Suzanne and Stefan above
Courtesy of Stefan Grossmann
Monday, February 2, 2009
Suzanne Chipperfield Tigers Krone Winter Program
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
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.
The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE"
Relevent Stops On The Information Highway
- Custom Motorcycle Accessories by Ian
- Bob Cline's Sawdust and Spangles
- Buckles Blog
- Christophe Roullin Circus News
- Gary Robinsons Circus Blog
- Jamie Clubbs Blog
- Marco Kristens Circus Williams
- Ryan Easley's ShowMe Elephants
- Showbiz Daves Blog
- The Bartlett Society
- Thomas Bohners Cage Act History
- World of Dancing Horses
Manure Pile/Post Archive
Consultants
Wade G Burck
Adam R Burck
Eric G Burck
Adam R Burck
Eric G Burck
Posts
15 comments:
Are the lights in pic #2 and #3 for illumination or for warmth?
Steve,
I would have to say illumination, as they are not red and I have never known of a beast wagon to have them for warmth. Supposedly a pile of hay will do the trick.
Wade
It does the trick in Australia but it doesn't get so cold over here!
I have seen Martin Lacey use red lights for warmth is his beast wagons.
Stefan
Steve, Stefan,
No we are again touching on a subject that I have raised many times in the past, and no one seems to want to address it. The issue of husbandry standards/laws and what is a good standard/law, which is different in each country, and are we wasting time/alibiing with space requirements because they are visual and not looking closely at more "invisible" viable husbandry shortcomings. How good are those beast wagons with all the space, without heat in a freezing situation?
Wade
Thank you Stefan. So are the lights in Suzanne's beast-waggon for illumination or for warmth or for both? Lights don't have to be red for warmth.
Wade - in all the work that we did to achieve Standards for circus animal display in Australia the underlying concern of the Government was always "public perception" In other words -window dressing. We used to argue that the "quality" of the available space was more important than the "quantity" of space available. They could never accept that argument because they were so fixated on the AR claims that elephants/tigers/whatever roam for 40 kilometres in the wild every day - therefore they must need huge areas in captivity. When you have legislators who are already sympathetic to motherhood type feelgood claims it is very difficult to inject some realism into a discussion.
They will legislate for the obvious and overlook other areas that could be even more vital for an animal's wellbeing.
Steve,
What white lights produce a suitable amount of warmth? As wrong as the effort at space, and yes it is quality, is by the authorities as self serving are the folks in the industry who know know better and reference a large cage or a hot fence pen as being on the "cutting edge" of captive animal husbandry, hoping to cause their ineptness as a trainer to be over looked. Mental well being is an issue that has been overlooked in the pursuit of the physical.
Wade
We use 150w mercury vapour lights for both warmth and to provide UVB rays for mammals such as Marmosets.
You can also get these in 300w.
Would work for cats too.
"Mental wellbeing" has been an overlooked issue but is now being addressed in this country by AR type people who have lost the "space" argument since Standards were adopted. The buzz word now is "enrichment" and there are experts out there with enrichment ideas ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. Because "enrichment" is not a science we have found that the opposition is getting away with sprouting self serving BS - a stance that used to be our prerogative!
Steve,
What is the danger of fire if hay/straw is used as bedding? Yes common for smaller confined caging of marmoset night dens, but I don't know if practical in a metal, uninsulated beast wagon. I also think the encourage laying in one spot not moving, having the same affect as a "hot rock" for a snake. I don't think it is as good useful husbandry wise as forced air heat, if a heated environment is impossible to provide.
Again as I have referenced in the past mental well being how the animal reacts to what it is doing or to the person it is doing it with, again going to skill.
Can you not tell in a heart beat Steve if an animal is happy with the person that is performing or working with them?
Wade
Wade - any form of warmth will encourage them to lay in one spot - me too!! LOL
We always had lights for illumination in our lion semi and, providing they are suitably protected from the animals, double earthed and run through an approved cut-out device, should not be unsafe. We've certainly never had a problem in the circus but, then again, we've never had weather so cold that we've used them for heat. I'm just saying that white light would be just as effective as red light. The only downside would be alteration to the photo-period.
Do I know in a heart beat if an animal is happy with the person it is working with - I reckon!
Have a look at the pics of Suzanne Chip's tigers - they are alert, calm, inquisitive and give the impression that they are totally at ease in their environment.
Steve,
I am not talking about before and after a performance. I am talking about the apprehension, scared ness, of a performance coming up. Are they confident all will be ok, or are they afraid it is going to hell in a hand basket as it did the performance before, and the 3 years prior. Do they have to be forced and, and then watched so they don't bolt at the first crack of the cage door?
Wade
Wade
Steve,
We too have lights mounted in the semi trailer, for illumination to load. The lights in the beast wagon Hawthorn had were also for illumination. and provided nil to nothing as far as heat. Infrared lighting will provide direct heat, but will only heat an area if it is small enough. A cluster of chicks under a heat lamp don't walk to far away as the drafty coop is cold out from under the lamp.
Wade
Happy working animals? My one and only group of tigers were so relaxed working that, in one town, an entire morning talk back radio show was devoted to "are they drugged"?
How do you win?
Steve,
Again there is a big difference between bored indifference and still alertness, as there is a difference between aggressive roaring/hissing and defensive roaring/hissing.
I suggest if presenters were regulated before cage size, they may see a lot of mistaken stereotypical behavior disappear.
Wade
I'd certainly agree with that.
Post a Comment