A first proper blog post as critical matters are arising:
As zoos in England are now granted to re-open this month and claw-back some revenue, zoos in Wales and Scotland are still forced to stay closed. This is mostly down to these devolved governments having more stringent, disciplined lockdown restrictions compared to England (yes the UK is a nation, but historical nations within are devolved). However, I fear there is another factor at play: a distaste for zoos in general. Focusing on Scotland, the otherwise encouragingly progressive political ideology and governance of the devolved Scottish government is one that potentially casts zoos as the enemy. (I had anticipated this would have been a flash point with a Jeremy Corbyn Labour government, which I otherwise would have preferred to what we have now). Progressive, compassionate people are understandably against perceived imprisonment and exploitation of animals, especially when they have no knowledge of animal welfare or modern zoo management. This is something those of us with this knowledge need to communicate to progressive, well-meaning people to appreciate good zoological parks and their place in making the world a better place. So please bear with me as I share this based on 23 years since I first went behind the scenes at a zoo (going on to work at a further eight) and c. 31 years privately caring for animals other than domestic species. I will discuss zoos in general, but mostly in the West and British Isles. The contribution of a zoo to conservation is often not obvious and has been criticised in the past, even accusations of making conservation problems worse. A zoo to environmental conservation might nowadays be paralleled with a hospital to health. Where a hospital will receive a patient in critical health crisis, a zoo receives a species approaching extinction to create a safety-net population. Zoos even take on animals on welfare grounds alone. A hospital will have a hub providing educational material on the body and how to be healthy, and a good zoo will provide material on animals, their biology, ecology and how to protect them and their environment. A hospital might have a collection box for various charitable endeavours for health, including research, zoos likewise have their collection boxes for conservation and research projects (external or internal). A similar comparison could be made to schools and their contributions to education. A zoo might lead or collaborate on a large, far-reaching environmental initiative in the same way a hospital or school might respectively for a health or educational initiative. Disdain for zoos likely comes from historical legacies of animal abuse or neglect. But the same could be said for hospitals that abuse their patients or schools their pupils. Like schools and hospitals, zoos have modernised and mistakes of the past are seen as crimes today. Of course things aren’t perfect but this doesn’t mean zoos shouldn’t exist. Any problems can be selectively changed. How we do conservation breeding is being shifted, and there are many conservation initiatives that zoos are not directly needed for (though their educational role does come into play). I’ve met plenty of idiots working in zoos who shouldn’t be, but can say the same for almost every other facility whatever its purpose. They do get weeded out. There is also the case of people projecting thoughts and emotions onto animals that the animals themselves just do not have. Thinking animals in a zoo feel imprisoned is a common projection, and from moving from zoos to the field, I can tell you that animals can also have their ranges constrained in the wild, even voluntarily staying put at the same site for some time. It depends on the animal of course, an enclosure can be too small for a given species. Keepers know their animals and how they express distress or discomfort in their own way, so know to act accordingly. I can tell you keepers agonise over the welfare of their charges. As with hospitals and schools, zoos have their running costs. From my early experience in zoos, it was apparent that their upkeep and raising of revenue was a distraction from outward-looking endeavours. Zoos need paying visitors to keep ticking over, the funds for conservation come from extra donations and focused campaigns - given the distraction of running the park, it is incredible these outward looking efforts go ahead and testimony to the discipline of zoo managers. The next year at the very least, myself and colleagues are going to see a lull in conservation and research spending while zoos find their feet again. Avenues for funding for one conservation project I am preparing in Cameroon have been lost due to the pandemic lockdown pressuring several zoo budgets. At least we can do some work with other funding pots, though those funds had come from zoos too. (This program was founded with funding from three British zoos, with collaboration and funding for 14 years from zoos). Despite zoos modernising, and pushing the boundaries for what they can do to be a positive force in the environment movement, there are still the mumblings of how terrible they are. This week, a friend sharing the news that Edinburgh Zoo won’t open received comments on how its terrible animals are “caged”, a sentiment commonly seen on other public message boards when a zoo news story is shared. I’ve met (plant) ecologists who are against zoos. Zoo conservationists tell me that potential collaborators in other sectors of conservation won’t work with them. A few years back I saw someone who kills squirrels for a living blog about being dubious about zoos (mostly on the back of the death of Harambe the gorilla, a tragic but necessary shooting balancing the life of a baby). And the usual animal liberation movement, which typically shares misinformation on zoos and animals in general and does lobby governments and the public (all the more tenacious with social media). Misguided anti-zoo sentiment is alive and well. In Scotland, we have Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park (collectively under the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland) stepping up to the plate for the conservation of the Scottish Wildcat, reintroduction of the beaver and pine hoverfly. This is in addition to being the core funders of the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda, which works to conserve chimpanzees, other forest wildlife, trains and employs a large number of Ugandan conservationists. That’s not to mention the Partula Snail breeding, and many other internationally important efforts based at these zoos. The Scottish National Party even used a visit to Edinburgh Zoo to score a soundbite, now used ad nauseum, that "There are more Giant Pandas than Tory MPs in Scotland". Other Scottish zoos do their bit in addition to propping up important breeding programs. Blair Drummond Safari Park sends funds to South African rhino and vulture conservation projects, tiger conservation in India, Barbary Macaques in Morrocco. Camperdown Wildlife Park in Dundee has funded lemur conservation in Madagascar, and participates in breeding programs for threatened species such as Lions-tailed Macaque, Waldrapp Ibis. In Wales, we have the Welsh Mountain Zoo, which in addition to breeding programs for Sumatran Tiger, Cotton-topped Tamarin and Snow Leopard, has a seal rescue unit and sends funds to Madagascan projects. Folly Farm has recently joined the Black Rhinoceros conservation program with a calf born recently, this species’ status on this Earth far from secure and deteriorating. Zoos just keep getting better and better, their staff getting more and more competent and innovative. When I started my career, it was a question of getting zoos to do more, now it’s a question of how to channel the energy to maximise what they are already doing. Zoo staff are more qualified, more educated and are modifying husbandry, breeding and conservation practises to be more effective. Across the UK, zoos are said to contribute £31 million per annum. But this is contingent on getting revenues, unfortunately by charging visitors to view the collections (a lot of zoo staff would prefer the public never enter the parks). While the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales weigh up the risks of when to allow zoo parks to open or provide them financial assistance, whoever is involved with the decision process should view zoos for the benefit they have. Decision should not be prejudiced by anti-zoo sentiment. As garden centres, offices, factories have been allowed to open in Scotland (and arguably do a lot of harm to the environment), this delay in allowing the same for zoos does smell like prejudice in a misguided progressive hope they go extinct. So while you are here, if you want to assist these institutions while they are in a difficult position, you can donate here: RZSS (Edinburgh Zoo & Highland Wildlife Park) - https://www.rzss.org.uk/support-us/ Welsh Mountain Zoo - https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=welshmountainzoo Folly Farm Zoo - https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/news/support-us/ If there are fundraising links for other zoos in Wales and Scotland, let me know and I can post them.
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