National Zoo Closes Invertebrate Exhibit!!!

dementedlullaby

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
300
Well at least conservation work will continue with the orb weavers and corals specifically =/. I imagine funding is taking a real hit for them to do this, they've had various negative press in the past few years as well iirc.

Sometimes zoo care can be questionable anyhow. I was watching Hope for Wildlife this week (the woman runs a rehab center for injured wild animals, it's televised on Oasis in Canada). They asked a zoo to give advice on feeding a baby porcupine and it turns out the advice the zoo gave likely helped towards the poor things demise. Along with not receiving the mothers first milk which is very important. This was according to their vet anyhow.
 

physalia

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 26, 2013
Messages
3
My favorite line from the article: "Will the”Hall of Biodiversity” be at least 90 percent invertebrates to reflect global biodiversity?". I bet not. Although they try to spin it as a purely financial decision I wonder how much they will spend on the new exhibit they are touting. I bet it's more, a lot more, than the 5 million it would take to rehab the existing invert exhibit. The bird exhibit was approved for renovation yet inverts get shut down. Purely financial decision? Perhaps it reflects a cultural bias where inverts, despite being the most ecologically important "group" of organisms are seen as the "black sheep" of the natural world. If the supposed purpose of zoos, especially publicly funded ones, is education (as they claim) it seems teaching about the most ecologically important organisms would be paramount to their mission. Education isn't about always teaching things that are popular. It's about teaching what is important. Math is hardly a popular subject but it is a required subject because of its importance. Sure, zoos need money from visitors and donors. Let them come to see the popular mammals and birds, but learn about inverts while they are there.
 
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