Villahermosa

[stusik_i_sharik]

Unfortunate but true, just like the book said, Villahermosa was not living up to its name. It was by far not a villa anymore, but a big town, and the only hermoso thing around was supposed to be the Park-Museum La Venta, were the original giant Olmec heads were put on display after being dug out in the nearby La Venta

Comments

it never fails!

[bjserven]

seems like there is always a conjugal visit going on at the zoo somewhere...

usually they wait for the group of school children to be in prime viewing position before they start the fun.

it's so depressing to look at them and see hopelessness in their eyes... many humans are like that too (and they aren't behind bars/gates). :(

Re: it never fails!

[stanyslava]

many humans are like that too
And what are we going to do about it?! Seriously... I always feel like doing something about that, but some people tell me they are just fine with sitting there and complaining about their lives.

[summercamp]

Awww, monkeys! And big rats don't exactly sound fun to be around...

I've always wanted to see one of those Olmec heads up close...

[ulyana___]

О, well! В прошлом году Антону в школе задали писать эссе. На выбор: За что я люблю зоопарки или за что я не люблю зоопарки. Он решил не любить :)
А я не соглашусь. Список доводов ЗА и так общеизвестен, а в смысле неволи - можно столько более вопиющих примеров приводить (ну возьмём ферму с коровами, или многоквартирный дом), что довод меркнет и блекнет. Если уж бороться, я б не с этого начала.

[stanyslava]

a mne interesno chto Антон napisal :) daj pochitat'

[ulyana___]

Текст по-моему канул в лету. Написал, что там животных мучают, держат в клетках, что детям скучно и неинтересно - их как раз с классом водили в зоопарк. То есть детей тоже заставляют туда ходить и мучают. Что на содержание зоопарков тратят те деньги, которые могли бы пойти на сохранение дикой природы.
В общем логично, но по-моему побуждением для Антона это всё писать было общее желание чего-нибудь поотрицать, а не конкретная позиция про именно зоопарки.

[ulyana___]

Моё личное мнение - бывают хорошие зоопарки, где зверям совсем не так и плохо.

[angerona]

I don't know about mexican zoos, but most US zoos are incredibly important to animal well-being: they do breeding programs, breed-and-release programs, they study and heal animals, etc. Without them, a number of species would already be extinct.

[vinnipuh]

+1

[likealion]

On top of that, most children wouldn't have the chance of seeing many animals up close without zoos.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we should be catching animals from the wild and putting them in zoos all the time. But, the ones that are bred in captivity are ok to stay there in my opinion (or be raised to be let into the wild to fight extinction, as you have said). It is the most real-world education a lot of people get on animals unfortunately.

[stanyslava]

Eh... I knew people would make such arguments as most children wouldn't have the chance of seeing many animals up close without zoos or zoos are incredibly important to animal well-being, but I simply can't get over the fact that they are cramped and the way children see the animals in them can not be good

[ex_marmir959]

To me, it depends on the type of zoo. If we're talking about the zoos they had back in Russia - yes, they are evil; I hated them even as a child - it just seemed too cruel to see proud animals such as lions confined to a cage. If, OTOH, we're talking about a place like Sand Diego zoo - i have absolutely no problem with it. Yes, they have less freedom than they would have out in the wild, but they (IMO) have enough to not feel like prisoners. Fortunately, most US zoos are moving the the latter model.

As to the programs - if you already have a panda in California as opposed to China (which the Chinese gave you not out of the goodness of their heart, but hoping you'll have more luck getting them to have babies), and if you've already invested in a huge piece of land with very specific vegetation where the animal can live and prosper - what's wrong with making it available for viewing by the public (assuming that it's not hurting the panda, and that in any case it has plenty of opportunity to hide if it does not want to be seen)?

[stanyslava]

IF the place has enough room for the animal to feel free even though it will never be free, and IF all the people watching it, is not harming it (hm.. we should really ask if it minds) THEN I have no problem with the place even if in its name shows up the word "zoo".

[koniglio]

плюс один.
Я до сих пор не могу забыть ужаса от посещения Лимского зоопарка! Концлагерь для зверей. И так в большинстве стран третьего мира, включая Россию.
Забавно. Сначала люди уничтожают животных, а потом с радостью начинают программы по размножению в неволе.
Прости, больная тема.
Кстати. в тему, как раз сижу смотрю Миядзаковскую "Принцессу Мононоке"...