The Zoo
Yesterday I went to the Hanoi Zoo. I was a bit apprehensive before going because I feared the conditions that the animals lived in would make me sick and sad. What I found was less than appealing, but better than the nightmare I had pictured.
Generally I don't expect the animals who are kept in zoos to be happy and this case was no expection. As for the birds, many of them had gotten a little aggressive with their pruning and patches of baldness appeared on their anterior. The elephants were restrained by chains at their feet, acting as the only preventative to their escape because their was no fence. The crocodiles had barely a foot of water to wade in and the hippos had a very small, but relatively deep pond, surrounded by a high voltage wire, to keep them inside the perimeter. The primates, mostly smaller monkeys, were kept in cages that had floors of concrete and no foliage. This is unfortunate, but comparable to the conditions that the lemurs are kept in at the Animal Resource Center at UT. The most heart-wrenching sight was the lone chimpanzee who was kept in a relatively small cage with no other chimpanzee friends. He was the only animal in the entire zoo that had a sign posted warning that he was a savage animal and that he should not be fed. I felt horrible as his intelligent and understanding eyes gazed at us, asking for pity, asking for a better situation, but we had nothing to offer.
I know I have painted a miserable picture, but this zoo had its perks as well as its fallacies. Because although the animals were not happy, they were not miserable or malnourished. In addition, the Vietnamese people really enjoyed seeing the animals, and I was happy for them that they have this sort of interactive educational stimulation. And their was one group of animals who actually seemed to be at home and did not seem to object to their living conditions. The guinea pigs. Yes indeed, there were guinea pigs on exhibit at this zoo. It was quite bizarre. My friend Giang was very surprised to hear that it was legal, let alone common, for these "wild" animals to be allowed as pets in the US. There was also an interesting petting zoo which featured rabbits, goats, lambs, and capuchins(the little monkeys commonly seen accepting quarters), out of cages and wearing dresses.
It was reassuring to hear that the animals are cared for well and treatly decently, as much as conditions allow of course. And I am sure that as soon as they are capable, as far as funding goes, they will beef up the living conditions. I understand that they do what they can, however this experience makes me consider becoming an advocate for funding for under-funded zoos. Who knows.
Generally I don't expect the animals who are kept in zoos to be happy and this case was no expection. As for the birds, many of them had gotten a little aggressive with their pruning and patches of baldness appeared on their anterior. The elephants were restrained by chains at their feet, acting as the only preventative to their escape because their was no fence. The crocodiles had barely a foot of water to wade in and the hippos had a very small, but relatively deep pond, surrounded by a high voltage wire, to keep them inside the perimeter. The primates, mostly smaller monkeys, were kept in cages that had floors of concrete and no foliage. This is unfortunate, but comparable to the conditions that the lemurs are kept in at the Animal Resource Center at UT. The most heart-wrenching sight was the lone chimpanzee who was kept in a relatively small cage with no other chimpanzee friends. He was the only animal in the entire zoo that had a sign posted warning that he was a savage animal and that he should not be fed. I felt horrible as his intelligent and understanding eyes gazed at us, asking for pity, asking for a better situation, but we had nothing to offer.
I know I have painted a miserable picture, but this zoo had its perks as well as its fallacies. Because although the animals were not happy, they were not miserable or malnourished. In addition, the Vietnamese people really enjoyed seeing the animals, and I was happy for them that they have this sort of interactive educational stimulation. And their was one group of animals who actually seemed to be at home and did not seem to object to their living conditions. The guinea pigs. Yes indeed, there were guinea pigs on exhibit at this zoo. It was quite bizarre. My friend Giang was very surprised to hear that it was legal, let alone common, for these "wild" animals to be allowed as pets in the US. There was also an interesting petting zoo which featured rabbits, goats, lambs, and capuchins(the little monkeys commonly seen accepting quarters), out of cages and wearing dresses.
It was reassuring to hear that the animals are cared for well and treatly decently, as much as conditions allow of course. And I am sure that as soon as they are capable, as far as funding goes, they will beef up the living conditions. I understand that they do what they can, however this experience makes me consider becoming an advocate for funding for under-funded zoos. Who knows.