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For the sake of all species, including humans, it’s time we recognize there is no more “wild” left on earth. At least not the Hollywood idealized, sanitized, and romanticized version of undisturbed habitat that is totally benign towards its animal inhabitants.
What we have today are fragments of once vast open spaces of land, air and sea that are largely and often poorly managed by the presence of humans. Whether these parcels can survive and sustain their inhabitants will depend on whether humans choose to manage them well or not. But make no mistake, through action or inaction, humans are determining the winners and losers in the race to save the planet’s remaining biodiversity.
It’s here where zoos and aquariums can and do fit in today … regardless of what vocal animal rights groups and recent fishy films misrepresented as “documentaries” try to promulgate.
Modern zoos and aquariums do great work. Period.
Particularly, those facilities and the individuals employed by them that aspire to the ideals, ethics and ever-increasing standards of animal care and behavioral training represented by organizations such as the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to name a few.
These animal professionals distinguish themselves because they are never satisfied with the status quo. They strive with each new day, and often against depressing wildlife realities across the globe, to try to make the world a better place for animals and people.
Of course, no serious zoo professional would claim we’ve achieved perfection or have all the answers. Still, the progress zoos have made over the past 20 years is real and undeniable.
When my career began about a quarter century ago, most zoo animal collections were managed by biologists. Since then, with an improved understanding of the comprehensive needs of species and ecosystems, zoos today draw upon a much wider range of scientific disciplines such as behaviorists, nutritionists, botanists, reproductive physiologists, researchers, veterinary specialists, as well as, biologists.
Increasingly, even entry level keeper positions require a minimum of a 2 year, and usually, a four year college degree. Working together, this team approach enhances the wellbeing of the entire animal, encompassing not only its physical needs, but its social and psychological health, too.
Furthermore, like no app or TV show can, zoos create opportunities for individuals to connect with animals in very personal ways that change hearts and minds. Thus, zoos foster greater public concern and ideally, greater preservation action for other living things.
Yet, with all the advancements in our understanding of animal behavior and biology – lessons which are used daily to help countless wild animals in need – it has become fashionable by some, not only to deride zoos and aquariums, but conveniently to ignore their important contributions to conservation, education, science, animal welfare, habitat restoration, wildlife rescue and reintroduction, and our local economies.
It is a matter of fact that several species, like the California Condor, black-footed ferret, and scimitar horned oryx owe their continued existence to the work done and money generated, not by government agencies or well-funded animal rights groups, but by exemplary private and public, for profit and nonprofit zoos just trying to keep the doors open while also living up to their commitment to self-improvement.
It is sad and more than a bit ironic that the recent crescendo questioning the value of moderns zoos and calling for their closure by uninformed critics, including some elected officials around the US, comes at a time when unique habitats and record numbers of species are being wiped out of existence.
Notably, poachers in search of rhino horn, which is worth more by weight than gold, have driven the species to brink of extinction with more than 1,000 animals killed in South Africa alone for each of the past three years.
Similarly, rampant trading of illegal ivory may make elephants disappear within our lifetime. Some 100,000 elephants have been killed for their ivory over the past 3 years. Even more shocking losses are the estimated 300,000 cetaceans killed by boat strikes or the 100 million sharks taken each year.
Clearly, we need good zoos, now more than ever.
It’s not just the animals living in modern zoos, aquariums and oceanariums that benefit from the growing body of scientific knowledge and experience they produce. Millions of wild and domestic animals have better, more humane lives along our shores and right in our own living rooms. That’s all thanks to the husbandry and training leadership from zoos like SeaWorld, which actively rescues, rehabilitates, and returns hundreds of stranded marine animals like sea birds, manatees, sea lions and dolphins each year.
It might also interest animal lovers to know that the trend away from traditional fear and punishment based pet training to the increasingly popular reward-based “clicker training” for untold numbers of dogs, horses, and others is due to a former marine mammal trainer. Or that one of the earliest cases of a critically endangered African monkey to be given daily lifesaving voluntary insulin injections was taught to do so by a former orca whale trainer more than 25 years ago.
Efforts such as these illustrate a commitment to advance animal science, health, and reward-based behavioral training that directly benefits thousands of animal professionals, their zoo charges, as well as millions of zoo visitors and pet owners. Lessons that offer some hope of managing and thus, preserving wild animal populations even as the number of humans rapidly approaches 8 billion consumers, each gobbling up what’s left of wildlife habitat and resources.
Yes, we need zoos more than ever.
About the Author: Grey Stafford, PhD
Dr. Grey Stafford is author of the animal training book, ZOOmility: Keeper Tales of Training with Positive Reinforcement. He began his career at the former SeaWorld of Ohio training marine mammals, including orcas. For the past 25 years, he has studied, presented, cared for, and/or managed hundreds of terrestrial and aquatic species. As Director of Conservation for the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park, he actively promotes wildlife and habitat preservation and positive reinforcement based training for all species through weekly televised segments in Arizona. He is a member of IMATA, ZAA and AZA and serves on the editorial advisory boards for the International Marine Animal Trainers Association and the European Association of Aquatic Mammals.