Our zoos produce unfit, non-viable specimen. They do not offer true solutions to the decimation of nurturing wild environments nor do they stave off the encroachment of human populations.

2nd edit: 10/26/04

from DefenderBear

John Kerry’s voting record by defender’s action fund

My dream: an elk-ish creature with short horns and thick spine-like hair (rather like that of a hedgehog but in the mane of a horse). A cheebahor chiba? quibha?), an endangered species that was being kept in a zoo. (There were three in the enclosure including a breeding pair but one was my particular focus - an adolescent male whose plaintive wail as he searched futility for a mate lingered in my mind for the entire day of work. It was a dark, sepia-toned place abuzz with meetings discussing the fate of the zoo in its philanthropic game plan but I (as zookeeper & unfit object of affection for this poor doomed creature?) was most concerned with the heartbreaking reality that my ward would never have a fulfilling life because he had no peers, there was no chance for him to find a mate and live a worthwhile life. When I woke this idea stayed with me for some time. Not just how it reflected my emotional condition that particular morning but also how it spoke of that of so many of my friends, and moreso, the reality it reflects for those pitiful creatures truly kept in captivity and isolation. I do recognize how for myself the condition is temporary, and our culture does produce a mix of fit and unfit individuals but ultimately there are so many mis- or underserved individuals many of whom learn to utilize the available technology for personal betterment but often still find themselves alienated, isolated, and malcontent.

On a positive note, I participated last Saturday (not yesterday) in a workshop conference discussing the integration of overpasses and underpasses to the Los Angeles infrastructure. If our massive freeways provided animals with a means of uniting the isolated pocket populations that live in the scattered habitat surrounding or within this rapidly expanding county we would have not only healthier wildlife (by increasing a gene pool you are reducing negative inbreeding), we would also have a significant decrease in wildlife aggression towards humans and their domestics. It’s just good logic. Even a simple “deer crossing” sign can, when heeded, produce a notable positive change in numbers of vehicular deaths. Canada, Germany, Holland and assorted other countries have already integrated these green bridge systems into their road planning and find they work in significant numbers, particularly towards the extremely fragile amphibian populations which are hard hit by so many other factors of human encroachment, pollution, and negligence. Progressive thinking, proactive planning. A penny spent is a generation earned.

edited 10/25/2004

I’m sure you noticed but I happened upon this news article on MSN.

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