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Inbreeding Rules Kill Giraffe


Steve
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While I find the public nature of Marius to be distasteful, I am glad that he was allowed to live those two years rather than removed from his mother straight away, which surely would have been more traumatic for her. I agree that if culling is to be done, it should not be done in such a manner that it becomes 'entertainment'.

With regards to gorillas, at the moment castration of 'excess' males is happening more in European zoos (which I don't agree with, but that's a whole different subject!), otherwise bachelor groups and less breeding could be solutions. Taronga also has two males off display, and I am very curious to know what will become of them. It is of course possible that euthanasia may be considered as an option for this species as well, which I find repulsive, if it becomes too difficult to place males.

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Males of any captive species in any significant numbers are obviously undesirable in a zoo environment, yes grizabella? Seeing as many zoos are operating under the blanket of preserving certain species by selectively breeding them.

My sensibilities say that if you can't sustain an actively breeding population of any species, then don't let them breed... it really is that simple. We have safe contraceptive methods for pretty much all captive species nowadays - and then there's the simple act of separation of males and females if we don't want them to breed indiscriminately.

Personally, I'd like to see Asian Lions and more Bengal Tigers here... does anyone know why those endangered species aren't included in Australian zoos?

T.

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I don't need an explanation as to why they did it - I know that already -and I understand it - its the way it was promoted and presented and made public that is questionable in my opinion.

Me too. I understand they are working for what they perceive as the good of the population, but the individual animal also matters.

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It doesnt bother me that it was public. I dont understand why people are squeamish when seeing predators actually eating meat. I would have probably been up front watching too.

There are a number of things I dont agree with that zoos do but as others have said they have guide lines to follow.

There are white lions in a few Australian zoos. So long as they are breeding to the right animals I dont care what colour the mate is or if they advertise they have them *gasp*.

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It doesnt bother me that it was public. I dont understand why people are squeamish when seeing predators actually eating meat. I would have probably been up front watching too.

Even if it was an animal you had seen often/watched grow/ used the name of /and been looked at by on a regular basis? perhaps one of your own horses?

Not for me , I'm afraid .

Anything which is fed to humans or animals here has had no previous contact with me .... :o And I regularly kill/butcher animals for meat .

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It doesnt bother me that it was public. I dont understand why people are squeamish when seeing predators actually eating meat. I would have probably been up front watching too.

There are a number of things I dont agree with that zoos do but as others have said they have guide lines to follow.

There are white lions in a few Australian zoos. So long as they are breeding to the right animals I dont care what colour the mate is or if they advertise they have them *gasp*.

I'm not squeamish about seeing predators eating meat, I love to watch my dogs chow down on a big turkey leg, I even take photos of it. I wouldn't have enjoyed watching a giraffe being killed though. I forced myself to stay with my horse when he was shot and it was very distressing for me.

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I've had to slaughter my own dinner as a teen... even those we'd given names to and treated as "pets"...

It just seems a whole lot different when it's a majestic animal like a giraffe who has become surplus to requirement in a zoo environment - and done so publicly...

T.

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Every farmer I have ever spoken to laments that city people are so far removed from the country that they think meat grows on trees and if they had to kill their own meat most would never be able to have meat again...

And here somebody is trying to educate the public and show them what happens when an animal is killed and butchered for meat and suddenly it is in bad taste... Do you all feed your kids meat and tell them it grows on trees when they ask where it comes from? Why do children, or the public in general need to be sheltered from this? Perhaps there would be less cruelty and inhumane treatment involved in the animal processing process if the public had more access rights and were able to watch their meat killed and butchered and complain when they see unfair, inhumane or plain poor treatment of animals?

I really don't get the problem but I see why there are so many issues with raising animals for food humanely when everybody would prefer things are done out of sight so they don't know what is going on. Why should zoo animals not be allowed to raise offspring that is then killed for meat? Cows, pigs, sheep, chickens are all raised for meat, many of them don't actually get to raise their own young and most (or nearly all) of them are not killed at home where they are comfortable, instead they spend hours or even days on trucks going to their final destination.

Is there a genuine reason somebody can give why this is not ok but raising pigs for meat is? Or is everybody in this thread a vegan and uses no animals products at all?

Edited by BlackJaq
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I'm a wimp ... as said , I can not kill/eat anything I raise /know personally.

I hunt/ kill all sorts of animals.. butcher/eat/feed to the dogs .....but see killing something which has been dependent on me , trusts me , is healthy and happy , as a betrayal of trust - and certainly not a public spectacle.

I've lost my tribal self, it seems .

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Persephone mentioned horses above. I've had a couple, one of them still alive and the other one unfortunately gone ad the only reason we didn't make use of the meat was that she was heavily medicated by the time she was pts. I think of it as a massive waste to bury several hundred kilograms of perfectly edible meat that would feed several people and animals for a while. In a way it really is their last favour for us, a way of them being useful even when they go.

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Well as long as the animal was killed quickly and humanely I think a pig is a sheep is a goat is a giraffe or a horse. It makes no difference to the animal whether there are 50 people standing around watching it being killed and cut up as long as it is used to that situation and comfortable. An animal in a zoo is being ogled all day long, surely you can only object to it being killed in public if you think having people watch it is inhumane in the first place.

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For those few people that are interested, (I won't post the link), but look up "Inside Natures Giants" on Youtube, there is a giraffe dissection on one episode, done very tastefully.

Cannibalgoldfish, I'm trying to find the guidelines now, but it's proving more difficult to when I actually needed them, but only fairly recently you are not allowed to breed white tigers, tigons/ligers in Australia anymore. I don't remember if it includes White Lions.

I will keep trying to find them and post when I have.

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Yes I'm vegan. I get what youre saying but arent zoos supposed to be about conservation? And we dont exactly eat giraffes, well at least I don't know anyone who does.

I suggest if people want to see where their food comes from they go to a slaughterhouse, unless they get their meat from a small farm where they butcher it themselves.

I also don't like zoos in general.

Edited by Aussie3
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