#zoos and aquariums

[avesposting]

Hakai Magazine - Whose Egg Is It Anyway?

Article written in 2023 about creating a catalog of marine fish eggs for identification purposes.

[astronomyplatypus]

[mossmaul]

“What the pterodactyl?!”

- Young child at the zoo yesterday upon seeing a Cinereous vulture.

[great-and-small]

Thank you for you excellent defense of the zoo environment on the coyote post! As someone who is currently pursuing a degree in Zoology (with a focus on animal behavior and welfare specifically, along with Zoo & Aquarium Sciences), it makes me very happy to see such a calm, informed, and well-educated response to someone who clearly did not have all the information. Yet another reason I'm glad I follow your blog! <3

Educating about the value of accredited zoos and aquariums is so important! Thank you for your kind words and for pursuing a degree in such a crucial field of study.

[cl0ckworkpuppet]

ranking things the zoo guests do/say/ask on a regular basis

for context, i work at a zoo, and people are fucking insane

"can we pet them?": 3/10. no, you can't. the signs say you can't. but I commend you for asking. If you ask after you've already pet one, though, -8/10. do better.

"i think there's a nursery rhyme about the kookaburra!": 5/10. cool trivia fact! if you actually start singing it, though, 1/10. cool you actually know it, but please stop

"garfunkel, huh? where's simon?": -10000/10. You Suck. I hate when people ask me this and I hate them personally. Because of this job I now have a vendetta against Simon and Garfunkel.

(starts playing kookaburra noises on their phone speaker): 2/10. clever, but annoying. also, doesn't work if you're trying to get them to make noise. they only laugh when no one is watching them.

"well, one of 'em over there let me pet 'em just fine!": -6/10. you did not have to tell me you did that. and just by that description, i know it was garfunkel, who is usually resting because He Is Overheated. animals laying down is not an open invitation to come pet them.

"i was just taking pictures!": 0/10. you can take pictures from the designated guest path. Stay On It.

"can we pet the swans?": just for this question specifically, -16/10. are you fucking kidding me? can you pet the swans? ask me that question again but slowly.

"garfunkel?? they need to get some spaghetti, cuz that's not quite italian enough!": 10000/10. i've only ever heard this once, and it was today from a 13 year old, but I genuinely had to stop myself from bursting out laughing on the job

"are the emus friendly?": 4/10. Australia lost a war to them for a reason.

"why aren't the animals in cages?": -5/10. first of all, we don't cage animals, we keep them in habitats. second of all, this is the Australia Walkabout. Where you Walk About with the Australian animals. You came in here for that exact purpose.

"i don't like birds": -7/10. not because you're afraid, birds are a totally normal thing to dislike. i'm just baffled why you came into an enclosure full of many many free roaming birds if you are afraid of them

"why is the swan pond so dirty?": 1/10. first of all, that is algae, and in small amounts it's not bad at all. it's pretty natural, especially for a giant pond directly in the sun. but more importantly, it is hundreds of gallons, and we cannot put chlorine in it, and it is not feasible to clean every day. we do clean it multiple times a week, but it gets especially bad after storms or heavy rain

"will the budgies poop on me?": 7/10. valid concern, actually. budgies shit every 10-15 minutes. maybe. i've had it happen plenty of times before to guests and especially myself. to answer their question, you'll only get pooped on if you stand directly under them. they don't shit while flying so ur good

"can my child ride the [emu/wallaby/giraffe]?": -284/10. i don't know what kind of cocaine you need to be on to ask me this question seriously, or especially to expect the answer to be yes, but even as a joke this question isn't funny. if i had a nickel for every time i was asked this question, i'd have a quarter

"will the giraffes bite me if i feed them?": 8/10. no, they physically can't. nor do they want to. but it's a valid question; they're pretty big animals to be feeding so carelessly. you'll probably get licked though

(does an australian accent): just because it barely ever happens, 8/10. you'd think it'd happen more often, but no. i've only ever got it a couple times. i rank it so high because hearing these guys try and fail to do an accent makes me laugh so hard

"are you a farmer?": 9999/10. little kids ask me this question when they see my safari hat. makes my day every time.

"are these kangaroos?": 5/10. on one hand, fine. not everyone knows the difference between kangaroos and wallabies. since wallabies are like a quarter of the size of roos, they're often mistakenly called baby kangaroos. plus they're in the same family and look very similar. on the other hand, do you honestly think we'd be stupid enough to put actual fucking kangaroos in with guests walking around freely without an enclosure? be for real

"do these wallabies have pouches?": 3/10. fine question, but these guys have comically large balls

"is that wallaby dead?": 4/10. no, that's garfunkel. he sleeps all the time. i promise he's ok.

"can we pet the budgies?": 2/10. you're welcome to try, but even i can't get them on a seed stick let alone touch them

"can we grab the budgies out of the air?": -999999999/10. Explode.

"don't you hate how the animals are treated in zoos?": -999999/10. you are not the PETA warrior you think you are. when executed properly, they can be really good for the animals inside of them. natural does not necessarily mean good, nor does unnatural necessarily mean bad. that's called a Logical Fallacy. some of these animals Cannot Be Released. please do any amount of research on zoos and aquariums that are not seaworld or the once in a while shitshows

"what year do you graduate high school?": -infinity/10. i am in College.

"when i was younger, budgie feeding was one dollar each, not two!": -18/10. that was in 1943, grandma. plus i'm just some guy. what do you want me to do about that?

"can i have a seed stick for free?": if you're an adult, -10/10. No. if you're a child, 10/10. No (wink and passes under table).

"can you break a hundred?": -100/10. No.

"i like your hat": 10/10. thank you! i like yours too!

"that's a cool pin you have!": 10000/10. my pins are all pronouns and trans flags. i love you.

(sees me cleaning the budgie aviary) (looks at their kid) "See that man in there? If you don't behave, I'll force you to have his job.": -infinity plus one/10. First of all, fuck you for shitting on janitorial positions. I'm sure you would prefer to not step in bird shit. Second of all, I'm not a janitor. Third of all, fuck you for getting your child to behave using fear tactics and threats. Fourth of all, I love my job. I tell these kids and parents straight up to their face that I do. That this isn't everything I have to do in my job. Some parts might be dirty, but that's okay, and no one's job is ever something to be laughed at. One kid told their parent after I told them everything I get to do in my job that they actually want my job when they grow up. That parent was furious. Good. Fuck you, Karen, for shitting on workers that only help make your experience more enjoyable. I've only gotten this three times, thank god, but holy shit. The entitlement of these people is fucking insane

anyway i might think of more later

[thunnderthighs]

here's a weird poll for ya

[cave-cryptid]

I still recall when someone proudly and nonchalantly retold how while they were driving they saw a snake in the road, and they then proceeded to turn their car around in order to go back and run the snake over.

I still recall when as a child I was asked what my favorite animal was, and when I responded "the wolf" being met with genuine horror and disgust from the other person.

To this day those times still bother me immensely.

We need wildlife education so so much, it hurts me to think about how many animals, snake and wolves included, that are demonized and hated by people.

I'm so unbelievably lucky that I was raised watching Animal Planet and Steve Irwin and was allowed to experience nature and capture reptiles and watch tadpoles grow into teeny frogs and got to interact with a feral cat colony, I was taught to love and respect the natural world and I wish everyone could have that. Once you get close to all these different animals, really see them and understand them, you learn to admire and respect even the most dangerous animals because you learn they aren't built of malice but they're all beautiful and fascinating creatures that we can live beside.

I could go on and on I just

I have feelings

[asherelbein]

A few months ago, I got a tip about a lawsuit. It cracked open the secretive world of American zoos — where sexual harassment goes unchecked, labor exploitation is rife, and speaking out can get you blacklisted.

(CW: Sexual assault. It's not graphically described, but it is a fundamental part of the story.)

[weedgolem]

Ladies if you were to hypothetically bring me on an aquarium date... i might hypothetically find you a diamond ring really fast

[letslipthehounds]

Hey all! Can I get some links to posts that show how good zoos and aquariums operate? Especially the kind that slaps down the whole "all zoos are evil" rhetoric.

I know I've seen a few wandering around.

I may be trying to make a point to someone.

[hobby-zoologist]

Ripley’s Aquariums Research Efforts Birth Sand Tiger Shark

[biodiversityday]

Towards the love of nature.

Many zoos and aquariums face challenges as lockdowns mean the loss of vital income from visitors. As the international community looks to stimulate economic recovery whilst addressing other global goals, the love of nature that zoos and aquariums inspire and the ex situ conservation techniques they pioneer have never been more important writes Dr Martín Zordan, CEO of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), an IUCN Member organisation.

[heyimboredtalktome]

Nico: [dressed in a suit and vlogging]

Nico: Hi there

Nico: You may see me and ask yourself, "Wow. He's pretty dressed up. Is he going on a date?"

Nico: The answer is no.

Nico: I'm going to the aquarium and I need the capybaras to like me

[thebeckybear]

Please Help UK Zoos and Aquariums

Many attractions and non essential shops are set to open on June 15th, but zoos won't be one of them. We need you. On Thursday 11th June there will be a debate in parliament regarding how zoos can move forward through the covid-19 pandemic. As it stands, the government have decided that zoos must remain closed 'indefinitely'. We rely on ticket sales to feed our animals, pay for veterinary care, pay for animal feed and pay our zoo keepers. With no income for almost 3 months this is becoming increasingly difficult. 

You can help by writing to your local MP asking them to attend the debate. You can download a letter template here:https://biaza.org.uk/downloader/1814

We are a wide open space and have the ability to allow you to visit us safely where social distancing can be maintained and visitor numbers can be controlled. Please help us reopen as soon as possible. Animal welfare is our absolute priority and we need your help to maintain it. 

#YourZooNeedsYou

Sign the petition:https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/308733

I don’t usually share this stuff on Tumblr. My Tumblr is usually a way for me to escape the nightmares of the outside world, to share Lee Mack’s face and Slash’s guitar skills but I need to save my animals and this is one of the ways I can do it.