6 zoo myths that arent true
Most behaviors that you see keepers demonstrate at the zoo or aquarium are natural behaviors that the animals do in the wild. When the animals do them, the keepers give them a treat and pair it with a gesture or a word, so that they associate them, and eventually the word or gesture is enough to elicit the behavior because the animal knows that there’s a reward. But here’s the thing: most of those behaviors are encouraged because they help veterinarians and keepers do health checks.
Yeah, its cute when they nose boop the stick, but also keepers need to check their vision and depth perception and mobility. Sea lions are so cute when they wave! But vets and keepers need to check under those flippers to make sure that they’re healthy and that they don’t have any restrictions on their motion or cuts on their skin. Why do they ask animals to jump? Again, to make sure that they’re healthy, and also because its fun and animals LOVE to move around and jump and have fun, its mentally stimulating.
This is the most important thing I will ever reblog and anyone who is still ignorant enough to think zoos are awful can fuck off my blog. Zoos are necessary. If you think otherwise please unfollow me because I don’t want you here.
This is super important for people to see. I have worked at a zoo and I can not tell you how many times I’ve had to defend the zoo for the good they do. People need to learn that zoos are actually helping save endangered species.
Thank you! Sheesh I am tired of zoos getting a bad name. Zoos are not the same as those old ones that were more like side shows. Zoos today are wonderful. Especially with education and conservation programs. Heck the good zoos rescue animals from the bad ones and rehabilitate them. So people stop using blanket terms to cover all zoos. Zoos are wonderful, and if there is a bad one out there, get it stopped and help the good zoos obtain those animals so they can live their life in happiness and comfort.
I took zoology and am very passionate about animals. When I was younger I even thought about working in a zoo. As a project for my class I had to research an animal and create a model of a working zoo enclosure. Keeping in mind both the animal’s needs and the keeper’s needs. We got to visit zoos and aquariums too, so we were well researched on how these things work.
It’s the kind of thinking that “all zoos are bad” which will continue to take good donation money away from zoos. That kind of thinking will prevent zoos from furthering the good that they do. That kind of thinking prevents kids from going and seeing animals they will probably never see otherwise and learning about them. Because you never know, a good experience at a good zoo could inspire the next Steve Irwin, or Jane Goodall.
