gorillas, zoos and various

[Guest guest]

This E-mail may seem long but I am hoping if people are interested they will

read through this. I suppose to a certain extent I am sounding off. I am sending

this email to the lists instead of answering every one individually. I would

also welcome discussion.

 

Yesterday I received the first E-mails regarding two young male gorillas going

from Taronga to Japanese zoos.

Since then I have received more E-mails and three phone calls.

 

Based on the information I have received I have spoken to Taronga zoo. They were

aware that I was asking on behalf of several people so I am not posting anything

that is confidential.

 

Taronga confirmed they have 2 young males that they are looking at sending to 2

different Japanese Zoos.(they did tell me the name of the 2 zoos but I was not

in a position at the time to take notes). Nothing is finalised yet but talks

are well advanced.

 

As there are only 2 zoos in Australia with Gorillas they have joined the EEP.

The EEP has recommended that these gorillas go to Japan.

 

These 2 gorillas are young and it would appear it is best to move them sooner

rather than later in the interests of their welfare.

 

Taronga inspected one zoo some years ago and have a keeper who is on exchange at

the other zoo. He/She has been there for about three months.

 

Towards the end of September/beginning of October,Taronga management will go to

these 2 zoos in Japan to carry out another inspection.

 

On top of that before they go to Japan the Australian Authorities have to be

convinced that the gorillas will be well looked after.

 

One suggestion made to me was that they go to Steve Irwins zoo (even though many

primate people constantly knock Steve Irwin). Steve Irwin will not be taking

gorillas for at least another 4 years (according to him) and the EEP and

Australian zoos do not want them to go to Steve Irwins zoo because they need

different genes in the gene pool. New Gorillas have to be brought into Australia

over the next few years, and these will most likely come from the EEP.

 

However, one of the puzzling questions for me is " why is this shipment being

singled out " . Why is there a voice of protest against this particular movement.

I am against us manipulating the social lives of gorillas this way but as long

as zoos exist it seems it will go on happening. Electro ejaculation is not in my

opinion, humane. Melbourne has sent gorillas overseas and there have been no

complaints. USA send gorillas overseas and all around the USA, again no

complaints. England manipulates the gene pool, Europe manipulates the gene pool

etc etc. No complaints. They all do it so why this particular movement of

gorillas. Lets face it the gorilla does not know he has been moved from

Australia to Japan. This is no different to moving the gorillas to Australia Zoo

or Melbourne zoo. All the gorilla knows is that he is in a foreign place with

gorillas he hasn't seen before. It is no different to the USA moving gorillas to

different zoos within the USA.

 

People may think that the zoos in Japan are bad, so why then are they not

protesting other movements of primates to Japanese zoos. Why have they not

protested previous movements of primates to Japan. Why do they not protest their

own country sending primates to not only Japan, but china and Europe, and

Australia, and England or just anywhere. I have not seen any Japanese zoos.

 

Its just that singling out one shipment of gorillas does nothing to address the

big issue. If you don't like the idea of these gorillas being moved, then why

are people not protesting other gorillas being moved. All complaints to me have

so far come from overseas so why are these people not addressing the movement of

gorillas in and from their own country.

 

Why also is it just gorillas and not orangutans, chimps, gibbons, macaques,

spider monkeys and so on.

 

Singling out one movement in a country that is foreign to the country of most

protesters does not make sense.

 

I spoke to an American gorilla keeper this morning who said " We have enough

problems of our own in this country - have these people nothing better to do " .

That person went on to say that many gorillas get moved to bad zoos within the

USA so why is this not being addressed. That person suggested to me there may be

another issue involved. She suggested that some people may be thinking there is

a chance to get one or both of these gorillas into a private sanctuary.

 

Then I spoke to another person here in Australia, who made the same suggestion

because no one can see why this movement is being singled out. It does not make

sense. My questions as to why this movement is being singled out has not been

answered. I really cannot work it out and no one is explaining it to me. Does

anyone know the answer to this.

 

The issue is that the gene pool is being manipulated. It not only happens with

primates but with other animals. So I would welcome discussion on the real

issue. Manipulating the gene pool and all aspects of it. The need for it (if

there is a need for it) and the animal welfare issues invloved.

 

As for either of these 2 gorillas going to any private sanctuary - I would

protest that strongly with other animal welfare groups in Australia. No one is

Australia is allowed to keep them as pets so why should overseas sanctuaries be

able to keep them as pets. In Australia, sanctuaries and pet owners are all the

same. They are owners of primates in private hands. Also passing them into

private hands does nothing to make zoos face up to their long term

responsibilities. The issue is that zoos are in this for the long term and they

have to face up to their long term responsibilities. Placing these animals in

Sanctuaries is not the answer.

 

I draw you attention to another incident recently. It was reported that Steve

Irwin was going to open a zoo in Las Vegas. The complaints came thick and fast.

But the issue should not have been that Steve Irwin was opening a zoo. If you do

not like zoos and have objections to zoos (as I do) then the issue was that

another zoo was opening no matter who was opening it. I have heard that the one

zoo in Las Vegas is a dreadful pit and that Steve Irwin opening a zoo there may

have made the other zoo shape up. The issue is another zoo. Since then there

have been no complaints from these people about any one else opening a zoo. So

it may be that these people are not against zoos at all but just against Steve

Irwin. It just seems everyone would rather pick on one aspect of an issue, or

pick on one person involved, instead of addressing the BIG ISSUE. Is it easier

to do this than raise objections to the big issue.

 

Recently our organisation had a report done on a South Australian zoo. The

reason for our zoo reports is that some zoos in Australia need to shape up.

However whilst we focus on some zoos that we feel do not measure up, the main

focus is to get a national zoo code to eliminate these zoos or make them shape

up. The big issue is that these zoos do exist and there is nothing to stop

further zoos like these from opening. The issue is that the governments allow

these zoos to exist.

 

Since then we have received another report on another South Australian zoo.

Because the press will not cover the bigger issue but only want to focus on the

sensational stuff (as they did with the last report) we have not sent it to the

press. We want the real issue to be addressed. The issue is that these zoos

exist and can go on existing without controls. We are hoping it will be raised

in parliament. We want the main issue to be raised in parliament.

 

Courteous discussion welcomed.