Denver Zoo Safety
From our loving pets that welcome us home every day, to the birds chirping in the morning, to the exotic animals we admire; animal safety and animal rights is a priority that gathers attention across the world. Being up close and personal with animals is a coveted experience that zoos try to bring to everyday life. While it is breathtaking to see these glorious animals it can possibly bring danger to their lives and call into question someone’s morals. The Denver Zoo claims that they rescue endangered or suffering animals from hostile environments and bring them into a safe, nurturing facility where they cater to the animals’ needs. With the demands of the people it is truly amazing that the Denver Zoo can properly care
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and tend to their animals while keeping them healthy and safe. The biggest part of maintaining a zoo such as the Denver Zoo include animal health, expenses, and the dedication to remove any types of harmful environment for the animals. In a zoo, the animals are obviously the most important aspect.
They are the stars, they’re the attraction people travel hundreds of miles to see. The Denver Zoo is known for their community service work and how they save animals and bring them into their safe environment. Not only do they rescue animals in danger, they also play a huge role in the breeding and cultivation of endangered species such as the endangered Panamanian Golden Frog. They have research facilities in Botswana, Mongolia, the Rocky Mountains, the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia, and Vietnam. From these facilities they conduct important and developmental research that is integral to the growing field of animal medicine and animal care. Toano the Bald Eagle is an example of the type of creatures they rescue and bring to their zoo. Toana was found by the Wildlife Game and Fish when he was found sick with the West Nile Virus. He was brought to the Denver Zoo after his recovery and rehabilitation back to good health. He has been with the Denver Zoo since 2000. Another story of not saving a specific animal, but of a successful breeding was the mating of two Amur tigers. Zaria from Denver Zoo and a male from Hogle Zoo were sent to Asia to perform their task, where they successfully mated and provided a strong genetic line. The procedure of mating is a very important process to the environment and is a priority for Denver …show more content…
Zoo. Keeping their animals safe and healthy is a major priority to the Denver Zoo. They have highly trained veterinarians and trainers who look after the animals. Preventive veterinary care includes physical examinations, blood collection and analysis, radiographs, vaccinations, hoof trimming, administration of contraceptives and other procedures to ensure the health and well-being of the Zoo’s animals. (Denver Zoo Annual Report, 8) The zoo also provides intuitive classes that focus on the proper and safe handling of the animals.
Every year, the zoo offers a number of classes to volunteers and students that are based solely on the handling of their animals, how people can help in the world, and can put people face-to-face with the animals to form a bond. The zoo has 126 animals that are used to aide in educational demonstrations, and this is in addition to the animals they show in the exhibits. Annually the zoo educates approximately 215,000 people with nearly 80.5 thousand hours of volunteer service provided. Their education system is important to the health of all their animals because it displays the time and effort dedicated to the care of the animals they have there. They also conduct daily exercises and training with the animals to make sure they are receiving enough exercise. A large chunk of all funding that the zoo receives go directly to the buying of food for the animals. They all eat different types of food sources to maintain healthy diets that relate to what they would consume in their original habitat. The zoo pushes the community, and it’s researchers/vets/trainers to all become invested and well-educated in the study of animal
health. To focus on the health and welfare of the animals, the zoo even makes sure to have on-duty nutritionists. This job can prove to be difficult as the average animal will eat approximately 115 pounds of grass hay a day, alone! It’s important to establish the dietary needs of every animal in the zoo, based on their species and also their individual needs to maintain a healthy animal and overall a healthy zoo. Though the zoo has had a couple of reported incidents that could lead to the investigation of animal negligence, all of the most current cases are as recent as the 1990’s. Handler Allan Campbell was accused of abusing elephants at the Denver Zoo in the early 90’s. His abuse included the introduction of elephant rides, which led to the over-working of elephants. The elephants were so exhausted that they would collapse with riders on them. Investigations into this abuse discovered even more allegations that the handler had been seen beating the elephants with sticks when they weren’t performing tricks to his liking. He was seen beating an elephant so brutally that the elephant was cowering in fear and screaming. Ironically enough, the abuse ended when the same elephant murdered him by squishing him. Another instance in the 90’s was the escape of an elephant. The elephant rampaged through the zoo, nearly killing a mother and her child as it stormed past. When this event happened, the zoo was again accused of animal abuse leading to the elephant’s desire to escape its unfit environment. The Denver Zoo currently claims that they no longer allow the “medieval” practice of elephant-riding for fun at their zoo. They’ve since turned their zoo around to protect all the animals from any type of harm and use positive reinforcement to encourage the animals. They have a zero-tolerance policy on animal abuse or neglect in their facilities. The zoo imposed the placement of electric fences around the perimeter of the elephant enclosure to ensure they would not escape and put any viewers, workers, or children in harm’s way. This can be seen as inhumane to pin up these great beasts with electric and possibly harmful fences, but the zoo does not find the risk of one of the elephants running into the fence high, unless purposefully attempting to escape. Another sanction put in place to protect the elephants and the humans that work with them, is the regulation to maintain a gate between the elephants and humans at all times. Because of the zoo’s healthy income, it is easy to question how they decide to divvy up their money. Looking back at the most current annual report (2014) the zoo breaks down their income and their budget. In 2014, the zoo was earning a total of $34.4 million. 25 percent of that income was from admissions alone. 23 percent was from the SCFD, Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Eighteen percent was from memberships. Nine percent was received from their events, eight percent from concessions, six percent was accumulated donations, another six percent from the city of Denver, 4 percent from education, and one percent from other. $34.4 million is a lot of dough! So what does the zoo do with all this money? The amount of money that it takes to maintain the zoo itself comes to a grand total of $32.9 million. 48 percent of this amount is attributed to animal care and research. So nearly half of all their income is dedicated solely to the care of their animals (that’s approximately $15.8 million). Ten percent goes to guest services, nine percent to educating the public, eight percent to events and marketing, eight percent to administrative support, seven percent to zoo improvements, four percent to fundraising and membership development, another four percent to horticulture, and two percent to member services and interns. Looking deeper into their spending, the zoo spends roughly $30,000 on vitamins and supplements, and $80,000 on medications, anesthetic drugs, and vaccinations annually. Looking and the zoo’s revenue and expenditure it’s fairly obvious how much they dedicate to their animals. Also, looking at the importance they put on healthcare, nutrition, and environmental safety the zoo focuses on the comfort and the productivity of their animals. Whether it be the elephants or the muskrats, the Denver Zoo is an amazing sanctuary for endangered and in danger animals. Through hard-working employees and the volunteer work that is selflessly dedicated to the zoo, the animals are well taken care of and well loved.
Have you ever seen an animal sitting in a cage all alone with nothing to do. Well, zoos are trying to change that fact. They will allow the animals to live in an environment that is like their home. Many people don't realize this, but zoo are keeping and breeding these animals because they would not survive in the wild alone. In the three passages, ¨The Stripes Will Survive,¨ ¨The Zood Go Wild from No More Dodos,¨ ¨Our Beautiful Macaws and Why They Need Enrichment.¨ All of these articles present one claim, that is that the role of zoos is no longer to keep animal, but to protect them.
Zoos. Mercy for Animals, A voice for the rights of all animals. 4th Sept 2011
Considering the many challenges animals face in the wild, it is understandable that people may be eager to support zoos and may feel that they are protective facilities necessary for animal life. In the article “ Zoos Are Not Prisons. They Improve the Lives of Animals”, Author Robin Ganzert argues that Zoos are ethical institutions that enrich the lives of animals and ultimately protect them. Statistics have shown that animals held in captivity have limited utilitarian function resulting in cramped quarters, poor diets, depression, and early death for the animals thus, proving that Zoos are not ethical institutions that support and better the lives of animals as author Robin Ganzert stated (Cokal 491). Ganzert exposes the false premise in stating
Furthermore, while zoos should conserve and encourage educational experiences within their parks, Allen points out it’s also important to take a compassionate approach in caring for each individual animal. As zoos focus more on education and conservation, they sometimes forget that animals are not alive in terms of population and individual welfare is important. Thus, it appears that Allen is taking a middle ground approach to the ongoing debate about zoos, because she is open to zoos, when they are compassionate, yet fully recognizes the downside of animal cruelty.
There are many places where people can go to see live animals such as aquariums, zoos, and safari parks. A pleasant way to define a Zoo is to call it “an establishment that maintains a collection of wild animals”. (Google def) Another way to say that is a facility in which animals are “enclosed in cages for public exhibition”. I believe zoos are ethical; however, changes need to be made to eliminate problems I have discovered. In this argumentative essay, I will be arguing the ethics of zoos and certain problems that need to be addressed that people are not aware of. Zoos are great places to take the family out for the day to have entertainment; however, problems such as captive breeding, length of life, and animal stress need to improve.
Among many other fun and exciting attraction to visit around our community, a visit to the zoo has always been a memorable experience. This cost effective priceless lifetime experience is being undermined by a group of activists all around the country. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), world largest animal rights organization, argue that zoos deprived animals from satisfying their most basic needs. They urge not to patronized zoos and claims that the money spent on ticket purchases pays for animals to be imprisoned and traded, not rescued and rehabilitated. They go on saying in summary that zoos strip animals from their rights. So this heated debate revolves around the animal rights and how the zoo industry inhibits it. Are zoo really bad for the animals? Should we get rid of the zoo and let the animals back to the wilderness? Mazur and Clark (2001) state that zoo is a monument to a long-standing tradition of people’s fascination with non-human nature. Since the early societies of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese, wild animals have been maintained in captivity in order to satisfy human curiosity with exotica (p 185). Most western zoos today, however, embrace far more benevolent values such as supporting the conservation of biodiversity through specialized animal breeding, research, and education programs.
Although zoos are a great educational tool for the public the overall damage it could be doing to our environment and the plausible cause of extinction for some species must be examined. In the human race’s haste to be able to view exotic animals, they failed to realize that an urban zoo although maybe ideal for the educational standpoint, may not be what is best for the animals. What crime did the animal commit to be imprisoned to a life of captivity? Most certainly depression all for the sake of human’s entertainment. An alternative to the urban zoo should be used.
Imagine being locked in a cage and stared at your whole life. For zoo animals, that’s what life is like. Everybody has fond memories of visiting the zoo as a child, however, what many of us don’t know is that a zoo is one of the most harmful and abusive places for an animal to live. In this essay I will tell you about the large history of animal abuse in zoos, how to solve this problem, and why you should care. Zoos are inherently cruel to animals and this needs to change.
Some people may argue that zoos protect animals and species under this polluted world, however, do animals in zoos really need our “help”? Yes, but surely not that many. According to Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS), 79% of animals in United Kingdom zoos and over 70% of elephants in European zoos are wild-caught. It seems that zoos need them rather than they need zoos.
Throughout time, some zoos have mimicked an animal 's natural habitat. While some zoos are becoming more suitable for the animals, many are still left behind. Many of the smaller zoos continue to have small cement enclosures with little nature. When an animal is placed in a small enclosure they are unable to complete their needs that the wild can easily give them. Animals such as elephants are used to walking 30 kilometers per day, at the zoo they are unable to fulfill their needs. Needs that can not be fulfilled leads to unhealthy behavior. According to PETA, “Many develop neurotic and self-harming behavior [known as] zoochosis, that is rarely, if ever, observed in the wild. Primates throw feces and eat their own vomit. Birds pluck out their own feathers. Tigers pace incessantly and polar bears swim endless figure-eights. In the zoo animals can also not experience hunting for their own food. Most of the animals at the zoo are predatory animals, that enjoy hunting for their food. A zoo can not provide that; therefore, the animals are fed in bowls. A zoo is nothing compared to the wild. There is no limit to where the animals can walk, fly or swim. There is no cement around just pure nature. Animals live an authentic life in the wild while playing an important role in their ecosystem. Hunting is an exciting part of the day for some animals while other animals face challenges against natural selection. In their
The modern Zoo has been around for centuries the first zoo was established in 1748. Since then zoos have evolved immensely. Many standard zoos offer a variety of activities for visitors but little has been done to offer animals proper care, sufficient space and variety. Traditional zoo enclosures rarely match each animal’s natural environment especially for large animals, as everything is just too small and too condensed. Zoos must reinvest and revamp into the structures and organization of their facilities for the better of the animals and viewers. Across Canada there are over 100 zoos and wildlife collections. Humans have always had an interest to learn and study wild animals. Unfortunately, many zoos are only in it for profits. Nowadays the public is much more knowledgeable about the animals needs such as their emotionally and physical health. Many people want to see change. The health of the animals is being jeopardized. Traditional zoos in Canada should be banned because the animals’ welfare is negatively affected, they provide little education value and they do not serve as effective conservation practices.
Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey.
Zoos also allow children to see and learn about animals that are exotic and without the chance to see them at the zoo, they would never see them in the wild. Zoos protect animals in many ways. Most big zoos have a full-time staff of animal health professionals, including veterinarians and animal health technicians. These people examine the animals and treat any health problems that arise. Some small zoos use local veterinarians to help with animal health problems.
Have you ever been to the zoo? Zoos around the world see over 700 million tourists a year. The animals in zoos are often exotic, ones you wouldn’t see in your backyard. These animals come from jungles, oceans, deserts, and many other places, usually as babies. They never get a chance to live a normal life near family and their real habitats. They grow up in captivity, and in most cases, die in captivity. Zoos and aquariums are a problem because they take animals from the wild and lock them up for our pleasure, disregarding the mental and physical health of the animal. Because of this, we need to make stricter laws for places with animals in captivity.
There has been much discussion about the welfare of animals ever since zoos were created. There are many people who support the fact that animals should be kept in zoos. It benefits the animals greatly, because in zoos, the animals have every need catered for. However, in some zoos, animals are ill-treated by their zoo keepers. Sometimes, they even deprive a natural habitat that zoos attempt but fail to re-create after the wild. Consequently, they develop physiological problems. Some zoos are no better than prison cells that cage up animals, causing these creatures to become greatly distressed. Because it is against Mother Nature, animals should not continue to be kept in zoos.