The gorilla

[mgreenspan]

Zoos have a purpose.

Not everyone is rich as fuck and can afford to take an extravagant vacation to Africa to see wild animals. If a zoo inspires some random inner city kid to go to college and pursue a profession in veterinary skills then those animals who have been kept on life support served a purpose.

That said, zoos can also provide comic relief. Direct quote from a man at the zoo when he saw an anteater. "'ey! 'ey! Whuh dat 'ere?! Whuh dat 'ere?! Whuh kind dog dat 'ere!!!!?"

 

[jhmover]

Newfoundland can provide comic relief. Had a friend who went there to wire up some shit. One of the locals took him on a tour on their day off. They were on a cliff looking down and the local says "Look! Seals! T'ousands of them! Almost 500!

 

[garrett]

Ehhhh, I don't know about all that. Zoos offer a learning experience that can't be achieved, even with thousands of dollars, in the wild. And Google is no substitute for hearing a lion's roar in person. Not to mention these Zoos have existed long before Google was ever thought of.

A lot of zoos take in animals that would otherwise be euthanized. And every zoo I've ever been to is practically shoving animal protection/conservation down your throat.

It is an "experience", but nothing natural or honest about it. Lions pacing in an inclosure isn't something I need my kid to "experience". Maybe I am being selfish, but some of my very first memories as a kid were in Alaska. We spent time along the Russian River and saw all kinds of cool animals. Would have I remembered a zoo "experience" at the same time in my life? I don't want my 5 year old thinking zoos are places to see "wild" animals. Fuck that. When she's a bit older she'll go on trips that I have taken - Alaska, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Newfoundland/Lab, Baja, etc. You just have to want to go there. Yes of course i realize an hour ride to the local zoo is a lot more convenient than Alaska, but my one experience to Alaska trumped a dozen day trips to a local zoo. Matter of fact I hardly remember any zoo visits.

It's like SeaWorld - effectively putting whales in dixie cups and having them perform flips and shit for your viewing pleasure. Another circus/side show. What an entertaining experience!! Educational, I don't think so.

I'm not a fan of PETA, the Sea Shepherd or another other organization pushing animals rights. I simply just don't like zoos. I don't take pride in not going to them, but I honestly don't think anyone is missing out by avoiding them.

To me it's like comparing a discount cruise to a trip to Baja, Mexico, Bolivia or somewhere less traveled by Wal Mart shoppers. It's not about money, but I have no desire to throw my money at a watered down experience simply because it was cheap, convenient and easy. Now where did I put my Ironman fridge?

 

[D Chapman]

Zoo's in general are just shitty places. I find them very odd. We take wild animals, put them in a box and ogle over them. For what? What is your kid learning? Or is it the experience? Same goes for that dump in Orlando - SeaWorld. Take the risk in the wild or Google that shit. Exploiting wild animals so your fat, annoying kid can rub his booger laden hands all over the glass isn't something I'm keen on I guess. Take them to a Wal Mart to see large animals in their native habitat.

I don't know about this zoo, but some zoo's are research facilities. The tourists foot the bill for research. Is the research important? I guess that depends. It seems to be for panda bears. Not sure about gorillas.

Every horse farm I've ever seen reminds me of a zoo. Horse people don't stop at just horses. They have 12 dozen cats, a few "rescue dogs", a llama or five, and ferrets.

 

[D Chapman]

It is an "experience", but nothing natural or honest about it. Lions pacing in an inclosure isn't something I need my kid to "experience". Maybe I am being selfish, but some of my very first memories as a kid were in Alaska. We spent time along the Russian River and saw all kinds of cool animals. Would have I remembered a zoo "experience" at the same time in my life? I don't want my 5 year old thinking zoos are places to see "wild" animals. Fuck that. When she's a bit older she'll go on trips that I have taken - Alaska, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Newfoundland/Lab, Baja, etc. You just have to want to go there. Yes of course i realize an hour ride to the local zoo is a lot more convenient than Alaska, but my one experience to Alaska trumped a dozen day trips to a local zoo. Matter of fact I hardly remember any zoo visits.

Beside back-and-forth to her moms house, where do you take your kid to experience these experiences you like to talk about?

 

[fishEH]

How many kids do you have? I have 3. Alaska, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Newfoundland/Lab, Baja, etc. The reality is that I won't be able to take my kids to most of those places. I consider myself to be middle class and make a decent living, but I won't be able to foot the bill for a 5 person trip to Bolivia. And you can be darn sure that most of the kids that live in the inner city in which these zoos are located won't be able to take a trip like that.

Not everybody makes a lovong on "overland adventure" and can write off trips to Bolivia (gross assumption on my part).

By your statements I'm assuming you're against pet ownership as well??

EDIT* Your FB profile leads me to believe you have no kids. Yet you know all about what they should/shouldn't experience?
Funny that you can justify owning dogs which were once wild animals.

It is an "experience", but nothing natural or honest about it. Lions pacing in an inclosure isn't something I need my kid to "experience". Maybe I am being selfish, but some of my very first memories as a kid were in Alaska. We spent time along the Russian River and saw all kinds of cool animals. Would have I remembered a zoo "experience" at the same time in my life? I don't want my 5 year old thinking zoos are places to see "wild" animals. Fuck that. When she's a bit older she'll go on trips that I have taken - Alaska, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Newfoundland/Lab, Baja, etc. You just have to want to go there. Yes of course i realize an hour ride to the local zoo is a lot more convenient than Alaska, but my one experience to Alaska trumped a dozen day trips to a local zoo. Matter of fact I hardly remember any zoo visits.

It's like SeaWorld - effectively putting whales in dixie cups and having them perform flips and shit for your viewing pleasure. Another circus/side show. What an entertaining experience!! Educational, I don't think so.

I'm not a fan of PETA, the Sea Shepherd or another other organization pushing animals rights. I simply just don't like zoos. I don't take pride in not going to them, but I honestly don't think anyone is missing out by avoiding them.

To me it's like comparing a discount cruise to a trip to Baja, Mexico, Bolivia or somewhere less traveled by Wal Mart shoppers. It's not about money, but I have no desire to throw my money at a watered down experience simply because it was cheap, convenient and easy. Now where did I put my Ironman fridge?

 

[Devildog01]

Beside back-and-forth to her moms house, where do you take your kid to experience these experiences you like to talk about?

Pull pin, drop spoon and throw.

 

[garrett]

Beside back-and-forth to her moms house, where do you take your kid to experience these experiences you like to talk about?

I was speaking about my experiences as a kid - the first ones I remembered personally. I didn't really start remembering cool things as a kid until I was 5, so I'm not set on doing any cool trips with her until at least after that with her. She's traveled a significant amount with her mother, but we don't quite have the same style of "trips". We spend time at Great Country Farms www.greatcountryfarms.com (happens to have a brewery and winery across the street) on Fridays and weekends, our farm, local farms where I get my milk and eggs and she's been to almost every museum in DC. She's not into horses like my friends kids and I am ok with that, though I think having a pony is great for building responsibilities. Personally the Museum of Natural History is our favorite, so she's been there several times between her mother and I. I'm in DC this entire week, so there is plenty of stuff to do this time of year. She's lucky I think - the best of both worlds - the best museums just 10 min away with her mom and all kinds of "farm" experiences at my doorstep. Not to mention I have a significant amount of travel experience that will come in handy when she's a little older.

I'm at Peet's in Shirlington right now, so I am taking in plenty of the local habitat and enjoying it. I'll pick her up around 3pm today and see what's she up for. It won't be a zoo though.

 

[D Chapman]

I was speaking about my experiences as a kid - the first ones I remembered personally. I didn't really start remembering cool things as a kid until I was 5, so I'm not set on doing any cool trips with her until at least after that with her. She's traveled a significant amount with her mother, but we don't quite have the same style of "trips". We spend time at Great Country Farms www.greatcountryfarms.com (happens to have a brewery and winery across the street) on Fridays and weekends, our farm, local farms where I get my milk and eggs and she's been to almost every museum in DC. She's not into horses like my friends kids and I am ok with that, though I think having a pony is great for building responsibilities. Personally the Museum of Natural History is our favorite, so she's been there several times between her mother and I. I'm in DC this entire week, so there is plenty of stuff to do this time of year. She's lucky I think - the best of both worlds - the best museums just 10 min away with her mom and all kinds of "farm" experiences at my doorstep. Not to mention I have a significant amount of travel experience that will come in handy when she's a little older.

I'm at Peet's in Shirlington right now, so I am taking in plenty of the local habitat and enjoying it. I'll pick her up around 3pm today and see what's she up for. It won't be a zoo though.

Hmmmm, sounds like it's an awful lot about you and what you like.

 

[garrett]

How many kids do you have? I have 3. Alaska, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Newfoundland/Lab, Baja, etc. The reality is that I won't be able to take my kids to most of those places. I consider myself to be middle class and make a decent living, but I won't be able to foot the bill for a 5 person trip to Bolivia. And you can be darn sure that most of the kids that live in the inner city in which these zoos are located won't be able to take a trip like that.

Not everybody makes a lovong on "overland adventure" and can write off trips to Bolivia (gross assumption on my part).

By your statements I'm assuming you're against pet ownership as well??

EDIT* Your FB profile leads me to believe you have no kids. Yet you know all about what they should/shouldn't experience?
Funny that you can justify owning dogs which were once wild animals.

No not against pet ownership. I have two rescue dogs and also work for a pet rescue - Pet Connect Rescue out of MD. So I am always fostering a dog. I just placed a dog last week that came from a hoarder that had 50 dogs in their home. I've always worked for various rescues and we've had horses from time to time too - currently having one. So that's my way of giving back to the animal world as small as it might be.

If you want to compare domesticated rescue dogs to wild animals in zoos, you might want to find a better argument. That is possibly one of the dumbest comparisons I have heard. Dogs have been domesticated for over 16,000 years. That silverback or lion at the zoo - not at all.

I have one child - turning 5 in the fall.

The argument about not being able to afford unique trips is BS. I have been doing this long enough to know the costs involved. It comes down to really wanting to make it happen. I've taken kids on some of these trips of various ages and it can work and we're not talking about rich "overlanders" in Sportsmobiles either. These are working class people saving up money and doing it efficiently and not always through OEX, etc. I've helped people piece together trips on their own. I enjoy doing that for people as planning is a huge part of the experience and fun.

My living has little to nothing to do with "overlanding" trips. I ran some trips for OEX in the past - Iceland, Newfoundland/Lab and Bolivia, but that's not where my income comes from. 100% of my income comes from military driver training. Iceland, Newfy and Bolivia where while I was working with OEX, but I've traveled extensively well before OEX. Much of it done on the cheap too - camping, staying with people I knew, etc.

I know a lot of people that have a fear of traveling, but that's because they haven't done it and their information comes from people with similar travel experience - little to none. They "think" Mexico is unsafe, they "think" Central and South America are unsafe. There are lots of safe places to take your kids that are safe, unique and affordable. You just need to take the take to do a little research, set aside some time and make it happen. It is easy? Of course not. Take a cruise or hit up Sandals if you want that.

 

[D Chapman]

Garrett still thinks a cruise is about traveling. That's probably what other people who do not have a clue think as well.

 

[brian4d]

Zoo's in other countries can be very bad. Well run zoos serve a good purpose and for the most part the animals are treated like gold. They never wonder about their next meal.

 

[pinkytoe69]

for the most part the animals are treated like gold. They never wonder about their next meal.

Nor do they worry about being a next meal.

 

[brian4d]

Nor do they worry about being a next meal.

Very true.

 

[brian4d]

In Asheboro this guy could not have been happier. Constantly showing off with random routines.

 

[ERover82]

A cruise is a hotel with a captain.


Happy natural polar bear

 

[ERover82]

Ideally this is how my family would experience wildlife, but I'm not a dentist either.

 

[emmodg]

I don't even NEED to see a wild animal in its natural habitat to love the fact that they do indeed LIVE in their NATURAL habitat. Perhaps zoos have become a need? If so their need arises out of OUR doing not the animal's. It's a fucking sad comment on our own species that we need another to entertain us.

 

[brian4d]

I don't even NEED to see a wild animal in its natural habitat to love the fact that they do indeed LIVE in their NATURAL habitat. Perhaps zoos have become a need? If so their need arises out of OUR doing not the animal's. It's a fucking sad comment on our own species that we need another to entertain us.

Zoos do a great job at educating the public. They also give people what the can't experience in a text book. If one animal in one zoo inspires an individual to dedicate their life helping/protecting an animal or Eco system I say it's worth it. Why all this talk about zoos being bad? Shouldn't we start with the circus first? Just say'in.

 

[brian4d]

A cruise is a hotel with a captain.


Happy natural polar bear

Not knocking this (I really want to do the AK cruse one day) but he looks hungry!