The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

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02:20 Feb 17 2008
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[San Diego is facing a bit of a budget crisis to the public park fund as well as other areas, but it led to some research and a solution].Inspired by the deteriorating Balboa Park of San Diego and the stress to find funding to promote the museums and Zoo in a new light...

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When people think Zoo, they think friendly giraffes, massive elephants and frighteningly beautiful lions and tigers. They think overpriced plastic lunch pales. They think "wow". Zoos date back to 1500 BC and Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt and Chinese Emperor Wen Wang who wanted to display his wealth. The Greeks soon followed suit, but their actions were noble and zoos were used for the study of animal and plant life. It is from the Greeks that we arrive at the modern zoos of today. So what are the purposes of these modern zoos? The ancient Greeks could not travel across the world in a few hours, or talk to a colleague half way across the globe, so in order to learn about nature and its furry inhabitants, they had to be brought to more accessible locations called zoos. In modern times a man can travel to the moon in 3 days so it is safe to assume a flight to Africa is nothing to flinch at. With wild animal in their natural habitat hours away zoos no longer have a distinguished purpose in society. Oh, but they do, a dishonest cruel one where the animal are not used as public spectacles.



Zoos in the UK have supplied animals for scientific testing purposes; they suffer so your shampoo won't make your hair fall out, your lipstick chap and for your new prescription medication. An experiment was carried out on marmoset monkeys in which their sense of smell was destroyed using surgical burning and chemical techniques. The object of the research was to discover whether the breeding rates of the monkeys improved. Marmosets are one of the world's rarest primate species. In another experiment, fully conscious wallabies were decapitated. Typically these animals are the zoos babies all grown up and no long little bundles of joy or the offspring of species that breed fast and frequently such as lions and tigers. These surplus animals [which include older animals as well] are sold to "game" farmers who supply them to hunters. The hunters then for the excitement shoot them, sometimes even while the animals are in cages and have no chance to run or escape, or even know humans are a threat for that matter having been breed in zoos. Deer along with other animals however are killed for their exotic meat and hides. Ostriches are even sold directly to farms. The rest of the surplus animals are sold to abusive circuses and smaller, poorer zoos where the process continues.



Even if an animal is lucky enough to escape the surplus fate, most zoo animals, especially large carnivores, suffer from zoochosis. The animals become deeply depressed, even psychotic, as the result of captivity. Symptoms of zoochosis include nervous pacing, head rocking, and self-mutilation. Ultimately these animals suffer from boredom in their small enclosed spaces, provided with nothing to do.



Most zoos, even those accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, provide substandard facilities and care that do not meet the needs of wild animals. Their focus is on human entertainment, rather than wildlife conservation. Many animals are abused by the very Zoos who pledge to care for them. A zoo in Kaliningrad, Russia might resort to shooting three American black bear cubs that will soon outgrow their enclosure because there is no other space for them. The zoo has already shot one bear because of lack of space. The bears are prolific breeders and can live to be at least 30 years old, making it difficult to find new homes for them when they are grown.



Zoos have sent wild animals to appalling conditions. Between 1984 and 1991, 32 Sumatran rhinos were taken from Indonesia to supply collections in the USA. Nine of these rhino died during or shortly after capture. In 1992 nine black rhinos were captured from the wild in Zimbabwe for an Australian zoo. The animals were for a proposed Captive Breeding Program. One of the males died during quarantine, and another died after charging at metal fencing at the zoo. With both males dead the females had no breeding partners. In addition Black rhino have contracted haemolytic anaemia; Arabian oryx may carry TB; animals in zoos were found to have a form of BSE; canine distemper was found in black footed ferrets. Captive elephants have been found to harbor TB too and an elephant at a zoo died in 1997 from enteritis caused by salmonella. In zoos in this country and around the world, antelope, ostrich and big cats have been found to suffer from a form of 'mad cow disease'. A captive bred animal being released after exposure to BSE is a risk to the health of other animals because so little is known about the disease. So no zoo animals should technically be released back into the wild which shoots holes in the re population of endangered species cover up. Ultimately, we will only save endangered species by preserving their habitats and combating the reasons why they are killed by people.



In conclusion...



If you have men who will exclude any ... creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

-St. Francis of Assisi