Certainly zoos can be very depressing places, it is a matter of putting yourself in the place of each one of the caged animals, because nobody would like to be locked up or limited to a small extension of land. As mentioned in some of the articles you quoted, zoos become places for the protection of those species that are more vulnerable to extinction, even these places can serve as genetic banks, the problem is that many times it is very difficult to replicate the proper habitat of each animal, there are even zoos that do not even have how to take good care of the animals. It also happens that many times the business behind them is observed, this is very unfortunate.
On the other hand, there are also cases where the captivity of certain species is necessary, an example can be seen in Colombia, where drug traffickers brought a lot of exotic species from Africa such as hippos. After the fall of drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, the hippopotamuses escaped and adapted to the environmental conditions of Colombia, the worst thing was that they reproduced in large numbers (among the family) and damaged their genetics. Now the authorities do not know what to do with them, they cannot return them to Africa because they are no longer species that belong to that continent, so they can carry new diseases or damage the genetics of the species there and put them at risk of extinction, in Colombia they became invasive species because they could not move them all to the zoos, being the size and aggressiveness one of the causes that complicate their transfer, not to mention the enormous costs that this would imply. If people would become aware and avoid indiscriminate hunting, destruction of ecosystems and all those things that endanger animals, then zoos would not have a valid reason to exist, since there would be no species to preserve. Excellent analysis @agmoore, it has been a pleasure to read you.
I am honored by your visit, @abneagro. Your sympathy for the animals, and your respect for all living things is inspiring.
I'm stunned by the hippopotamus escapade in Colombia. What selfish, irresponsible, ignorant behavior. I guess in a way this is an example of how species evolve. Whether continents shift, ships travel or people deliberately transport animals, nature is not fixed. We have to adapt as species adapt.
Thank you for this most interesting response to my blog. As always, I learn from you. Have a peaceful day. I look forward to reading your next blog.
That's right, many species manage to adapt perfectly to other very different places. Hippos in Colombia have found a paradise, since they have food and rain all year round, as well as large water reserves and, above all, no predators. In Africa, where they originate, these animals have lions as predators, but in Colombia they live like kings because they have no natural controllers. There are many negative aspects that this brings to the ecosystems of Colombia, the main one is the competition and displacement of the native species of that country (Colombia).
I was looking for a video in English where they talk a little bit about these animals that nowadays are becoming an invasive species in Colombia, I will leave the video here so you can know a little more about this case.
I hope you also have a nice day @agmoore, greetings :)
That is amazing. It seems there is no happy solution to this problem. I have read some more about the subject since watching the video. It seems the government has declared hippos to be an invasive species (June '22), and the remedy may include hunting them down and killing them.
What I think of when I read this (besides the unhappy outcome for the animals) is the economic resources diverted to deal with the hippos. There is already great need in Colombia. That money could be used for education, healthcare and other programs to help the poor.
Thank you for sharing the video with me. I will post it on Twitter, if you don't mind.