ...
"Crdamz" wrote in I really have mixed feelings about zoos, too. The fact is, zoos use baby animals to draw in the public and increase proceeds---but when those animals grow up and they don't draw the crowds in anymore, they are likely to be sold to other, less scrupulous venues where they won't be well cared for and become targets for abuse. This may be true for some private zoos, which IMO should be made illegal everywhere. However, all respectable zoos carry out very valuable work in promoting species that would be facing extinction otherwise. There are programmes and contracts that cover zoos all over the world, in which many endangered species are bred, and their gene pool is maintained so that it is varied enough (i.e. no inbreeding, this is why zoos exchange animals systematically). All this is very expensive, of course, so getting a lot of visitors is certainly one goal. Of the animals in one of these reputable zoos, some 90-95% were born in captivity, and would hardly be able to make it in the wild. The 5-10% that were not are animals that have been found in the wild, hurt or injured in some way that they cannot make it in the wild any longer. As an example, I could mention the sea eagle that was found near our summer island one autumn. Some idiot had shot its wing full of buckshot. Sea eagles are a protected species here. The eagle was taken to the Helsinki City Zoo (where my sister works) and nursed back to health, but it will never fly again, because the wing was too badly damaged. However, this female eagle has had a number of eaglets, who have been planted back out in the wild to improve the population of sea eagles. This species was near to extinction in the 60s-70s, but is well on its way to recovery by now. I don't have the exact figures, but they are really doing well. Of course, it's not just thanks to this one eagle and her mate, it has taken a lot of other things, like feeding the eagles in winter and guarding their nests against intruders, but zoos can do very valuable work, too. It's not necessarily just a money-maker. Wow, better get off the soapbox now. I agree with you that many zoos are now performing a role in preserving endangered species and that's a good thing, although one wishes it wasn't necessary. I do seem to recall hearing of some private (in the sense of not being funded by a government) zoos that engage in this effort, although that's just a vague recolllection on my part. Looking on the web, I found (http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/6187722.htm)that the Candadian Lynx is listed as a "threatened species" by the US Interior Department, which is one step under an "endangered" speciees. There were about 800 of them in the continental US a few years ago when efforts were made to reintroduce more of them into the wild in the Rocky Mountains. This effort has had some success. The main problem for the Canandian lynx has been enroachment of its native habitat by civilization (no big surprise). Obviously, the guy involved here is just engaged in a business, although it might some unintended positive side benefit in terms of preserving the species if he avoids inbreeding. I felt sorry for the one that got loose when I read that he was apparently hanging around homes because he was looking to be fed. He's probably incapable of fending for himself in the wild at this point in his life but being a wild animal he can't really be a someone's pet. |
#23
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Mishi wrote: Our local zoo, Burnet Park Zoo, in Syracuse, New York, US, has a captive breeding program for endangered species. They just announced in the paper that they have a new set of Lion Tamarin twins, and they have had a successful elephant breeding program for years. One of the male elephants born here was sent to England to participate in the breeding program set up there! I echo Joyce's sentiment about there being a place for them to go back to, though the way things are going, it may be a long time before anyone sees it! The way things are going, how long will we have a fit place for HUMANS to "go back to"? Global Warming doesn't only affect wilderness areas (although our raping the rain forests certainly has helped to accelerate it.) |
#24
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Mishi wrote: Our local zoo, Burnet Park Zoo, in Syracuse, New York, US, has a captive breeding program for endangered species. They just announced in the paper that they have a new set of Lion Tamarin twins, and they have had a successful elephant breeding program for years. One of the male elephants born here was sent to England to participate in the breeding program set up there! I echo Joyce's sentiment about there being a place for them to go back to, though the way things are going, it may be a long time before anyone sees it! The way things are going, how long will we have a fit place for HUMANS to "go back to"? Global Warming doesn't only affect wilderness areas (although our raping the rain forests certainly has helped to accelerate it.) |
#25
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Mishi wrote: Our local zoo, Burnet Park Zoo, in Syracuse, New York, US, has a captive breeding program for endangered species. They just announced in the paper that they have a new set of Lion Tamarin twins, and they have had a successful elephant breeding program for years. One of the male elephants born here was sent to England to participate in the breeding program set up there! I echo Joyce's sentiment about there being a place for them to go back to, though the way things are going, it may be a long time before anyone sees it! The way things are going, how long will we have a fit place for HUMANS to "go back to"? Global Warming doesn't only affect wilderness areas (although our raping the rain forests certainly has helped to accelerate it.) |
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