Leave Them In The Wild

I like animals.  I like being able to get up close and personal to animals.  I respect animals.  They seem to like me too.  Sarah suggested one time that maybe I'm a "whisperer".

I hate seeing wild animals in zoos.  Sure, they can dress up a zoo pen the best they can and make it look like the animal's native habitat, but it's still a cage.  It may be a cage with a fancy-painted concrete pond, grass, or trees, but it's still a cage.  Some animals that are in cages at zoos have never even seen the outside world.  Born in captivity, they have never experienced their native habitat.  They don't know enough to about the wild to form a mental comparison.  Of the two types of captive animals, they are probably the least problematic.  The ones that were captured in the wild, penned up, and transported to zoos are a whole different story.  They can have a grudge.  They can be pissed and confused.  Wouldn't you be?

Most people have heard the latest news story of the Seaworld employee/trainer that was killed by an Orca by now.  That's just one that we've heard about in the news.  We never hear about all the people injured--Some seriously--By captive wild animals.  I hate to see people hurt, but you certainly can't blame the animals.  They are wild after all.

Zoos used to be sort of a good thing.  It used to be the only chance an average person would ever get to see a wild animal up close.  That was before.  Before the internet.  Before the Discovery Channel.  Before DVD's like Animal Planet (I have that series and love it!). Before we had the various types of media that, together, have provided us with the seemingly unlimited stream of information that has become a mainstream part of our lives.

PETA (and others) have spoken out about animal rights for a long time, but I don't like their guerrilla tactics.  They do things like slinging blood on people and other things like that.  People at PETA are no better than the environmentalists that put spikes in trees to keep loggers from cutting into them.  They may have good intentions, but the way they go about about accomplishing their agenda leaves a lot to be desired.

There is a store here in Tacoma called the B&I.  When I was little I remember going into the store and being enthralled with the fact that they actually had a live gorilla there in a pen in the center of the store.  I think the store was originally running with a circus theme and apparently Ivan (the gorilla's name) fit into their plan.  I believe they also had some fancy birds or whatever.  Fast forward a few decades.  Imagine my surprise when I happened to stop into the B&I store once again and found that Ivan was still there!  I stood and was disgusted at what I saw. When I was a kid I only saw the gorilla.  As I stared into the window the last time I was there I only saw his surroundings.  I was filled with pity and a sort of anger at them allowing such a thing to continue for so long.  As I recall, he had spent all his life in that prison cell--Having been bought as a baby.  The cell was fairly large, but it was plain concrete and stark.  He had several things scattered around for him to "play" with, but nothing more.  The feeling I got was further enhanced when I saw him sitting on the floor against the far wall, staring at the people staring at him through the window.  Without warning he effortless hurled a full-size car tire all the way across the pen (at least 30 or 40 feet--I can't remember) and slamming it into the window.  He had little or no body movement when he threw--No leaning or bracing--It was all arm only. The power of him just added to my dismay at seeing him in those surroundings. I was glad to hear that he was bought by a zoo in Florida or somewhere south a few years ago and is at least living his life in good surroundings.  But he's still in a zoo.

We don't need zoos.  Everybody likes seeing exotic and beautiful animals, and I'm no exception.  I would like to get some really great pictures of them--Perfect shots of them up close and personal.  But then there's the part of me that doesn't want to see them because they're in the zoo.

I guess if I was given a choice, I'd say close 'em... I'll be happy taking pictures of other stuff.