Is a zoo right or wrong? There are valid arguments for both sides. Zoos like the Toronto Zoo are doing great work to attempt to bring certain species back from the brink of extinction. They take in injuried and abandoned animals that would have otherwise died in the wild. Their onsite research is undoubtedly invaluable. The hands on training that staff receive is also obviously invaluable.
On the flip side, many compare the living areas for most zoo animals, in most zoos, not just Toronto, to be inadequate and comparable to a jail cell. Their compounds are too small. They lack the native flora and fauna. Certain animals need to hunt and need to migrate. And, just how do they get those tropical birds to not fly away?
When I switched to a vegan lifestyle back in 2008, I would have taken the extreme PETA side to the argument. Now, I still find fault but also see the benefits. Now, I simply the see the hypocritical contradicting views of our society when it comes to wildlife, well, laughable. The fact that the Toronto Zoo struggles just to minimize revenue losses each year tells me that their intentions are good.
A few years ago, after listening to the zoo keeper do his daily presentation in the Gorilla compound, I could barely contain myself. He had the crowd of bleeding hearts in his hand. Yes, gorillas should not be poached. Why? Because they are quite vulnerable to face extinction. What tugs at the bleeding hearts? If you use your imagination, and possibly smoke a doob before entering, Gorillas look and act just like us. Originally, they were cut from the same mould.
Do I believe as a society we should right our wrongs and try and save these animals from the brink? Yes. Do I think that poachers that only stand to profit from the capture and killing of Gorillas should be brought to justice? Yes. Do I think dirt poor miners in Africa that kill Gorillas for food because they are starving to death should be labeled the bad guy and brought to justice? Well…
It’s like telling the impoverished in Brazil that they are evil for cutting down the rainforest in order to make money satisfying North America’s addiction to cheap red meat. They don’t give a shit about the rainforest and the humans on the brink of death in Africa don’t give a shit about Gorillas. They just want to survive to see another day.
Anyway, after giving his talk, the crowd leaves the pavilion ready to fly to Africa and start killing off the humans. Where do they actually go? To the connected restaurant and chow down on the flesh of cows and chickens!
We all play God when we go to the zoo. We decide which from the animal kingdom we like and save and which ones we slaughter ruthlessly (and, quite frankly, needlessly) to satisfy our need for fat and cholesterol.
There’s my rant – enjoy the pictures! At the top is a white lion. This guy is being thrown chunks of meat. I believe there’s one heading for his chops as the camera clicked.
The second image is a warthog. Certainly not the most exciting animal at the zoo and kind of shoved off into a corner, I had the Lion King theme song stuck in my head for the rest of the day after seeing this guy. I kept calling him Timon but Timon was the lion – duh! The warthog was Pumbaa.
The third is a rhinoceros. Everytime we go, this guy is just wallowing in the mud near the entrance. There are other rhinos at another location within the zoo.
The neglected Canadian exhibit. Not only is it not overly exciting, you have to walk down and, subsequently, walk back up a nasty hill. However, there are some cool animals in this area, such as the grizzly bear shown below. The one that baffles me is the raccoon compound.
These are rodents. We spend a considerable amount of energy keeping them out of garbage and from shacking up in our attics. Yet, they are on display at the zoo. It would be like NYC having a rat exhibit. What happens at night when the wild raccoons come by? Do they make fun of the raccoons in captivity? Do they try to free them?
The other thing is, we’re taught that if you see a raccoon roaming around in daylight, it most likely is sick and probably has rabies. The raccoons at the Toronto Zoo are always quite active during the day. Hmmm…
To me, more impressive than the polar bears, elephants, lions or whatever else the zoo has to offer, is the grizzlies. These giants with there massive paws pace back and forth and back and forth in a very agitated manner. This is an animal that can reach speeds of 35 mph. Seeing them up close, behind a hopefully shatter proof glass wall, I don’t think I’d play dead if I came across one in the forest. In fact, I wouldn’t run either. I would just plead for him to get it over with quick…
Two giant panda bears showed up at the Toronto Zoo this spring with much fanfare. The way I see it, this animal is at risk of extinction because it rarely mates and eats just one thing. Yes, they’re awesome and should be saved but, man, they need to help themselves a bit, don’t you think? This is Da Mao pictured. His potential mate Er Shun was inside the habitat, tending to housework.
Way, way back in the far corner of the zoo is the american flamingos. Both beautiful and ugly at the same time, the flamingos are always active and hardly ever stand still. I love these guys – I think it’s the bright colours. Why do they not fly away?
And then there’s the elephants. Thanks to Bob Barker, this guy and his cronies are being trained to live in a crate so they can be moved away from the Toronto Zoo. The elepant compound was deemed to be inadequate. They are headed for the PAWS Wildlife Sanctuary in California. Barker has donated $880,000 to help with the process. However, the elephants are not adjusting to the crates and the process is forever being delayed. It seems the elephants might actually like their present home more than Barker thinks. Take that, bitch! (Happy Gilmore reference…)
The following video was taken the same day as the above images and features many more animals than are pictured in this article.
