Zookeeper DROPS T.blondi - Video

[Hedorah99]

Sigh.. I dunno, while I understand and partially agree with the points you made, I think what happened here is inexcusible. This guy is supposed to be an expert. But if you look at the big picture, all this comes down to is money.

-Zoo's spend millions of dollars capturing wild animals.
-Zoo's aim to make money off of the keeping of these animals.
-Many times the Zoo's underpay their employees and therefor hire employees which are under-educated or completely unqualified to handle the majority of the animals in their "care".
-To promote their Zoo and boost ticket sales, they do crappy little segments on local news stations because they're having a slow news day..
-Unqualified employee, bright lights, the anxiety of being broadcast across the city/state = prone to make a mistake.


I'm sure this guy has a fair amount of 'overall' animal knowledge and I'm sure it was not his intention to hurt the tarantula, but he definitely handled the situation poorly by attempting to let a gravid female Blondi crawl up his arm. . Even one of the reporters said "She doesn't want to go there!" or something to that effect.. which, he may have been kidding, but he hit the nail on the head. The T was nervous as well. If the proper care of these animals is his job he should take as little risk as possible.. Just as you and I would do as owners.

I'm sure I'll catch some crap for saying this, but personally I dislike zoo's and will not contribute to their cause(s). They're a business like any other. Their goal is to make money. They do not have the best interest of the animals they keep in mind.

So I guess you don't like saving wildlife...

My zoo spent zero dollars last year capturing wild animals, as do most zoos. The majority of animals are from captive stock. The wild ones are either non releasable rehab animals or taken into captivity to boost gene pools or start a captive breeding program. The last animals we got that meet the latter criteria were a pair of Keel Billed Toucans. We are the front lines between endangered animals and extinction. What have you done directly lately? Last I checked, I am sure I have done a hell of a lot more in the last ten years at a zoo. Yes we charge admission, but correctly feeding a menagerie of animals correctly costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Usually whats left over goes to further research in the field or in our own zoo. New construction is done through bonds or grants.

Last I also checked at my zoo, and the VAST majority of other ones, our profit margain is razor thin and often goes into paying past debts. Actually, if you bothered to look you would see a majority of zoos are not for profit organizations, and therefore none of us are rolling in dough. As for underpaid staff, NO ONE gets into zoo keeping for the pay. I have not spent sleepless nights bottle feeding abandoned otters or any of the numerous times I and my colleagues have donated hours for the money, you can trust me on that one. Most zoo keepers work two jobs, so why do we do this? BECAUSE WE LOVE THE JOB!

We then do these "crappy" little segments so we can maybe educate the public. And have you ever done one, I think not. We take every precaution but mistake DO happen. The fact you are all crucifying this guy and playing the role of keyboard warrior is pretty damned pathetic. I have been to numerous radio and TV appearances and animal safety is tantamount. And we have even been the ones to supply animals to other keepers, just like we did last year for The Martha Stewart show. Another organization was interviewed, but we supplied the frogs. Its a common practice, transporting animals safely is not easy.

So please, get your facts straight before you tell em what my intentions are and where my interests lie.

 

[nakazanie]

When we wrote him back on 6/23/2008 this is the reply we got back. To me this reply was given by someone that does care about wildlife and simply made a mistake but that is just me. You never know though maybe he is Satan in disguise out to kill all tarantulas.

Cool. Thanks for posting this.

Nak

 

[Shagrath666]

he did apologize and made his point very eloquently :clap: in my mind that redeems him. We all make mistakes, but a lot of us don't have the balls to own up to it. At least the T survived

 

[Sathane]

Yes, we get it. You're the saviour of all wildlife and you're so much better than everyone with your holier than thou attitude because you do it on a meager salary.

I guess it's not so lonely on your pedestal - what with all those otters, and toucans, and Martha Stewart. If only those animals could see you now, the Zoological Champion taking on the keyboard warriors. Of course, anyone mentioning zoos in any way must be referring to you, because what else is there in your world, right? Nevermind the fact that the person you're quoting is over 2500 miles from you and, contrary to what you would have everyone believe, "your" zoo is not the model which all zoos follow. Not all zoos are lucky enough to be given grants and there are even some zoos which are privately run - but, of course, you already knew all that because, well, you just do.

Such facts are trivial when engaging in chest thumping with a bit of hypocrisy thrown in for good measure.

So I guess you don't like saving wildlife...

My zoo spent zero dollars last year capturing wild animals, as do most zoos. The majority of animals are from captive stock. The wild ones are either non releasable rehab animals or taken into captivity to boost gene pools or start a captive breeding program. The last animals we got that meet the latter criteria were a pair of Keel Billed Toucans. We are the front lines between endangered animals and extinction. What have you done directly lately? Last I checked, I am sure I have done a hell of a lot more in the last ten years at a zoo. Yes we charge admission, but correctly feeding a menagerie of animals correctly costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Usually whats left over goes to further research in the field or in our own zoo. New construction is done through bonds or grants.

Last I also checked at my zoo, and the VAST majority of other ones, our profit margain is razor thin and often goes into paying past debts. Actually, if you bothered to look you would see a majority of zoos are not for profit organizations, and therefore none of us are rolling in dough. As for underpaid staff, NO ONE gets into zoo keeping for the pay. I have not spent sleepless nights bottle feeding abandoned otters or any of the numerous times I and my colleagues have donated hours for the money, you can trust me on that one. Most zoo keepers work two jobs, so why do we do this? BECAUSE WE LOVE THE JOB!

We then do these "crappy" little segments so we can maybe educate the public. And have you ever done one, I think not. We take every precaution but mistake DO happen. The fact you are all crucifying this guy and playing the role of keyboard warrior is pretty damned pathetic. I have been to numerous radio and TV appearances and animal safety is tantamount. And we have even been the ones to supply animals to other keepers, just like we did last year for The Martha Stewart show. Another organization was interviewed, but we supplied the frogs. Its a common practice, transporting animals safely is not easy.

So please, get your facts straight before you tell em what my intentions are and where my interests lie.

 

[Ether Imp]

So I guess you don't like saving wildlife...

I'm happy when wildlife can be saved when human activity has been the cause of whatever problem threatens a species survival. Otherwise, I think we should pretty much leave wildlife alone. An African Elephant doesn't belong in San Diego, Phoenix, Missouri, Las Vegas, New York, Florida, or anywhere else, to entertain ungrateful children and ignorant parents. It belongs in Africa, hence the name. Same goes for the majority of "exotic" wildlife kept in zoos.

My zoo spent zero dollars last year capturing wild animals, as do most zoos. The majority of animals are from captive stock. The wild ones are either non releasable rehab animals or taken into captivity to boost gene pools or start a captive breeding program. The last animals we got that meet the latter criteria were a pair of Keel Billed Toucans. We are the front lines between endangered animals and extinction. What have you done directly lately? Last I checked, I am sure I have done a hell of a lot more in the last ten years at a zoo. Yes we charge admission, but correctly feeding a menagerie of animals correctly costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Usually whats left over goes to further research in the field or in our own zoo. New construction is done through bonds or grants.

Understandable, and that's great. If you're making a positive impact, I applaud you.


So all of those Lions and African Elephants are from captive stock? And where did that captive stock come from? I suppose every animal I've ever seen in a zoo has been either a rehab case or from captive stock? Like.. somehow captive stock is independent and exclusive from "wildlife". Sorry man, I don't buy it. It was all "wildlife" at some point or another.

From the way you make things sound, nobody from top to bottom is seeing a profit from the keeping of wild animals. I find that a little hard to believe.

I don't doubt (nor would I ever contest) that there are thousands, if not millions of zoo employees that are not only extremely educated and care deeply for their animals but also probably underpaid and do it all out of the kindness of their heart. What I do find difficult to swallow is that nobody in the entire industry is seeing significant profits at the expense of other employees down the ladder, as well as the animals themselves.

Last I also checked at my zoo, and the VAST majority of other ones, our profit margain is razor thin and often goes into paying past debts. Actually, if you bothered to look you would see a majority of zoos are not for profit organizations, and therefore none of us are rolling in dough. As for underpaid staff, NO ONE gets into zoo keeping for the pay. I have not spent sleepless nights bottle feeding abandoned otters or any of the numerous times I and my colleagues have donated hours for the money, you can trust me on that one. Most zoo keepers work two jobs, so why do we do this? BECAUSE WE LOVE THE JOB!

Again.. Good for you. I'm happy there are people like you out there to do things that lazy a-holes like myself are unwilling or uninclined to do. I still don't buy that a "razor thin" profit margin is par for the course. Maybe at your zoo. Maybe I'm wrong all together. Either way, somebody is making money and not even most of those animals belong in a zoo/captivity.

I don't go to the circus either.

Who abandoned the otters, by the way? Their mothers?

We then do these "crappy" little segments so we can maybe educate the public.

Well, I personally thank you for the education. From now on I'll be sure to drop my tarantula until it's abdomen ruptures. It's good for them! It helps them release egg sacs! Sorry. I couldn't resist.

And have you ever done one, I think not.

No.. So what? Have you ever built a highway? No? Well.. Then next time you're driving on one thinking about how much it stinks, just bite your tongue and accept it. Afterall, it's impossible for you to criticize how well someone does their job if you yourself have not done it. Better yet, next time a server or cook screws up your order at a local restaurant, why don't you just get up off your lazy ass and go cook it yourself instead of complaining or stiffing the waitress? God knows those people don't do it for the money...

We take every precaution but mistake DO happen.

Gee... I never looked at it that way...

... Oh wait, yes I did.

I'm sure this guy has a fair amount of 'overall' animal knowledge and I'm sure it was not his intention to hurt the tarantula, but he definitely handled the situation poorly by attempting to let a gravid female Blondi crawl up his arm

The fact you are all crucifying this guy and playing the role of keyboard warrior is pretty damned pathetic.

Are you targetting me and including me in this statement? Maybe if you pulled your head from your latter region and actually read my post you would see that I am not crucifying or blaming the handler from the video. I actually blamed the zoo's themselves, and I said the guy handled the situation wrong. Which you just agreed with. In my post I also agreed with the poster above me who was speaking up in the handlers defense.

What I said must have really struck a chord with you because there were no less than 2.5 pages of posts before me condemning this handler and lashing out over the incident. All I did was looked at it from another perspective and posted my thoughts, as well as gave the handler the benefit of the doubt... And out of all the people posting criticism and getting ready to go straight 'witch hunt' on this guy, you chose me? Good call, buckaroo.

Sorry.. Seeing an animal nearly killed for the sake of early morning local news "entertainment" in the name of "education" tends to be a little disturbing.

I have been to numerous radio and TV appearances and animal safety is tantamount. And we have even been the ones to supply animals to other keepers, just like we did last year for The Martha Stewart show. Another organization was interviewed, but we supplied the frogs. Its a common practice, transporting animals safely is not easy.

Yes. I'm sure transporting animals safely is not easy. Which is why more time, training and money should be dedicated to ensuring that mistakes like those shown in this video simply do not happen. That was the entire point of my original post and apparently it went directly over your head.

So please, get your facts straight before you tell em what my intentions are and where my interests lie.

I'm sorry. I don't remember saying your name or directing any specific comment to you in my original post. Probably because it never happened. Personally, I'm not sure whether to be sad or happy that zoo's hire people who can't read.

PS/Edit: Don't think I ever stated anything in my post was "factual" either. More observation/opinion/logical induction based.

 

[Ether Imp]

Yes, we get it. You're the saviour of all wildlife and you're so much better than everyone with your holier than thou attitude because you do it on a meager salary.

I guess it's not so lonely on your pedestal - what with all those otters, and toucans, and Martha Stewart. If only those animals could see you now, the Zoological Champion taking on the keyboard warriors. Of course, anyone mentioning zoos in any way must be referring to you, because what else is there in your world, right? Nevermind the fact that the person you're quoting is over 2500 miles from you and, contrary to what you would have everyone believe, "your" zoo is not the model which all zoos follow. Not all zoos are lucky enough to be given grants and there are even some zoos which are privately run - but, of course, you already knew all that because, well, you just do.

Such facts are trivial when engaging in chest thumping with a bit of hypocrisy thrown in for good measure.

Touche'. Well said.

 

[BlackCat]

As wrong as I think it is for animals like elephants to be kept in zoos, and as much as they may not belong there, zoos actually put a lot of time and money into research and preservation of the wild species they keep. They are there not as mere novelty, but as an educational tool. It is a double-edged sword, and a sacrifice for the greater good.

I don't understand how people can think it is wrong to keep animals in captivity, such as in zoos where they are well cared for, then turn around and think it is ok to raise cattle for slaughter, and breed them for milk and veal. :? Unless you're a vegetarian, do you really have room to complain about zoos?

 

[Ether Imp]

As wrong as I think it is for animals like elephants to be kept in zoos, and as much as they may not belong there, zoos actually put a lot of time and money into research and preservation of the wild species they keep. They are there not as mere novelty, but as an educational tool. It is a double-edged sword, and a sacrifice for the greater good.

I understand that. I just don't necessarily agree with it... So I don't go to zoo's. If I want to know about an animal I will either go see them in their natural habitat, or I will read about them online or in a book.

I don't understand how people can think it is wrong to keep animals in captivity, such as in zoos where they are well cared for, then turn around and think it is ok to raise cattle for slaughter, and breed them for milk and veal.

Because we eat beef. We don't eat elephant?


Hamburgers are delicious... nom nom nom.

 

[BlackCat]

Because we eat beef. We don't eat elephant?


Hamburgers are delicious... nom nom nom.

We could eat elephant, it is all meat.. That is absolutely hypocritical then if you really think it is ok to keep cows and kill them as opposed to keeping animals behind fences, caring for, and researching them in order to preserve their species. What makes them any different?

 

[Ether Imp]

We could eat elephant, it is all meat.. That is absolutely hypocritical then if you really think it is ok to keep cows and kill them as opposed to keeping animals behind fences, caring for, and researching them in order to preserve their species. What makes them any different?

I have two responses to this. One is serious, the other is funny but true. Choose whichever you wish to read:

Response 1:

Baby cows are delicious with cheese and marinara and pasta.


Response 2:

It's not hypocritical. The reason we breed cows is for survival. The reason we capture elephants (or any exotic animal) and keep them in captivity is not for survival nor is it necessary in most cases.

There are certain species which we have pushed to the brink of extinction because of our actions and in that case I do believe it is our responsibility/obligation as stewards of this planet to ensure that we correct our previous mistake by doing everything in our power to reverse the damage done. Elephants are one example of this, although I'm not sure which elephants (I believe African), and I am not 'against' the capture and breeding of elephants to bring their numbers back to a substantial level.

This is the same logic I use to justify my keeping of a tarantula: My tarantula is native to my region and my region is occupied by humans. Humans have encroached upon this tarantulas native habitat. The least I could do is offer him a comfortable lifestyle and attempt to mate him, lest he end up squashed on the road by a car.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Otherwise, I think we should pretty much leave wildlife alone.

So out one side of your mouth you rant about keeping things in the wild and you won't go to the zoo or circus la la la, but then out the other side of your mouth you talk about going out to hunt for wild Ts so you can find a mate for the mature male you captured and made your pet. Hmmm. I find that very interesting.

As some of you may know, I have a MM, and I've been looking for a MF to mate him with before mating season is completely gone.. Is it already too late? Or..?

Either way, I found a friend in town who also collects T's and her and I plan on going out in the fields around town here to see if we can find a MF in or around her burrow.

What do I need to know? What should I bring? What should I look for? When's the best time to go? I'm new to this.. Help me out.

And.. Assuming I DO find a MF and it is the same sp. as my MM... What is "next"? Where's some good beginner info on breeding?

 

[Ether Imp]

So out one side of your mouth you rant about keeping things in the wild and you won't go to the zoo or circus la la la, but then out the other side of your mouth you talk about going out to hunt for wild Ts so you can find a mate for the mature male you captured and made your pet. Hmmm. I find that very interesting.

One step ahead of you:

This is the same logic I use to justify my keeping of a tarantula: My tarantula is native to my region and my region is occupied by humans. Humans have encroached upon this tarantulas native habitat. The least I could do is offer him a comfortable lifestyle and attempt to mate him, lest he end up squashed on the road by a car.

My MM was found in the middle of a relatively busy road. If I didn't stop and get him out of the road, he was likely going to be run over. Granted, I could have left him on the side of the road, but yes, I chose to keep him as a pet instead.

I also intend on mating him and hopefully getting a sac and releasing the products of the sac back into the wild once they are capable of fending for themselves. (Juvi, maybe?)

In the end, the impact I have on the local tarantula population is slim to none. If anything, I will hopefully have a positive impact on it by increasing their numbers assuming I can get a sac.

On the other hand... Zoo's take animals out of the wild and many of these animals cannot or will not breed in captivity. Also, there's zoos with thousands of animals in nearly ever major city around the globe. That's not to mention poachers, hunters, land development, circus's, etc. Many of these exotic animals don't have significant populations in their native habitat to start with. Granted, I'd rather see a Gorilla or a Lion or an Elephant end up in a zoo than, say, poached/hunted or a circus.

I'm able to justify my own actions. I do not know what zoo's do with their animals, how they get them, and I find it hard to justify paying for tickets to go see animals that are not in their natural habitat and supporting zoo's as a business. I do not think all zoos are all bad nor do I think all animal handlers are bad. As I said above, many of them are very good people with the best intentions and I applaud them if they are making a positive impact. But zoo's still rub me the wrong way. Sorry.. I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's 100% logical. It's a personal prejudice.

 

[Talkenlate04]

This is the same logic I use to justify my keeping of a tarantula: My tarantula is native to my region and my region is occupied by humans. Humans have encroached upon this tarantulas native habitat. The least I could do is offer him a comfortable lifestyle and attempt to mate him, lest he end up squashed on the road by a car.

This is not logic, this is your personal justification/contradiction to your previous statements in this thread about leaving wildlife alone.
That would be like saying its ok for Kenyan's to capture any Cheetah that lived around them and put it in a cage out in their backyard. After all it is in their local area right?

One step ahead of you:

Not really. Your starting to talk yourself in circles. But by all means please keep going.

Did you know Zoos do vital research on animals with regards to infectious disease and genetics so that they can aid in saving wild populations?
Additionally they have representatives out in the field doing research on wild populations to be sure they are thriving.
I don't know of a single zoo that does not do some sort of research on animals in their zoos. Matter of fact Id venture a guess that a lot of zoos rely on grants for research to keep operating. They then take that knowledge and apply it to conservation efforts all over the world.

My zoo recently had a tax proposition up for vote this past fall that raised my taxes to fund habitat expansion and cleaning projects and I am more then fine with that. It was passed by a vote near 95% because it would seem many people understand the value of having the zoo. Maybe you should do some more reading before you try to form an argument you seem to know little about.

Keep changing your post too, that is not going to change the fact that I have you pegged as ignorant or hypocritical.

 

[Ether Imp]

This is not logic, this is your personal justification/contradiction to your previous statements in this thread about leaving wildlife alone.
That would be like saying its ok for Kenyan's to capture any Cheetah that lived around them and put it in a cage out in their backyard. After all it is in their local area right?

"Leaving wildlife alone" is a rather blanket statement. As I said about "fixing our mistakes". Fixing mistakes is not "leaving wildlife alone", but neither was the damage we did to those creatures habitats and populations by our presence.

The difference between myself keeping a T and a Kenyan keeping a cheetah, I think is a little bit of an exaggaration. As I said, T was crossing a busy road. If I had left him, he'd be dead. The cheetah isn't likely going to die unless someone goes out of their way to kill the cheetah. But let's assume for a second that is the case.. Then let's say rather than keeping the cheetah in a cage, the Kenyan captures the cheetah, mates him, and then releases all of the cheetahs back into a more safe location in the wild.

Is that "leaving wildlife alone"? No.. But it is a positive impact.

As a general rule though, I believe "leaving wildlife alone" is the best thing we can do. Nature pretty much takes care of itself. If a wolf pup is abandoned by the pack, it's likely because the pup was hindering the survival or because the pup itself was somehow flawed/weak. Now... if the wolf pup was abandoned because local hunters were culling wolves and the mother and father were shot while looking for food for the pup, that's a completely different story.

Did you know Zoos do vital research on animals with regards to infectious disease and genetics so that they can aid in saving wild populations?
Additionally they have representatives out in the field doing research on wild populations to be sure they are thriving.
I don't know of a single zoo that does not do some sort of research on animals in their zoos. Matter of fact Id venture a guess that a lot of zoos rely on grants for research to keep operating. They then take that knowledge and apply it to conservation efforts all over the world.

My zoo recently had a tax proposition up for vote this past fall that raised my taxes to fund habitat expansion and cleaning projects and I am more then fine with that. It was passed by a vote near 95% because it would seem many people understand the value of having the zoo. Maybe you should do some more reading before you try to form an argument you seem to know little about.

I promote all of that, and I'm glad you gave me that information. If you're right, then I concede my point about zoo's "making profit".

However.. How do you explain how the handler in the video with the Blondi made the mistake of dropping him? Was he not trained properly, or did he know what he was doing and just make a really really stupid mistake? Either way it doesn't reflect well on the zoo from an outsiders perspective.


Edit: Forgot I wanted to say this... In an IDEAL world, we should leave nature alone outside of doing what we must for our survival. But in reality, there are certain unavoidable factors which influence my judgement when it comes to things like this. IE - Sometimes 'good' people have to try to make up for the mistakes of the 'bad' (or simply ignorant/uncaring) people in the world. In the cases where zoo's are doing just that, I say more power to them.

 

[BlackCat]

You realize we don't actually NEED meat for survival right? We once did, but there certainly are effective alternatives now. If there are so many vegetarians and vegans, living healthily without consuming any meat at all, how is it that you can say we need them to survive? That is not survival, it is more just a refusal to change, probably due to desensitization or some sort of vanity. Eat meat all you want, I'm not hating on that (that is for another topic lol), but if you're going to eat meat and be ok with the treatment of cows (which are no longer treated as living animals but as a product for consumption), you have no room to judge the zoos for holding captive animals for educational, environmental, and scientific purposes.

It's not hypocritical. The reason we breed cows is for survival. The reason we capture elephants (or any exotic animal) and keep them in captivity is not for survival nor is it necessary in most cases.

There are certain species which we have pushed to the brink of extinction because of our actions and in that case I do believe it is our responsibility/obligation as stewards of this planet to ensure that we correct our previous mistake by doing everything in our power to reverse the damage done. Elephants are one example of this, although I'm not sure which elephants (I believe African), and I am not 'against' the capture and breeding of elephants to bring their numbers back to a substantial level.

This is the same logic I use to justify my keeping of a tarantula: My tarantula is native to my region and my region is occupied by humans. Humans have encroached upon this tarantulas native habitat. The least I could do is offer him a comfortable lifestyle and attempt to mate him, lest he end up squashed on the road by a car.

 

[Talkenlate04]

However.. How do you explain how the handler in the video with the Blondi made the mistake of dropping him? Was he not trained properly, or did he know what he was doing and just make a really really stupid mistake? Either way it doesn't reflect well on the zoo from an outsiders perspective.

That is an ignorant statement in itself. Here is a perfect example.

I myself have been keeping tarantulas a long time and I dropped one last week. Did I set out to drop it? Hell no. But did it happen? Yes, yes it did. Does that make me a bad person somehow? I seriously doubt it. Does that mean I have to go back to tarantula handling school to be properly trained :?

There are always going to be mistakes and that is what this was, a simple mistake plain and simple. If anything based on his response to emails sent to him this situation did good all around. (maybe you did not read his response email about the incident that I posted.) He learned something and the mistake won't be repeated again in ignorance. Sounds like a positive outcome to me.

 

[Ether Imp]

You realize we don't actually NEED meat for survival right? We once did, but there certainly are effective alternatives now. If there are so many vegetarians and vegans, living healthily without consuming any meat at all, how is it that you can say we need them to survive? That is not survival, it is more just a refusal to change, probably due to desensitization or some sort of vanity. Eat meat all you want, I'm not hating on that (that is for another topic lol), but if you're going to eat meat and be ok with the treatment of cows (which are no longer treated as living animals but as a product for consumption), you have no room to judge the zoos for holding captive animals for educational, environmental, and scientific purposes.

I'm sure we could all suck nutrients through a straw and survive too.. But that's not how I prefer to live. We, as a species, are omnivores. There's nothing wrong with eating meat.

I won't get into an argument about how animals such as cows and chickens are treated. But there is a huge difference between breeding animals for food and capturing wild animals for study/entertainment.

I'm not saying either is "right" or "wrong". I'm only saying there's a huge difference.

 

[BlackCat]

However.. How do you explain how the handler in the video with the Blondi made the mistake of dropping him? Was he not trained properly, or did he know what he was doing and just make a really really stupid mistake? Either way it doesn't reflect well on the zoo from an outsiders perspective.

Do you not see a difference between this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbqqHFPimgY

and this: http://www.imdb.com/video/cbs/vi3633709081/ (its the vid posted in the OP, no need to click it really)

I'm sure we could all suck nutrients through a straw and survive too.. But that's not how I prefer to live. We, as a species, are omnivores. There's nothing wrong with eating meat.

I won't get into an argument about how animals such as cows and chickens are treated. But there is a huge difference between breeding animals for food and capturing wild animals for study/entertainment.

I'm not saying either is "right" or "wrong". I'm only saying there's a huge difference.

I said:

Eat meat all you want, I'm not hating on that

You FAIL

 

[Ether Imp]

I myself have been keeping tarantulas a long time and I dropped one last week. Did I set out to drop it? Hell no. But did it happen? Yes, yes it did. Does that make me a bad person somehow? I seriously doubt it. Does that mean I have to go back to tarantula handling school to be properly trained :?

There are always going to be mistakes and that is what this was, a simple mistake plain and simple. If anything based on his response to emails sent to him this situation did good all around. (maybe you did not read his response email about the incident that I posted.) He learned something and the mistake won't be repeated again in ignorance. Sounds like a positive outcome to me.

I actually just read that post inbetween posting here, and was very impressed by his response. Also keep in mind I never really attacked the guy in my initial post. I meant to read it earlier but it was posted this morning, I saw it before I went to work but didn't have time to read the entire thing.

I suggested that maybe he was poorly trained because zoo's are more concerned with their "bottom line" than with the qualifications/wages of their employees, or the overall care of their animals. To be honest I was just throwing it out there as a possibility/thought. As you have stated (and I openly admit), I am not an expert on zoo's.


If you don't mind me asking, how did you drop your T? Like.. what happened that caused you to and was there any harm done to the T?

(This is a sincere question out of curiousity... I'm not attempting to undermine you by any means nor am I being sarcastic.)

 

[Ether Imp]

Do you not see a difference between this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbqqHFPimgY

and this: http://www.imdb.com/video/cbs/vi3633709081/

I've seen both videos, and I see the difference. What's your point?

I said:

You FAIL

I know what you said. You also said "We do not NEED to eat meat." I don't think stopping all consumption of meat has been proven to be very healthy, in the long term. Hence my comment about humans being omnivores.

So, how exactly do I 'fail'?

You're comparing Zoo's to Farms. They just aren't the same.