Zoo Parks Garden Nursery Landscaping Guide
Zoo Parks And Mismanagement Of Animals
By Rodger G Allenby
A zoo keeper spends much of his or her life dedicated to caring
for rare and endangered species that may otherwise die off in
the wild. It can be heart-wrenching for these animal lovers to
witness the death of an old or sick friend.
Sometimes these animals die as part of their natural life cycle,
through no fault of the zoo, and often these animals lived much
longer in captivity than they would have in the wild. They never
had to run for their lives, compete for food or trek thousands
of miles in search of water. You could say they "lived the
good life."
Mismanagement Of Zoo Animals
However, in some areas, lack of funding, mismanagement or negligence
led to the deaths of many animals at zoo parks, thus hurting the
reputation of the whole lot.
Zoo parks sometimes fail due to mismanagement, as was the case
with the National Zoo in Washington DC. Under zoo director Lucy
Spelman’s care, two red pandas died after ingesting aluminum phosphide
pellets that were intended to kill rats.
An African lion died after being left alone all night following
surgery. A bobcat was put down for an ingrown claw and a pack
of zebras starved to death from hypothermia and starvation.
Poor Animal Care
Animal rights advocates were also clamoring to know what killed
23 other animals during a short time span, including a young pygmy
hippo, a bear, two giraffes, a seal, an orangutan, a panda, a
lion and a bobcat.
No paperwork was filed for the euthanized black-footed ferrets,
tree kangaroo or bobcat, nor was an official record filled out
for the giraffe that died under anesthesia. "Because of incompetence
in management and veterinary medicine, the operations at the National
Zoo have been in such a state of disarray that it has led to poor
animal care, animal suffering and even animal deaths," wrote
Donald K. Nichols, a senior zoo pathologist.
Lack Of Funding To Treat Sick Animals
The Zoo Northwest Florida is home to another one of the worst
string of incidents at zoo parks. Just as zoo directors were clamoring
for more money to their debt-riddled facility, a number of animal
deaths prompted local outrage.
Former employees said that bad zoos like this one keep them up
at night. According to zoo keepers and veterinarians, coyotes
and New Guinea singing dogs were not treated for flea infestations
and reptiles went untreated for mite infestations due to lack
of financing.
Kangaroos Dying From Bacterial Infections
At least four kangaroos died of bacterial infections. Alligators
and reptiles were locked inside for months without sunlight and
goats were drained of blood to feed vampire bats.
In the latest wave of deaths, a hippo was killed by her father
and a 10-year-old giraffe mysteriously passed after striking his
neck on a post. To top it off, the zoo lost accreditation from
the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. "There is no neglect.
That is simply not true," says zoo vet Gus Mueller.
Zoo Keepers Attacked By Zoo Animals
The safety of zoo parks has also been called into question at
times. While far more people leave zoos unscathed, there are still
a number of zoo incidents that leave Americans wondering whether
we should be so close to wild animals at all.
For instance, a zoo keeper had his finger bitten off by an enraged
chimp in 2009. A man was ravaged by a 300-pound Siberian tiger
who escaped from his cage in 2007. A zoo official at Belgium’s
Olmense Zoo was mauled to death by a cheetah in 2007.
Wild Animals Are Always Dangerous And Unpredictable
That same year, a six-year-old girl was killed by a performing
tiger at the Kunming Zoo after a camera flash disturbed him. A
pregnant zoo keeper was fatally mauled by a 180-pound leopard
at the John Ball Zoo in Michigan.
These incidents and more warn us that wild animals will always
be dangerous; it is indeed nature over nurture.
About the Author:
Rodger G Allenby has written a number of articles on gardening
and landscaping including Mum
Flowers, Table
Top Fountains, Garden
Supplies, Green
Lawn, Grass
Seed, Bird
Baths, Hummingbird
Feeders, Gardening
Tools, Backyard
Putting Green, Backyard
Ideas, Backyard
Landscaping Pictures, Outdoor
Fire Pit, Underground
Pet Fence, Backyard
Fences, Above
Ground Storage Tank, Enclosed
Porch.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.
Little Known Facts About Zoos....
What are some typical animals found in zoos?
When you go to a zoo you are treated to a
wide variety of animals, reptiles and even birds. Some of the
most typical animals that you would find at a zoo are: giraffes,
elephants, lions, tigers, bears and butterflies are only a small
part of what you could see.
Some zoos specialize in aquatic animals
or will have a larger selection of animals to view. Some are smaller
and will be limited to only a handful of animals. But if you go
to a large city that has a famous zoo then you are going to be
treated to several different species.
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