*The term animal cruelty is ambiguous. We at Project Zoolife are here to present an under-exposed, apprehensible definition to the term animal cruelty.
*Current definitions of cruelty include: inhumane treatment and a lack of pity or kindness. Project Zoolife seeks to incorporate these characterizations of cruelty into a refined statement.
*There are over 10,000 zoos worlwide. Wwithin these zoos, there are thousands of animals in captivity: life behind the confines of an artificial setting; this is the sentence these animals serve. Although such settings are built with the animal’s utmost comfort in mind, the concept of re-creating an enclosure comparable to their natural environment is not an idea many zoos have researched well.
*Artificial settings not only lack open area, they are also void of species diversity. Animals in captivity are most often housed with only members of their own species. In order to better facilitate our point, consider this: You are locked in your home… with only your family…for the rest of your life. You are given everything you need to survive: food, shelter, clothing, bathing facilities, and human company are all at your disposal. However, you are not allowed to travel outside the confines of your home and the only people you ever see are members of your immediate family. This is life in captivity.
*On the counterargument side, animals in captivity are well taken care of. They are bathed daily, never have to worry about where their next meal will come from, and will always have shelter from the rain, and sometimes they even make friends with a human or two. This is all very true; however, animals possess the ability to survive in their natural habitat without human assistance. Over time, animals in captivity loose their natural instincts for survival, rendering them potentially helpless in the wild.
*But what about the animals that cannot survive in the wild? Or those that are endangered? Despite the fact that most animals are able to thrive in the wild, there are those animals that need the assistance of humans for survival. In such case, we do not find the captivity of impaired or endangered animals inappropriate or cruel. Cruelty to animals is defined by the deprivation animals in captivity suffer. Captive animals should not serve the purpose of human entertainment at the cost of their freedom; it is by all means cruel and inhumane.
-Publish and disseminate information related to zoo environment,
-Promote proper holding conditions for wild animals in captivity,
-Provide support and research related to zoo alternatives.
How will we do this?
-Present animals through a virtual world via museums, MOSIs and technology,
-Offer pertinent information to professionals,
-Provide a sanctum for exchange of knowledge,
-Publish people's opinions on animal captivity from discussions blogs and message boards.
Our Project is to emphasize the idea that zoos are not necessary. Our strategy is to offer alternative suggestions to enjoying wildlife whether you are 5 or 50 years old. We also realize that eliminating zoos altogether may not be likely. We suggests valid research to determine all aspects of the animal's habitat to ensure their living conditions are exactly as nature intended them to be.
Alternative ideas
*It is essential that our efforts and research are seen, heard, and considered by the major executives and founders of zoos. Because resources and funding are so important, we will focus our attention on the Tampa Bay area, specifically, Lowry Park Zoo.
*We will first direct our attention to the professional side of the zoo business i.e. directors, curators, keepers and educators. These are the people that will be most influential when describing our process of either elimination or the all around embodiment of a natural habitat. Their say in the daily workings of the zoo must be influenced if our mission is to be effective. In order to invoke a process of change, it is important to relay the message that alternatives are out there and may be beneficial. In speaking to these professionals, especially directors and executives of the zoo, numbers will inevitably come into question. However, there are other channels of income that must be taken into consideration. We will address these possibilities in our solution and alternatives.
*Other priority personnel who will be helpful in our quest to eliminate the traditional zoo are those that volunteer their time to the company, as well as those who sponsor zoo events through fundraising activities. These groups of people are important to focus towards because they can offer their assistance, to us, cost free. In relaying our mission to them, they will have the opportunity to understand that there are other ways to support zoolife, without having an actual or traditional zoo. These groups of people can also help to educate others and pass out fliers to deliver our message on a wider scale.
*Another target audience, although very broad, are the zoo visitors, your everyday people. Lets face it, zoos are a business, they are there to generate profit, and if at any time their profit suffers an extreme decline, their business is in jeopardy. Essentially the zoo visitors themselves determine the zoo's prosperity. A major platform for speaking to these visitors is the recent shooting at Lowry Park Zoo. After escaping from his enclosure, a tiger was shot when the tranquilizers failed. Its keeper forgot to properly lock the animal’s cage. Due to human error, the tiger paid the ultimate price. Zoo visitors will also be informed of the many alternatives to traditional zoos therefore their options are not severely limited.
Amy Graves-Founder/Director Maria Mousseau-Co-Founder Irving Ramos-Researcher
Project Zoolife Phone/Fax: 727-555-1212 Email: projectzoolife@zoolife.org
Info Links
Communique
Zoolife Idioms
Biophilia Hypothesis
Zoolife Proposals
November 16 Notes
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