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Hawksbill Turtle. Maldives Indian Ocean coral reef. By - Andrey Armyagov

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i don't really understand why you would be pro-zoo. like i understand nature reserves and sanctuaries where people can observe from afar, but it doesn't seem right to me when they're locked up in generally small confined areas for people to watch them do nothing all day. idk maybe i'm getting this wrong, and i still really respect you, i just don't understand this. like i interned at a zoo and felt uncomfortable with how small their living areas were and how they had no stimulation

Zoos don’t look like this anymore.

They look like this:

Good zoos do not keep their animals in “tiny spaces” with no enrichment.  I’m not pro-roadside zoo.  I’m pro-accredited zoo.  Zoos are incredibly important for conservation and education.

Are Zoos Necessary?

The Importance of Zoos: Resource Post

Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter: Assessing the Impact of a Visit to a Zoo or Aquarium

Why I Want to be a Keeper

Why I Believe in Zoos

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(x, x, x, x)

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A mothers love by Karim Iliya

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Dolphins: Spy in the Pod

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When you say “Look at my cute baby!!”

Expectations:

Reality:

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@nineteentwentyseven

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by New England Aquarium (@newenglandaquarium)

Baby steps: These newborn epaulette sharks are using their fins to get around their exhibit, just like the adults.

#Visitorpicture by @sharkmamalisey #regram #sharks #scienceofsharks #epaulettesharks #Hemiscylliumocellatum #cutebabyanimals #newenglandaquarium #boston #massachusetts (at New England Aquarium)

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Untitled by Ben Hicks

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noise

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Penguins + Bubbles = Pure Joy

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Rather than swim, Epaulette sharks often “walk” by using their pectoral fins as a pair of rudimentary legs. 

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Just a baby seal My Tumblr | My Instagram

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- A dream within a dream -

by Pedro Gabriel

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Looks Can Be Deceiving

There are several news articles going around citing a study which found that free-ranging bottlenose dolphins are essentially sicker than those in human care. I’ve linked the primary source below. This comes as no surprise to me or anyone else in the zoological field, but it’s interesting to see formal peer-reviewed research on the subject. It’s also very upsetting. The wild bottlenose dolphins are suffering from high levels of mercury and other industrial pollution. They are accumulating toxins in their tissues via biomagnification (they eat the prey that ate the prey that ate the original man-made pollutant). This has weakened their immune systems and made it more difficult for them to fight off various pathogens. Our Atlantic coastlines may appear clean and beautiful compared to other parts of the world, but looks can be deceiving. 

The environment as a driver of immune and endocrine responses in dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)