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zoo feeds live animals to animals....

post #1 of 16
3/16/05 at 6:13pm
Thread Starter 
This zoo is feeding wild animals live animals. They are also selling small live birds to the visitors to feed to other animals.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ina_animals_dc

What do you guys think?

I'm going to try to do a "poll" but I'm not sure if I know how so bare with me.
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post #2 of 16
3/16/05 at 6:25pm
I really don't know which way to feel on this.. I approve of some of an animals diet in a zoo to be live, as it is a way to feed their urges for hunting prey. I do not however agree with visitors being able to feed live animals to other animals.. as they are not trained and it could go badly, and also because I wouldnt want my kids to see that first hand, or feel they contributed directly to that. just me. I don't know how to vote now though O.o
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post #3 of 16
3/16/05 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 
I don't think that it's cruel in the wild but these animals are in captivity. Many of them were even born in captivity and are around humans often. I think that it's a horriffic tragedy waiting to happen. Sooner or later, one of these animals is going to attack one of the zoo keepers. I know this happens at other zoos where they do not feed live animals to animals but I feel this will increase the chance of it happening.

As for the selling of small live birds to the public to feed animals, I think this is disgusting. What kind of person would want to take a live animal in their hands and feed it to another animal? I don't want any part of that.

I can't believe that people would want to watch any of this.
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post #4 of 16
3/16/05 at 10:14pm
I've never felt comfortable with the thought of horses being used for glue, pet food, and human food, even though I know in some countries it's been done for generations. Feeding them to lions... really upsets me. They're not even natural prey for African cats! Ox, yeah, I could see that. Even things like antelope would be okay. Personally, giving large cats a chance to actually hunt in capitivity probably alleviates a lot of stress on the cats. It's a brilliant idea to keep them stimulated and try to recreate wild life for them.

I remember watching this one episode of Emergency Vets, when the hippy dude (his name excapes me at the moment) was treating a sick rabbit. The rabbit's owner had stolen it from her boyfriends house because it was dinner for the bf's snake. The bf thought that the snake had eaten it, and so the snake was essentially starved for a short while. Dr. Fitsgerald (remembered it!) stated that someone has to think of the preditor. "They need to eat,too." With some animals, such as snakes, live food is needed, even though that live food is cute and cuddly.
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post #5 of 16
3/16/05 at 10:32pm
Quote:
They are also selling small live birds to the visitors to feed to other animals.
I bet feral cats will get blamed for this as well.....

Katie
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post #6 of 16
3/17/05 at 2:41am
I would have no problem with this IF:

1) It was part of a program to prepare these predators for a life in the wild.
2) The prey species were those that the predators would hunt in the wild.

As it is, it seems like a cruel form of entertainment, and as such I can't agree with it. It isn't a recreation of wild living, as in the wild the prey species has a chance to escape (by running faster) but in an enclosure, well they're not going to escape are they?

Sue
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post #7 of 16
3/17/05 at 6:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by millyanddaisy
I would have no problem with this IF:

1) It was part of a program to prepare these predators for a life in the wild.
2) The prey species were those that the predators would hunt in the wild.

As it is, it seems like a cruel form of entertainment, and as such I can't agree with it. It isn't a recreation of wild living, as in the wild the prey species has a chance to escape (by running faster) but in an enclosure, well they're not going to escape are they?

Sue
I agree 100%.
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post #8 of 16
3/17/05 at 11:57am
I have mixed feelings about this because of what happened at our local zoo. For a period of about two years, the zoo was stocking the bears' pools with live salmon in an effort to relieve their boredom. I really didn't see anything wrong with that, but there were so many complaints from the public that the zoo had to stop the practice, and the bears are back to their old lethargic behavior.
I think it's a good idea to make the zoo animals "work" for their food, but am more in favor of the prey being dead and being hung from pulleys and made to "run" that way, as I've seen it done in some zoos.
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post #9 of 16
3/17/05 at 6:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcat
I think it's a good idea to make the zoo animals "work" for their food, but am more in favor of the prey being dead and being hung from pulleys and made to "run" that way, as I've seen it done in some zoos.
That sounds like it would please both sides. The animals aren't bored and the people don't have to feel sad for the animals. I personally don't like to see animals killed either. I remember visiting a zoo once and seeing an owl holding a mouse. It made me feel sad, but that's the way life is. We're all on the food chain (whether naturally or in the office).
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post #10 of 16
3/17/05 at 6:36pm
I think people should buy a snake if they want to feed live animals themselves. Zoo's are not the place to get your jollies by causing an animals death under the guise of allowing another animal to live. Sell the people dead animals to feed and see how many visitors THAT attracts. Some how I think not as many as the "exciting show" available by being able to watching something suffer as its gobbled up. What a great place to find out which kids like to torture animals, maybe they can bill it as the "Future Abuser Discover Center" where parents can bring kids to see if they enjoy seeing little Tweety get chomped or not.
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post #11 of 16
3/17/05 at 7:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine
I don't think that it's cruel in the wild but these animals are in captivity. Many of them were even born in captivity and are around humans often. I think that it's a horriffic tragedy waiting to happen. Sooner or later, one of these animals is going to attack one of the zoo keepers. I know this happens at other zoos where they do not feed live animals to animals but I feel this will increase the chance of it happening.

As for the selling of small live birds to the public to feed animals, I think this is disgusting. What kind of person would want to take a live animal in their hands and feed it to another animal? I don't want any part of that.

I can't believe that people would want to watch any of this.
Hmm, your post made me recall one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock TV show episodes. A farmer kills his wife, the cops know instinctivly it was the farmer, but have no proof, no body, no blood etc. The farmer gets away with the crime until one morning he goes to feed his chickens. The chickens attack and kill him. Turns out the farmer chopped up his wife's body to bits and mixed it in with the chicken feed! Hah this was early 1960s TV...and they say today's stuff is violent!
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post #12 of 16
3/17/05 at 8:56pm
Our family used to have a snake and we at present have a gecko and my son has frogs. These animals must be fed live food. As far a zoo, I can see where it would be important if not totally necessary for some animals. So I guess I don't have a problem as long as that is the motive, for the sake of the animals, with respect. If it is for enterainment purposes....wrong motive. As far as selling animals to feed, that is disgusting in my opinion. It cheapens life and makes death, even though necessary in the food chain, a form of cheapened entertainment. It seems to have rather a "gladiator" mentality. When death and pain become entertainment it becomes desensitizing, sending society down a wrong path. We have too much of that in our society all ready. I definitely think it sends children the wrong message when they can purchase such things.
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post #13 of 16
3/18/05 at 12:11pm
A snake eats birds and rats and stuff like that, a tiger eats little deer like things, it's natural. Pellets just don't have the same affect.
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post #14 of 16
3/18/05 at 3:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eburgess
A snake eats birds and rats and stuff like that, a tiger eats little deer like things, it's natural. Pellets just don't have the same affect.
Oh I agree that they should eat animals but do they have to be alive? I know (well I've heard) that snakes won't eat dead prey so I understand that but, don't make it a form of entertainment.

My question is why can't they feed them animals that have died of old age, natural causes, or still born? I don't see where the animals that are being used as food has any chance. They can't escape the enclosure and in real life, they may have been able to.

I just don't think it's right in a zoo atmosphere. In the wild, I'm fine with it.
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post #15 of 16
3/19/05 at 9:13pm
For stimuylation and health of the Predator animal yes... selling people birds to feed to animals at home that is sick...
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post #16 of 16
3/19/05 at 9:47pm
Some snakes will actually eat dead things, especially captive snakes. Some exist on chicken wings.

I agree.. in the wild is the wild. To me that is so much diffrent then offering to feed the animals live prey as a 'show' for spectator or visitor. Zoo personal are trained or should be.. to deal with aspects of animal behavior and feeding. The average person and children especially do not need to be seeing let alone encouraged to partake in helping the animal kill and eat something else. There are plenty of nature shows that show what the censors feel is appropriate and it has ratings and is in the "proper" context without providing the animals.. that should be plenty for any educational purpose for the average zoo visitors.
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