Courtesy of Stefan Grossmann
Monday, February 2, 2009
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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9 comments:
Further to my comments about enrichment in the previous thread - the "rubbish" strewn about Mr Walliser's exercise cage is a great example of what the experts regard as "enrichment".
It can safely be assumed that Mr Walliser has happy, well adjusted tigers.
We can just hope that they don't ingest splinters of plastic or fracture a limb while disporting themselves around the naturalistic woodwork.
Visually, a few potted palm trees wouldn't go astray!!!
PS: I should have mentioned that this "enrichment" is so effective that the tigers don't even think about leaping on to the shutters and out through the open top of their exercise cage.
Steve,
I have seen balls used and played with for about 2 years. Then they grow up, and the "enrichment" lays untouched for 2 years until it is finally removed. Worse I have seen animals spend there life defending an "enrichment" causing cage mates to lay in the corner, or stay in a confined area so as not to disturb the few who have captured an "enrichment". I don't believe in "toys" and quit using they back in the late 80's when I saw injuries occur, and found that in good weather a number of stock tanks, not one but a number offer more activity, less chance of injury, then laying and chewing on a log/ball. You will see many pictures like this one, in elephant pens and feline. Dozens of "toys" scattered about, and a few minutes of play. The dog laying on the floor chewing a rubber toy is not physically motivated and is not happier. The toy being thrown, and he brings it back, is different, but laying chewing and tearing serves no purpose what so ever, other then providing the humans with something to watch and be entertained.
Wade
P.S. I am going to assume you are joking about the leaping out of the cage.
That was actually the first time that I saw a big cat cage with a open top. To be honest I was surprised/dissapointed to see what Mr. walliser had, since he has a zoo background and learned three years long to be a animal keeper at Augsburg zoo. S I expected a bit more from him, then what you usually see. (Im not saying that people with a circus background are any less knowledgeable).
But maybe thats just the way things are handeld in poland.
Stefan
Stefan,
This is the first time that I heard one was needed. The barred cage is something that is rarely, rarely used today, and it became antiquated in the early 70's.
You will find that this business is one of the most unregulated, un standardized, no rhyme or reason, industries in the world. 50 people each have an idea, and will do it 50 different ways, usually with no basis for their belief then someone told them so, or that's the way it was done 100 years ago. If you ask for studies done on a cat going over the top of an open cage, they will reference some isolated incident that happened in the 1920's and was passed on word of mouth. Unless the cage is very small, the animal is terrified for it's life, the chances of it going over the top are nil to none, in a net cage even less chance. There are so many things have are done a certain way, only because the equipment is 50 years old. So much of what is done in the way of cages, toys, bigness, fresh paint, is done to give the public/fans the "illusion" of caring/compassion, and it actually is of no use except for that purpose. Some of the statements said by fan's on internet sites is absolutely dumbfounding, in regards to a persons capability's, history, or knowledge of animal behavior/husbandry. The wider your experiences the more you will see many, many different way's of doing something. If you base whether it is good or not, on how well you like the person telling you, you will do animals a great disservice.
Poland has banned cage animal acts, and what you see may be one of the reason why. The solution? Go to another country. His zoo keeping background, actually gave him no basis for being an animal trainer. Possibly he was at a small road side zoo, and this kind of husbandry was the norm? Martin has a great advantage over Christian in that Martin has 100% support/provision of a very wealthy circus/organization to assist with what is needed.
But you have offered another reason why there needs to be a standardization.
Wade
Wade - what is a stock tank?
Steve,
a big round container for watering brumbies out in the pasture. The large one's make a decent "tiger pool."
Wade
Made out of heavy grade plastic?
Steve,
Galvanized steel, unless they leave the swinging lights alone, in that case a Donald Duck pool should suffice.
Wade
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