"Zoological Consultant" Peter Stroud

Peter Stroud of Peter Stroud Services is a paid Zoological Consultant. That means he say's what the people paying want him to say. His bias and personal agenda is so think it would choke a horse. Not a single one of his assoications or affiliate organizations of which he "consults" and is paid for said "consults" advocates the proper captive husbandry of animals. Everyone of them advocates no animals in captivity. That is their agenda. Some bury it deep and you have to look for it, and some have it right on the surface, but every single one of them have wrong facts, designed to "polish their agenda apple." If Peter Stroud will be kind enough to put down his books and stop writting/reading highline research papers for a moment I would like to offer him a "just common folks" education. In his letter to the Washington Post on August 22, 2010 regarding the new elephant habitat at the National Zoo, Peter Stroud say's this:

"Elephants need exercise. There is what the zoo calls an Exercise Trek — a there-and-back route up a hill — but it seems to be designed for elephants to be walked, circus-style, up and down, under the control of a handler. Elephants have soft feet and should never be made to walk any distance on concrete or asphalt, but the route is paved."

Then he say's: "There are sweeping green lawns." Then he ask's: "Why all this close-cropped green grass?" Because you, you nitwit in your one sided consulting capacity advised it. What do you want Peter Stroud, "Elephants have soft feet and should never be made to walk any distance on concrete or asphalt, but the route is paved" or do you want "There are sweeping green lawns," or do you want "Why all this close-cropped green grass?????" Or do you want elephants completly out of a captive situation? The organization's paying you to parrot them would seem to suggest that.

Now here is where you get the free education. You ask, "Where are the piles of loose earth and sand? Where are the scratching posts? Where is the varied terrain, the boulders and logs and mud wallows?" If you look to the left of the photo above and to the extreme back in the barred enclosure you will see what is commonly refered to as loose earth and sand. You will note patches of said loose earth and sand around the pool which should facilitate the elephants making a dandy "mud wallow" in short order. Which should "engage or challenge an elephant" in your esteemed suggestion.

Do you note that wavy wall? That can be interpreted as "varied terrain", and although not a bolder in the true sense, I don't think the elephants will know the difference. But you are right about log's. Apparently the goof's forgot logs as I don't note any. Speaking of "Where are the scratching posts?" that referenced wavy wall is about the finest "scratching post" any elephant could ask for. The exuberant one's will love the "scratching post" in the third picture, as they will be able to "scratch" from on end to the other without having to weave around corners. In the second picture is a great "scratching post" if they just want a leasurly ass scratch or just a tad on the head/shoulder. They can use the post beside it at their discression. In the first photo you can see a real dilema, surely designed to make an elephant nuttier then a rat in a tin shit house. What in the world should we scratch on???(lucky for them they don't have to chose a shampoo on the drug store shelf) I can't decide, you decide. Oh my God, I can't decide either. Let's just stand here in the middle and sway and console each other. Freaking zoo folks are trying to make us nuts!!!!