chaifootsteps:

theindependentconservative:

princessofharte:

lovedrugsandfanfic:

coffeeandufos:

cephalopodvictorious:

useless-zoofacts:

6 zoo myths that arent true

Most behaviors that you see keepers demonstrate at the zoo or aquarium are natural behaviors that the animals do in the wild. When the animals do them, the keepers give them a treat and pair it with a gesture or a word, so that they associate them, and eventually the word or gesture is enough to elicit the behavior because the animal knows that there’s a reward. But here’s the thing: most of those behaviors are encouraged because they help veterinarians and keepers do health checks.

Yeah, its cute when they nose boop the stick, but also keepers need to check their vision and depth perception and mobility. Sea lions are so cute when they wave! But vets and keepers need to check under those flippers to make sure that they’re healthy and that they don’t have any restrictions on their motion or cuts on their skin. Why do they ask animals to jump? Again, to make sure that they’re healthy, and also because its fun and animals LOVE to move around and jump and have fun, its mentally stimulating. 

This is the most important thing I will ever reblog and anyone who is still ignorant enough to think zoos are awful can fuck off my blog. Zoos are necessary. If you think otherwise please unfollow me because I don’t want you here.

This is super important for people to see. I have worked at a zoo and I can not tell you how many times I’ve had to defend the zoo for the good they do. People need to learn that zoos are actually helping save endangered species.

Remember: Sea World is not a zoo and doesn’t really care about animals unless they can make a profit. Fuck Sea World.

Alternatively, Busch Gardens does care for their animals.

Cetaceans should only be held in captivity if they’re physically incapable of living in the wild.

And even then, we need to recognize that cetaceans do abysmally poorly in what currently constitutes captivity and that all our years of “research” have done very little to change this. SeaWorld sure as hell doesn’t care, but other aquariums haven’t made much progress either

We need a proper sanctuary with sea pens and currents and waves, because as it stands, unreleasable cetaceans are frankly better off dying than being taken into captivity.