Saturday, April 30, 2011
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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.
2 comments:
The Passenger Pigeon Memorial exhibit in Cincinnati is a classic. The exhibit is inside the last of the buildings that made up the bird display in the early 1900s. The Zoo (Ed Maruska) took advantage of the zoo's history to tell an important story. (Any examples at Philadelphia?)
At Animal Kingdom we attempt to tell the guests about the problems of the Bushmeat Crisis and market overhunting. I try to point out that market overhunting didn't begin in Africa and ask if guests have heard of the passenger pigeon, a bird once so numerous flocks would darken the skies as they flew over. Also ask, who goes to Europe for a wildlife tour. Maybe we'll catch on.
Jim,
I suspect a major, major problem in Africa with animal conservation/ivory/Bushmeat etc. etc. is the historical fact that Europeans and Americans have been dictating to the African Nation's what they "must" do, and what they "must" not do, without ever really accepting that it is THEIR natural resource. I'll bet if a delegation of superior African's came to Yellowstone, and told us how to manage and what to do with our elk, buffalo, and wolves, what, when, and how we could hunt, what we can and can not do with the antlers, pelts harvested, we would tell them to get back on what ever plane they flew in on, and turn around and head back to Africa.
Wade
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