Surabaya Zoo--2006

From what I can find out, the Orangutan above, was part of the Surabaya Zoo animal show, until 2005. His part of the show was to pick up garbage and put it in the basket he is carrying. The story I found say's he was "rehabilitated" and released in 2007. I don't know for sure if "rehabilitated" meant he was discouraged from picking up garbage anymore, or if he was made a member of the local garbage collectors union, and is now cleaning up the jungle for time and a half, double on holiday's?

I am reminded of getting ready to train some pigs for a show at the Toronto Zoo in 1991, to tout the arrival of the Wart hogs at the zoo after a 50 year ban on swine. When the zoo staff/board heard a "circus animal guy" was going to be doing the training they were concerned about what would be done to the pigs. When I assured them I had no intention of using a whip or firing a blank pistol at a "bouncing" pig, they were temporarily put at ease. When they asked what I intended on training the pig's to do, when I suggested "jump hurdles" as one thought, they gagged, until I explained that they would not be chrome hurdles with chaser lights, but instead made of natural looking wood show casing a pig's athletic ability, they were temporarily put at ease. Then one nit wit in a designer business suit and heels questioned man's "ethical right" to teach an animal to perform tricks and how that would reflect on Toronto Zoo's "philosophy." I panicked as a number of similarly attired nit wit's nodded in agreement. I had being saving something just for this moment and told them, "I am also going to teach one of the pig's to "recycle" garbage which will be a clear message to the public affirming Toronto Zoo's commitment to our environment. The nit wit's sat up and asked suspiciously, "explain what you intend to do." I told them we were going to get a familiar at the time, blue City of Toronto recycling bin and have one of the pigs pick up empty liter soda bottle's and carry them in his mouth, across the arena where he would drop them into the recycling bin, thus reminding the folks in the audience to "not be a pig and to take care of and clean up their world." I had them in my pocket after that. They were high fiveing and back slapping each other and congratulating one and all on their "ethical, environmentally friendly, educational" animal show. I had circumvented their "ethic's" and "philosophy" in one fell swoop.

Imagine my surprise and disbelief when the opening night "members only" review of the new pig show and Wart hog exhibit arrived, with a free "hillbilly hootenanny" costumes required, complete with clowns juggling and riding amongst guests on unicycles, and those designer business suits and heels walking around with cocktails looking like the Beverly Hillbilly's. Best of all, there were 4 fire pits with pigs turning on spits, roasting!!!!!!! To think, four months earlier the silly bitches were concerned I was going to hit a pig with a whip, and whether it was ethically and morally right to teach one to jump hurtles, chrome or otherwise!!!!!!!

I assumed one day Toronto would be in the pickle it is in now with their elephants. Anybody who didn't see that coming had to be blind. To think folks ask me all the time, "what forever in the world has made you so cynical about captive animals?" Believe me, I could go on and on about the hypocrisy of a liberal kool-aid world.