#even the worst meat processing plant watches for injured cattle

[master-gatherer]

I have

So many thoughts

On the Master's blood harvesting plant

[myzoojackgamble]

What strange animals might you find?

Allegedly named for its resemblance to the old German emperor Wilhelm II, the Emperor Tamarin boasts a long white moustache- earning the species it’s title as a ‘strange’ animal. The species flips the switch when it comes to breeding- and while most animals are monogamous, having one partner. The Emperor Tamarin has a Matriarchal structure with a dominant female breeding with several males.

The ‘screaming hairy armadillo’ has a strange name, derived from it’s tendency to scream- I’d assume. However what is strangest about this Armadillo is the fact that 50% of what may occupy its stomach at any given time may in fact be sand- consumed as it feeds on those that hide within it.

The Aye-Aye is a nocturnal creature who hunts in a way similar to a woodpecker, using percussive foraging as a means to track down it’s food. With rodent like teeth the Aye-aye gnaws into trees and reaches into the holes it creates with it’s nimble fingers- pulling out grub for it’s meal. However the strangest part about the Aye-aye to me is the bug-like eyes that look as though they have seen the answers to the universe and walked away physically unscathed but not mentally.

https://www.thedodo.com/the-5-worst-zoos-in-the-world--528392319.html

Are all zoos ethical? Treat animals well? Conform to guidelines? Why not? 2 stories about cruelty.

Unfortunately not all Zoo’s are ethical in their exhibition of animals. An example of this is ‘Surabaya Zoo’ located within Indonesia which is been oh so charmingly labelled ‘The World’s Cruellest Zoo’. One of many incidents includes a young tiger found hung in it’s cell, and another incident includes a Tiger being fed meat laced with Formaldehyde. A chemical often used for preserving the dead but is also highly toxic upon consumption and potentially even linked to cancer risks.

No matter how horrible it is, unfortunately some Zoos just don’t care for their animals to the extent they should, with many Zoo’s sticking to the outdated practice of small cages rather that creating a mimicry of a natural environment which is much healthier for the inhabitants of the exhibition.

An example of this cruelty is ‘Giza’ Zoo, in Egypt. Where animals are kept in cramped conditions and refused the exercise they rightfully need for their own wellbeing both physically and mentally. With countless inspectors shaming the zoo, it lost it’s membership with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2004. 

There is no way to understand why anyone wouldn’t agree to conform to the guidelines given to them, and all I can assume is a rampant lack of humanity. 

https://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/bizarre-and-offbeat-news/20-most-ridiculous-zoo-signs -on-earth/6/

How does signage differ in zoos? Discuss.

With the initial difference of the staff who run the Zoo, there is the immediate expectation of signage being unique to each location. However, one of the more noticeable differences between signage relies solely on if the staff have a sense of humour or stick to being formal. And example of this is this sign.

While this sign is just a blue background with simple Papyrus text, likely made very quickly in Microsoft word by a tired employee- there’s a sense of humour to it, while also expressing a desire for the public to stop littering in the area that this sign is posted at. In some cases it is easier to make society listen if you make them laugh while doing so. In a case such as this- despite the low quality of the sign. I’d say it’s likely gotten some good results. 

Another example of a ‘funny sign’ that you can tell originates from a tired employee trying to make a statement to uncaring customers is this. Once again the humour catches the eye of a previously ignorant customer- the joke sticking in their mind and reminding them to behave. This sign is more well made- the text is bolder and the contrast of red on white is more eye catching than the previous sign. This carries a more profession atmosphere to it.

2 stories about guests/visitors in zoos (comment).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSKevgNg3xI

This youtube video covers five guests in various Zoos who seemed to be lacking in common sense. 

One example is the man who broke into the Panda enclosure, likely under the assumption that the panda is a harmless soft bear- He was thoroughly surprised when he found out that Pandas can be violent when it mauled him. He was lucky to escape alive, of course. But there are very specific reasons that animals in zoos are physically kept away from humans who aren’t their keepers.

Another example is of a mother who did not watch over her child and as it fell into a gorilla enclosure- the confused gorilla tugged the child around. This is no Tarzan story, and the gorilla was not nurturing towards the child. This begs that parents be more aware of their children at Zoos because tis recklessness ends up getting the curious animals killed.

Good and Bad Zoo Maps

Nashville Zoo map

This map feels like a confusing cluster of small fonts and almost indistinguishable markings supposed to represent  enclosures. The abundance of information stored on tis map is overwhelming to me, I struggle to process what this map tells me and as a result- If i were at this zoo I would frequently be lost and stressed out by this map. This map is closer to a road map in my opinions, trying to provide too much information to a point where it’s counterproductive.

Toronto Zoo map

Toronto zoo’s map utilises colour coding in order to help let you know where you are, and I’d imagine in the zoo in person there would be occasional coloured markings to let you know where you are. The colour coding successfully separates the enclosures into identifiable groups in correlation to their shared habitats which i find to be subtly educational as well as incredibly helpful and makes the information a lot easier to process. There is not too much attention to detail in relation to paths and such- instead this map focuses mostly on the enclosures and how to best display them in a findable way.

While some of the font is quite small, there’s larger fonts used for the important parts of the map such as declaring the habitats, the silhouettes of the animals in those areas makes it so that filling the page with words such as ‘elephant enclosure’ countless times for different species is unnecessary. As you can simply be guided by the silhouette of the animal- which is also a nice use of graphics.

From small to large – how do small scale rescues turn into public enterprises? Case Study.

With Shepreth Wildlife conservation as an example, the park began as a small private sanctuary helping a young, injured, Jackdaw. Others soon followed and joined the little ‘family’ at the sanctuary. As their responsibilities increased so would funds needed, and space, and more.  Eventually the sanctuary got bigger and bigger with more responsibilities including animals that couldn’t be released back into the wild but needed looking after. They soon opened up to the public as ‘Willers Mill Wild Animal Sanctuary‘.

With a 35 year running hedgehog rehabilitation, the project outgrew it’s facilities and a charity known as The Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity (SWCC) was founded. Which funded the Hedgehog Hospital. 

The facilities are used as charity fundraisers in order to continue helping the abundance of wild animals they save.

Zoo or safari park? Which is better? How do they differ?

While Zoos keep animals in cages and don’t let them experience the true depths of the wild, Safari parks let animals have those experiences, they don’t keep them separated in cages and instead replicate the true experience of the wild, while letting tourists and patrons continue to observe the animals in their natural habitat or something incredibly close to it. (while the patrons are in a vehicle of course. 

I find personally that Safari parks are better and more humane for the animals within them. As they get the closest experience they can to being in the wild and even hunting- Safari parks also eliminate the concerns of animals having too little space in the cages Zoos keep them in. Safari parks and especially Woburn as an example, have a large amount of land. Woburn having 300-Achres for the animals to roam and explore. Allowing for optimal levels of exercise and freedom.

Unusual zoos 

The biblical Zoo: The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem, also known as Jerusalem Biblical Zoo- is home only to animals mentioned in the hebrew bible. Unfortunately due to many animals mentioned within the bible being extinct- maintaining this premise is growing difficult. However there’s also the issue of the vagueness of animals mentioned within the hebrew bible causing confusion for what animals were actually meant. Not only does this zoo hold biblical animals but also biblical shrubs and plants. While unusual, I respect this concept and the fact the Zoo follows a theme rather than just being out there purely to gain money is interesting to me.

Old Macdonald’s farm: Much like the childhood song you would sing, Old Macdonald’s farm is a real place which showcase farm animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs. As well as Fowl native to Virginia (where the farm is located).

The farm’s goal is to expose children and adults the like to a farm setting which they would previously not have had as much exposure to, in order to educate and teach the processes of farming and raising such cattle.

While this isn’t a Zoo in the sense you’d think of, hosting tropical and wild animals. The Aim to educate is still there and as such this would be classed as an unusual zoo.

Flamingo Land: Flamingo Land is a combination of an amusement park, resort and Zoo. Founded in the 1950′s, this park was named for it’s colony of pink flamingos. The Zoo is now home to over 120 species of animal. The zoo aspect of this park is only one of it’s many facets. The park also Hosts over 50 amusement park rides and attractions, three shows, and even a swimming pool.