Treatment of animals at AK, need info?

[Luvchefmic]

You are right that many zoos just aren't up to snuff, but like AK, many of them are. We have a world-class zoo in my city with natural habitats. It doesn't quite have the space that AK does on the savannah, but they do a good job with the environments. We actually recently acquired a Hippo from AK after one of ours passed away (of natural causes at a very old age), and they are currently building a new hippo environment.

I think the key is to know the facts about a specific facility before choosing to support it. Not all of them are bad.

I agree with you Off the top of my head I can think of 3 amazing zoos I have visited The Bronx Zoo in NY, The Atlanta Zoo in GA and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC

I also agree with a poster ( or 2 ) that stated that if the OP's friend is that against animals in captivity it's kind of hypocritical to support WDW by going at all I would also let her do her own research

 

[LSUfan4444]

I also find it disturbing how many people are calling OP's friend "nuts" for caring about animal welfare.

Who is saying that?

Nobody here is saying or insinuating it is nuts to care about the care of animals.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Thank you and it really bothers me too that people are saying 'get a life' or 'get a different friend' because she cares about the welfare of the animals. I too have avoided Sea World for the past 10 years (and closer to home, the Atlanta Zoo and Georgia Aquarium) for much the same reason.

Who are these people?

 

[Luvchefmic]

Who is saying that?

Nobody here is saying or insinuating it is nuts to care about the care of animals.

Who are these people?

Actually a few posters did say that BUT they should have been ignored We've been around long enough to know these kinds of threads can get heated with let's say passion on both sides, and often wrong unkind things get posted

Just a matter of time..sadly

 

[TommyTutone]

Who are these people?

Posts 19 and 26 to be specific, but looking back through the thread they are thankfully in the minority.

 

[nansmama]

Who is saying that?

Nobody here is saying or insinuating it is nuts to care about the care of animals.

Read the thread.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I've read the thread, quite a few times now, and while people have called her a nut, I think you are both are taking a pretty big leap by saying they are calling her a nut because she cares about how the animals are cared for.

I'm not going to use the word "nut" (that's really just semantics), but yeah, I think it's pretty ridiculous to be willing to go to every other Disney park, but avoid Animal Kingdom because of some sort of fear of the mistreatment of animals.

Nobody here is saying it is nuts to care about how the animals are treated.

 

[fbb]

One of the big difference to me is that animals at AK do not perform in order to be fed. The other thing that stands out is that animals at AK have minimal interaction with humans. They are not pet, or ridden on or forced to make unnatural movements. Yes, these animals are in captive, but virtually none of them were captured from the wild. I was told about a bird, I can't recall the type, that was found injured in Africa and, while the bird was rehabilitated, it could never live as normal in the wild.

Thee are many animals that can thrive in captivity, but none should be performing.
Dawn

Flights of Wonder?

 

[marielynn724]

Your friend doesn't need to worry... Disney has really high standards as far as its animal care is concerned, they have repeatedly won awards from the American Zoological Association. I recommend the tour that a previous poster mentioned, which gives more in-depth information about this.

 

[WDSearcher]

So basically, the animals at Disney World (except the native wildlife) get better treatment than if they were in the wild. If bad weather comes up in the wild, the animals might not have a good place to go that protects them. At Disney World, they do. Disney also has regularly scheduled checkups for all its animals.

Also, your friend should take a look at how the native wildlife like Ibises, ducks, bunnies, etc. are treated at Disney World. If the parks were so hostile, why would there be so many of these animals around? I have an awesome photo of two ducks just walking along World Showcase in Canada without a care in the world. They are completed surrounded by people legs and they felt extremely safe. Where else would you see a momma duck with her eight ducklings all laying down to take a nap right next to a popular food kiosk?

And Disney World will take care of any native wildlife that is injured while on property. They are cared for at Animal Kingdom and then released after they are able to vend for themselves again. If the animal cannot be released on its' own, a suitable place is found for the animal to live a full life (usually on Disney property).

And the story of the doves that used to be released after the Main Street Flag Ceremony. Hawks realized they were missing out on some treats that happened the same time every day so Disney doesn't have doves flying after the ceremony anymore. Disney didn't try and control the hawk population, they just removed the temptation.

It's also important to note Disney's care of a large and active feral cat population. There are hundreds of cats that live on Disney property -- all vaccinated, spayed / neutered, cared for, and controlled. They help control the rodent, snake and pest population. In return, they are managed and monitored and protected.

 

[marielynn724]

As a matter of fact, now that I am thinking about it, there are places all over the park (pretty much anywhere you can buy something, and I also seem to remember seeing it prominently in Conservation Station) where you can donate to a wildlife conservation fund. I think they take what they are doing with the animals pretty seriously.

 

[marielynn724]

and another thing that just popped into my head.... If your friend wants to boycott theme parks/zoos that mistreat animals, tell her to avoid SeaWorld! (anyone seen the Blackfish movie??)

 

[Delirium]

I would suggest you recommend she avoid the daily lunch special at Restaurantosaurus.

 

[Cloudless Nights]

I'm currently in vet school, and have worked at both a major zoo and aquarium, as well as many other animal facilities. I'm naturally concerned about animal welfare. While I agree that some animal care facilities leave a lot to be desired, I've found that these are few and far between (and the diminishing care more often has more to do with lack of funds and executive politics than the lack of concern for the animals). Zoos routinely provide enrichment, exceptional veterinary care, and whatever space they can allot to each animal. I agree that captivity is not the greatest thing for some animals, but zoos generally do the best they can. They also provide great conservation initiatives and educate the public about plights of animals they normally would never get to see.

That being said, AK is one of the best (if not the best) places animals in captivity can be found in the country. The veterinary hospital, nutrition center, and wildlife tracking center are amazing facilities. The animals have an astounding amount of space to roam, and their nighttime facilities are among the largest and most state-of-the-art in the industry. All of the animals are provided with the most beneficial, nutritious diets, and they are allowed to express normal "wild" behaviors. The sheer amount of funds that Disney pours into wildlife conservation is also staggering.

Someone asked about seeing an elephant in the night housing during the day. Often these animals are not put on exhibit for the day if they are undergoing some medical procedure/check-up, if they rotate being on exhibit with other animals of the same species, or if keepers see that they just need a little "rest" from the public eye.

Still, I can completely understand when people don't like visiting zoos and/or AK. Just adding my opinion from working on the inside.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Actually a few posters did say that BUT they should have been ignored We've been around long enough to know these kinds of threads can get heated with let's say passion on both sides, and often wrong unkind things get posted

Just a matter of time..sadly

I don't believe it was the friend's concern for animals that made folks think she was nuts.

 

[disnut8]

I have to say I am a bit surprised that so many people think it's "nutty" to care about how the animals are treated.

Dawn

I'm not sure that's what most people meant here. There have been many people on this thread who have attempted to tell how animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom are treated in order to help the OP's friend maybe go to the park.

I am a huge animals' rights person. I give all my charitable donations to rescue efforts since animals can't speak up their thoughts.

However, I go to Animal Kingdom to learn about animals and how to treat them better. To find out how to avoid extinction for these creatures. To learn about the progress we humans need to develop in order to live with other animals.

I don't go to condemn anyone. If you open you eyes, you can see how to improve whatever situation you see. For me, these animals are not on "display". They teach us and they teach us by just being there so everyone can know who they are and how they live and how they can continue to live. How many five year olds are going to get to Africa to see those animals and to understand them? Few. But so many more can at Animal Kingdom and know the dangers that exist. And *that's* where the change can come.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I'm not sure that's what most people meant here. There have been many people on this thread who have attempted to tell how animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom are treated in order to help the OP's friend maybe go to the park.

I am a huge animals' rights person. I give all my charitable donations to rescue efforts since animals can't speak up their thoughts.

However, I go to Animal Kingdom to learn about animals and how to treat them better. To find out how to avoid extinction for these creatures. To learn about the progress we humans need to develop in order to live with other animals.

I don't go to condemn anyone. If you open you eyes, you can see how to improve whatever situation you see. For me, these animals are not on "display". They teach us and they teach us by just being there so everyone can know who they are and how they live and how they can continue to live. How many five year olds are going to get to Africa to see those animals and to understand them? Few. But so many more can at Animal Kingdom and know the dangers that exist. And *that's* where the change can come.

Beautifully said

 

[Planogirl]

Of course the best of all worlds would be for the animals to be free in their natural environment. However that isn't practical or wise for many reasons and I feel that animals can become good representatives of their species and hopefully open a few eyes (and wallets).

I include all parks and zoos in this and until I see definitive proof of wrong-doing I won't condemn any facility.

 

[Jessica14]

I am also a zoo hater.

Some of you can call me a freak or tell me I need to get a life or whatever, I could care less what you think, but the truth is there are way too many zoos in this country and at a majority of them, animals are not well cared for. I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you because you obviously care about as much as I care about your opinion of me.

That being said - and back to the OP's question - my problems with most regular zoos is exactly whey I love the AK so much. Those animals are so well cared for, and even though the range of motion is much less than in the wild, their habitats are fantastic and not only give them plenty of room to roam, but also give them a chance to get away from the people (or vehicles) if they want to. I could ride the safari and walk those trails all darn day. LOVE it.

Now the gorillas sometimes freak me out when they watch me watching them but I don't doubt they're well cared for or too very unhappy.

I totally agree! I am mo fan of zoos and even though we have an aquarium here on Long Island that does great rescues, rehabs, and releases, I cringe when I see the "displays." I realize some are animals with no other place to go, but still..

I live AK and also The Bronx Zoo because of their excellent ethics.

 

[PrettyFlower2]

Me too. I'm literally sickened by this.

Me too!