(MY) On the other side of the bars

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http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2002/2/19/features/yyzoo2 & se

c=features

Tuesday, February 19, 2002

 

S.S. YOGA speaks to a woman who has found unique ways to deal with bad

behaviour in zoos. Dr Sally Walker, who was in Malaysia for the South-East

Asian Zoos Association's 10th annual conference in October, talks about her

organisation's work in India.

 

HAVE you ever seen a kid poking a stick at an animal in a zoo or wildlife

park? Or an adult disregarding the clearly stated sign and feeding an animal

something totally inappropriate, like a cigarette butt? What did you do

about it? Complain to a member of staff? Write an indignant letter to the

newspapers when you got home? Or were you the one doing the dirty deed?

 

Dr. Sally Walker: " Most bad behaviour of visitors took place when they

came in groups of young men aged 18 to 22. "

Apart from all the life-threatening troubles animals face in badly run zoos

and animal parks, there is this problem with visitors who abuse and terrify

the animals or, with misguided good intentions, feed animals when they

shouldn't, causing all sorts of problems later.

 

It is a mix of ignorance and sheer bad behaviour that the management has to

contend with.

 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) conducted three nationwide surveys over a period

of six years from 1995. It found that animals have died or been injured

because of the cruelty of zoo visitors who throw stones, empty cans and

cartons at the animals, offer primates lighted cigarette butts, and hit at

the animals with umbrellas and other handy weapons.

 

At one deer park, SAM reports, visitors were encouraged to feed the animals

with bread sold by the park authorities who were apparently so eager to get

whatever income they could that they had not considered the detrimental

effects of overfeeding the animals. They could have learnt from the

Singapore Zoo; there, at the baboon enclosure, zoo authorities have set up a

booth where visitors can purchase food with which to feed the baboons - but

only during the animals' normal feeding times so that they maintain a proper

dietary regime. This has proved to be popular with visitors and there is a

small source of income for the zoo.

 

For Zoo Outreach's Dr Sally Walker this problem of bad visitor behaviour is

one zoos in India constantly face. Her organisation, which she founded to

work with zoos in that country, has come out with several programmes to

combat this.

 

One idea, which came from the winner of a poster contest, was the old

concept of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It has been

copied throughout India and South Asia for zoos and specialty collections in

several languages.

 

" One study concluded that many visitors teased animals for the sake of their

children . kids want to see the animals move. Another study demonstrated

that most bad behaviour of visitors took place when they came in groups of

young men aged 18 to 22, " said Dr Walker, citing several reasons for bad

behaviour.

 

She says that some measures can be taken when you have information. One zoo,

for instance, put up interactive signage around heavy teasing zones and

provided guides or discreet guards when they saw groups of young men coming

in.

 

Using psychology is important as people tend to rebel against rules. Appeal

to people's better nature, never just say, " don't " .

 

Instead of " Do not feed " substitute " Animals need their own kind of food -

your food may make them sick " . Or for " Do not tease " , use " Animals need rest

and privacy " .

 

That might work with adults, but what about kids?

 

Dr Walker said that, through experience, getting kids to sign a pledge is an

effective behavioural tool. One can also start a " zoo police " programme for

it teaches them good values.

 

It is also an effective deterrent to teasing by adults, Dr Walker thinks, as

nobody wants to be corrected by a child. Also nobody will harm such a

monitor, as some ruffians might do with keepers.

 

Deceptively simple yet effective remedies as Zoo Outreach has found out.

Would they work in Malaysia?