An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

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polycarp
Posts: 618
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:00 am

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by polycarp »

Free I was

Till stolen from home

In an unceremonious streak

From a free world of trees

To a closed one of steel

Where hopes are but bleak

The culprits prowl on two limbs

Mounting hideous metallic monsters

And yet fellow beasts

Whisking me to this iron cage

That I can't help but call home

Away from the jungle feasts

Now I am a prisoner for life

Viewed for mere pleasure

Or for their selfish studies

Convicting me for being me

A crime I didn't commit

With no apologies
A formula for tact: "Be brief politely, be aggressive smilingly, be emphatic pleasantly, be positive diplomatically, be right graciously".
lady cop
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Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:00 pm

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by lady cop »

Polycarp, i REALLY like this! i love a beautiful zoo or aquarium and find them educational when done humanely and with care. but this is the other side of that coin.
Paula
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Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:00 pm

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by Paula »

How do you come up with these words, Polycarp? I like this one too!
Everyone has these on their face? TULIPS.
polycarp
Posts: 618
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:00 am

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by polycarp »

Hello Lady Cop, SteZ and Paula, I love animals especially in their natural habitat. I sometimes find it pathetic seeing animals caged with their movement restricted. Just as we humans want freedom, so do the animals. But being the masters of the planet earth, I believe animal freedom will remain a far-fetched wish for a long time to come. I knew Paula would like this verse and its equally heartwarming to know that Lady Cop appreciates a beautiful zoo or aquarium though StelZ's opinion equally calls for some concern.
A formula for tact: "Be brief politely, be aggressive smilingly, be emphatic pleasantly, be positive diplomatically, be right graciously".
Paula
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Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:00 pm

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by Paula »

I want a Penguin, Real Bad, i will have to go to the Mystic Aquarium. Have to go be back later today when the snow storm begins. Bye..What a Great Title. :yh_clap
Everyone has these on their face? TULIPS.
lady cop
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Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:00 pm

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by lady cop »

a penguin Paula? where would you keep it? i want a polar bear, made friends with one once in Boston, visited him every day. .......i have been to some world-class zoos, and only approve of those that attempt to keep a natural habitat and plenty of space. some excellent zoological programs seek to save endangered species. the better zoos educate the next generations. it is a dichotomy, take them out of the wild and imprison them, while at the same time having the welfare of the species at heart. it's like captive dolphins...we learn from them, and yet hate to see their freedom curtailed. i don't have the answer. i only know that animals on the savannah have been poached and hunted to near-extinction, and what of the great apes? if caring zoo-keepers can save animals like the white tiger or even the smallest of species, it is worthwhile. cruelty of course is unacceptable.........oh, and down in the florida keys we have a center to save sea turtles and ocean birds who have been injured by those six-pack plastic rings, as well as save the manatee programs. and even protections for crocs and alligators as well as other animals in the everglades...another cruelty we endure in florida, the introduction of exotic south american species who are smuggled in and then released into the "wild" where they cannot function and interfere with the ecological balance. south florida is crawling with non-indigenous species which cannot survive here.
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BabyRider
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An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by BabyRider »

StelZ wrote: Poly you hit the nail on the head there.

Zoos should be banned.
Now, I'm all for seeing animals in their natural habitat. It is because mankind has "taken over" and moved into the habitat used by so many species are in trouble now. And I really REALLY like this poem.



However. If zoos were banned, what do you think would happen? Let's see, all the animals living there now would be....what? Released back into the wild? Most of them would never survive, having become dependent on humans for their food and having no idea how to care for themselves in the wild. Many of the animals you see in a zoo are born into captivity and many of them would be extinct now if not for zoos.

Here in Detroit, we had an elephant habitat, where 3 elephants lived for almost 20 years. Last year, it was realized that the habitat was not sufficient for the animals, and the Detroit zoo became the first zoo in the HISTORY of zoos to release animals to a wildlife preserve for strictly ethical purposes. Bear in mind, that this effort was more than just someone coming along and turning them loose. The proper preserve had to be found, these animals will never be hunted, and they will still be fed by humans to a point. But they have the miles and miles of wilderness to roam, (elephants require LOTS of space, they walk 30-50 miles a day, in their natural state.)

So while saying "all zoos should be banned" is a real nice sentiment and all, doing so would sentence many of these animals to death. Not to mention the fact that there are many zoos who participate in a repopulation program. There are species that are on the verge of extinction, which are being bred in zoos, and released into the wild. They are shown how to care for themselves and hunt or find their food from a young age, and these programs work. Most zoos are about preservation, believe it or not. It wasn't always that way, for sure, but as we learn what we are doing to this planet and it's inhabitants, there are steps being taken to prevent extinction.

There are also plenty of examples of animals that WERE wild, but injured or unable to take care of themselves for one reason or another. Again, here in the Detroit zoo, several of our lions were taken from homes in the city. Idiot drug dealers who thought it would be "cool" to own a lion. Someone reported them, they were taken from the basement where they were kept chained, living on canned cat food, and given to the zoo.

So Polycarp, I think your poem is fantastic. It bothers me as well seeing an animal pacing in it's enclosure or habitat, and we tend to antropomorphize animals to the point where we think "Oh, look at that poor animal, wishing he were running around in the wild" when in fact, the animal has never SEEN the wild, but was living on a 4 foot chain in someone's basement, and now can enjoy climbing, sunshine, and a lot more freedom than it had before.
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
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Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????


We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.




polycarp
Posts: 618
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:00 am

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by polycarp »

StelZ wrote: I don't mean 'rescue centres' should be banned.. there are plenty of worthwhile cases for these, not least the Monkeyworld Centre in the UK.

Its the zoos in the poem I would like to see banned.


StelZ, your point is well uderstood and I agree with you with all my mind, heart and soul.

Lady Cop, I also love Polar Bears but have never seen one in real life. They are astonishing creatures, unfortunately i once read that they are endangered species that are now protected by legislation.
A formula for tact: "Be brief politely, be aggressive smilingly, be emphatic pleasantly, be positive diplomatically, be right graciously".
polycarp
Posts: 618
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:00 am

An Animal In The Zoo Thinking

Post by polycarp »

BabyRider wrote: Now, I'm all for seeing animals in their natural habitat. It is because mankind has "taken over" and moved into the habitat used by so many species are in trouble now. And I really REALLY like this poem.



However. If zoos were banned, what do you think would happen? Let's see, all the animals living there now would be....what? Released back into the wild? Most of them would never survive, having become dependent on humans for their food and having no idea how to care for themselves in the wild. Many of the animals you see in a zoo are born into captivity and many of them would be extinct now if not for zoos.

Here in Detroit, we had an elephant habitat, where 3 elephants lived for almost 20 years. Last year, it was realized that the habitat was not sufficient for the animals, and the Detroit zoo became the first zoo in the HISTORY of zoos to release animals to a wildlife preserve for strictly ethical purposes. Bear in mind, that this effort was more than just someone coming along and turning them loose. The proper preserve had to be found, these animals will never be hunted, and they will still be fed by humans to a point. But they have the miles and miles of wilderness to roam, (elephants require LOTS of space, they walk 30-50 miles a day, in their natural state.)

So while saying "all zoos should be banned" is a real nice sentiment and all, doing so would sentence many of these animals to death. Not to mention the fact that there are many zoos who participate in a repopulation program. There are species that are on the verge of extinction, which are being bred in zoos, and released into the wild. They are shown how to care for themselves and hunt or find their food from a young age, and these programs work. Most zoos are about preservation, believe it or not. It wasn't always that way, for sure, but as we learn what we are doing to this planet and it's inhabitants, there are steps being taken to prevent extinction.

There are also plenty of examples of animals that WERE wild, but injured or unable to take care of themselves for one reason or another. Again, here in the Detroit zoo, several of our lions were taken from homes in the city. Idiot drug dealers who thought it would be "cool" to own a lion. Someone reported them, they were taken from the basement where they were kept chained, living on canned cat food, and given to the zoo.

So Polycarp, I think your poem is fantastic. It bothers me as well seeing an animal pacing in it's enclosure or habitat, and we tend to antropomorphize animals to the point where we think "Oh, look at that poor animal, wishing he were running around in the wild" when in fact, the animal has never SEEN the wild, but was living on a 4 foot chain in someone's basement, and now can enjoy climbing, sunshine, and a lot more freedom than it had before.
That was well put Baby Rider. You've brilliantly articulated some points that call for a re-think on the call for an outright ban of zoos. Based on your well presented treatise, I guess it means that there are some animals that are better-off in zoos than in the wild. In that case, let there be exceptions as to which animal should be caged (in zoos) and which animal shouldn't. So on a general level zoos should remain but only animals that are better-off there-in should be kept.
A formula for tact: "Be brief politely, be aggressive smilingly, be emphatic pleasantly, be positive diplomatically, be right graciously".
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