AIBU to think small zoos should be closed down.

[WellyBooties]

After seeing the news unfold about the escaped Lynx from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, in Wales, I can't believe small operations such as these are still allowed to run.

The zoo in Borth had a lynx escape which had to be shot dead. Whilst this was happening the council decided to perform an inspection. In their haste to move the remaining lynx to a larger more suitable encloser another lynx was strangled to death.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-41964094

The owners only recently bought the place and have not come from a zoo background. They have no formal training. They have already run out of money and are crowdfunding in order to make necessary repairs.

AIBU to think it's time small zoos, who often don't have the expertise (or money) to look after the animals properly, were closed?

Yes but I don't agree with zoos at all. I think they should stop breeding animals in zoos and let the current stock die out. (While caring for them adequately obviously) I really hate zoos

The owner was previously a mural artist in Kent , it’s disgraceful that anybody with no experience can just get a licence for these sorts of places .

With the exception of 'rescued animals' like dancing bears and that sort of thing who obviously have a far better life not being made to perform. But no further breeding.

100% agree

A bit Lady Bracknell isn't it. To lose one lynx, misfortune; two? Carelessness.

Awful really, that these animals can be kept by amateurs.

Nb am aware one was actually lost and the other one suffered a "handling error."

Handling error meaning literally being strangled by a catch pole. How the fuck do people get away with this?

Colchester Zoo lost four of their wolves a few years back; they dug their way out after a storm. If I remember rightly one was cornered in the zoo but three were shot later that evening.

I am very torn by zoos. A lot of them do amazing conservation work, & their breeding programmes mean that we haven't lost many of our wild animals. But weighing that up with the environmental aspect of never being able to fully meet a wild animal's needs is hard.

what happened to the pelts?

They are basically private collections no seperate body is monitoring them until it is too late, councils are giving them Zoo licenses just because it all looked good that day I think it is awful, I don't think they should all be closed but I don't think randoms with money should be able to buy them.

'Borth also cares for a crocodile, two lions and a leopard, which almost escaped a few years ago when it's cage door was left open.'

www.change.org/p/ceredigion-county-council-close-borth-zoo-home-of-lillith-the-lynx-rip

That I can't tell you, i can't remember tbh. I do know that the zoo staff were discussing burying them, they were all devastated

What about when there are only a few left of some creatures in the world?

Some animals do better in captivity than others and I think there is an argument for some zoos. And for some to be closed.

Totally agree op. Hate zoos.

Yanbu.

Big zoos make mistakes too- because wild animals are always going to be wholly unpredictable. London zoo lost a baby gorilla a few years back after letting a dominant male into the enclosure. It was horrific.

I have the same issues with people who keep exotic pets without the knowledge or experience or any animal if I'm honest that isn't cared for! I don't necessarily think zoos in general are a bad thing but there should be very strict standards and inspections etc. Some species are benefitting from captive breeding programs for example and run properly they can be very educational. So no, I don't think there should be a blanket ban because one establishment is bad but more should be done to clamp down on those who don't uphold proper standards.

Pictures in the paper of handler holding and cuddling one of them so why the noose to move it?
Amateur money making people.

Sad, sad story.

If it wasn't for some zoos species would die out because the wild is a shitty place mainly due to humans so i don't hate zoos

Some zoos do good work, usually the ones that are big names and have more money.

Humans should have treated animals better in their natural habitat. Since we haven't, we may have to face up to the consequence that those animals might not be there anymore and we can't just go and gawk at them begging a pane of glass.

*behind not begging

the death of Lillith which happened because her enclosure was not properly secure, but then the death of the other lynx due to an untrained person using a catchpole to move it.
This has always been a smelly half arsed little zoo, and it sounds like its getting worse.
Close it down.

sorry I meant the death of Lillith was bad enough...let alone the other one a few days later.

I think the large zoos should be kept open as they have great breeding programmes which are very much needed. However, they should be closed to the public. The last time I went to London zoo I was so upset at seeing the female gorilla who had the most mournful expression on her face that I vowed never to return. They may be animals but some are intelligent and should have their dignity. That female knew she was in a cage and looked depressed and upset at everyone staring at her.

James O'Brien did a phone in this morning on LBC on exactly this subject.....

He was called by Will Travers.....son of Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, who founded Born Free, he is current CEO.

He explained, with figures and statistics, why "trendy" fads for certain animals (pandas eg) and the costs of things at zoos, are actually doing harm to conservation projects in the wild.

For an example.......LA zoo spent $40,000,000 dollars on a shitty, still tiny enclosure for their 3 elephants, and that exact amount of money is the yearly budget for an entire Kenyan national park, consistingof thousands of animals, millions of acres, and 4,000 rangers, who often have to fight poachers.

There are many less Ethiopian Wolves than there are pandas, but because of the international obsession with pandas, considerably more endangered animals are overlooked, and funds that could have been put into other animals are wasted on fucking breeding programs for animals too fucking stupid to do it themselves.

He want's them phased out.

I wan't them phased out.

A lot of them are shit holes, and the animals are clearly v v distressed.

And a safari park isn't much fucking better....

Do you think animals that are used to extremes of climate are happy in an English field??

It's a very victorian way of doing things....remember that zoos started just so countries could show off to each other.