Ray Meibaum/St. Louis Zoo
A new primate habitat, formally called the Michael and Quirsis Riney Family Primate Canopy Trails, opened to the public at the St. Louis Zoo.Earlier this month, a dolphin turned on its trainer at the Miami Seaquarium. It was a harrowing experience, but, fortunately, both are reportedly doing well.
Predictably, some animal-rights activists have renewed their call that no animals should be kept in captivity — be they in aquariums or zoos, under the pretense that it is inhumane.
They completely miss the point.
Blaming the dolphin’s behavior on captivity is a stretch, for several reasons. First, the Seaquarium’s investigation concluded that “Sundance” and the trainer had an unexpected collision, which spooked the dolphin. Sounds plausible, since humans and darn near every other animal often react similarly when frightened or unexpectedly jostled. Second, out of the more than 2,000 dolphins in captivity worldwide, very few exhibit violent or aggressive behavior. In other words, over the hundreds of millions of hours that dolphins have lived in aquariums, the overwhelming majority of that time has been incident-free.
Third, given that Sundance is 23 years old — and the average lifespan of a dolphin is between 20 and 25 — maybe he was simply grumpy and dealing with effects of old-age — just like people. No matter the reason, it isn’t fair to simply condemn “captivity” as the culprit behind a highly-unusual event.
But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some are calling for extreme measures. Our society has become so risk-intolerant that when an isolated event does occur, the reaction is often vastly overblown, with the requisite calls for bans and/or additional rules that are not needed.
We cannot allow ourselves to become paralyzed by rare incidents in the mistaken belief that they are commonplace. They are not. Vigilance and commonsense are the answers — and that applies as much to animals in captivity as it does to any other area of risk, from guns to airplanes to playing schoolyard tag.
Just this week, headlines blared that three endangered tigers were killed by traps in Indonesia — a blow to conservation efforts aimed at increasing their numbers. Similarly, many were saddened at the news that a trophy-hunter in Botswana killed one of the few remaining “tusker” elephants in Africa — animals whose massive tusks weigh over 100 pounds each.
Not all that long ago, many would have reacted to such events with a nonchalant shrug. But because we have come to “know” these types of animals, courtesy of fact-filled interactive exhibits in zoos and circus demonstrations (both of which “humanize” the animals and increase our affinity for them), there has been an outpouring of concern and empathy.
But take away that special “bond,” and demands for animal welfare will dramatically wane.
Consider:
1) Undoubtedly, the animal-rights movement espouses some common sense positions, and should be commended for improving standards of care and protections for many species. Unfortunately, the more radical elements — who often generate the headlines — continue to push for extreme measures, such as no-animal circuses, the shuttering of zoos, and making aquatic parks/aquariums a distant memory.
Where will it end? If dolphins should be “freed” from captivity, then, by definition, so should every whale, seal, sea lion, and fish, since keeping them in clean, safe, veterinarian-maintained facilities must also be “inhumane.” But it won’t stop there. What about safari attractions in America? Should they too be closed? And of course, since animals “deserve” the same rights as humans, that means no animal research for scientists finding the cure for cancer and other deadly diseases. As the adage says: “be careful what you wish for.”
2) This author had the indescribable experience of swimming with trained dolphins in Curacao. They performed acrobatic shows and interacted with people in the water — clearly content with their lives. How can such a claim be made? Because some of the dolphins leave their “captivity” on a regular basis to accompany a dive boat out to the open ocean, interacting with divers as they explore the sea. This, of course, allows them to bolt from their “masters” and be free of captivity forever.
But they don’t. Instead, they return to their enclosures to be with their families — both dolphin and human. The point: as long as animals in captivity are treated well, it is not cruel.
3) There is a clear correlation between animal populations rebounding and the rise in popularity of zoos and aquatic parks. SeaWorld opened in 1964, and it’s no coincidence that, after two decades of treating people to the wonders (and plight) of whales, a moratorium on whaling was instituted in 1986. Such a ban would likely not have occurred had the will of the people not been behind it. We thank you, SeaWorld — as do the whales.
Likewise, poaching, especially in Africa, has been decreasing, due in large part to people’s awareness of that threat, and their desire to fight back. While poaching remains a problem, efforts to stop it, funded by private entities and governments, are keeping the bad guys on the run. But that money will keep flowing only if people demand it. Take away access to animals over here, and poaching reverts to being “someone else’s” problem over there. Result? End of story for species such as the black rhino.
4) Should there be additional oversight (or at least better enforcement of existing regulations) on how animals here are trained and treated? Absolutely. Bull hooks were often used to train elephants, but because they hurt the animals, they were banned in many places. That type of progress needs to be emulated, so let’s focus on no-pain, humane methods to train intelligent animals. Just as proper dog-training doesn’t involve physical abuse, so it can be with elephants and other animals.
And instead of doing away with performing elephants, why not limit their service life to five or ten years, after which they can “retire” to animal preserves? That way, everybody wins: People, especially children, learn firsthand about the animals, and the “performers” can live the majority of their lives in huge wide-open areas. But instead, elephants continue disappearing from the public eye, severing the bond that so many had with those magnificent animals — or denying young children that opportunity altogether.
5) There needs to be better messaging for the tremendous benefits that zoos and aquatic parks provide. They teach millions about the life and habitats of animals, saves countless creatures through rescue efforts, and lobby for more conservation. And their employees are on the frontlines in the fight to rejuvenate our polluted and overfished lands and oceans.
It’s important to remember that zoos and aquatic parks literally preserve the bloodlines of species that would have otherwise gone extinct in the wild; that research they conduct leads to cures for both people and animals; and that today’s children, who are tomorrow’s zoologists, marine biologists, naturalists, and global citizens, are inspired by experiencing animals up close and personally, which has changed the American mindset from one of pointless killing (such as decimation of the buffalo) to one of conservation.
Americans, better than anyone else, can pressure other nations to adopt protective measures so that endangered species can rebound and thrive rather than go the way of the dodo.
But — and this is the critical point — out of sight is out of mind. If we don’t showcase the magnificence of animals to our young minds, then their imaginations will never be ignited, and the fire to protect animals will be left to others — meaning, it won’t happen. How is that in the best interest of “animal rights?”
It’s time to stop ducking the elephant in the room — that extreme measures are, ironically, a threat to the preservation of animals — and give future generations the chance to marvel at nature’s miraculous animals. Otherwise, as David Attenborough asked, “Are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?”
Let’s hope not.
Chris Freind is an independent columnist and commentator whose column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at CF@FFZMedia.com Follow him on Twitter @chrisfreind.
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