quinta-feira, 2 de dezembro de 2010

Weasel, the escape artist! =)


Weasel, o meu doninha, numa accao de fuga! LoL

quinta-feira, 18 de novembro de 2010

Tilly, uma breve resposta a alguns longos comentarios

150 years ago, Zoos were called “Menageries”. A “Menagerie” was a live museum where animals were caught from the wild, kept in small non naturalist enclosures, in non-natural groups only with one and one only purpose: Amusement.
The second half of the 20th century was the beginning of a new era in the zoo world. The idea of more naturalistic enclosures, more natural groups, more psychological exercises, better veterinarian care and the most important, a mission: A mission of education. Public education. As Steve Irwin believed, the best way to change someone’s mind is with hands-on.
To proper educate public there was a need for bigger and more naturalist enclosures. Animal expert, Jack Hanna was one of the first creating this type of infra-structures. When reading his book “Jack Hanna into the Wild” you will dive onto a big amount of beautiful and amazing stories that made Jack Hanna the person he is today. A very respectful, animal passionate and example to all of us, animal lovers.
Nowadays, zoos have several goals and none of it is to make money from the usage of the animals they care for. Education, conservation and preservation. These are three key words in the zoo field.
To educate, the best way is to provide accurate and true information. One of the best and most amazing ways is thru animal ambassadors. Animals that for a lot of different reasons (death of parents, rejection from mother, wild babies that their mother died, they got lost, are sick) have a need to be hand raised by humans. These animals, in the majority of the cases, become or may become animal ambassadors. But, what’s an “animal ambassador”? Animal ambassadors are animals trained to be able to go to school, TVs, shows, presentations and that allows people to see, touch, smell and hear animals that otherwise, they would never have a chance to do. These animals touch people in a much nicer, faster and beautiful way than any TV program can do.
Sixty years ago, whales were being devasted for meat or simply for fun of hunting them. Parks like Sea World, took the responsibility to bring animals to captivity to educate public. To show the public how amazing these creatures are. Thanks to their effort, whale hunting is almost inexistent in occidental cultures.
Sea World is the number one park in the world in marine mammals’ research and rescue. Every year, Sea World rescues wild animals, brings them back to life and releases them to a happy life. One of the most memorable rescues was done by Sea World San Diego when they treated and released a calf of Gray Whale.
Right now, sea world research is so advanced that they can even chose the sex of their dolphins by artificial insemination. Why does it matter? What is the interest of choosing the sex of the new dolphins? Several species of dolphins, purposes and whales are listed as endangered. With this research, in the future, we will be able to help these species of wild animals to get off the endangered species list.
Killer whales are the biggest animal in captivity. The tricks that they perform are not only tricks. Due to the size of their tank (and these tanks have become larger and larger with the years) these “tricks” are the only way we have to provide any kind of exercise to these beautiful and magnificent creatures.
Tilly, the biggest male Killer Whale in captivity is being accused of killing people on his own. Unfortunately this is a very easy way for activists (Like PETA) to invent, create and change real facts to scare the public. The accident in 1991 in Canada, Tilly was involved with other two whales in the death of a trainer. The circumstances of this attack it’s not public. We do not know what happen. We cannot accuse Tilly from doing something that we do not know. In 1999, Tilly is being accused by those animal activists that spend money flying planes over Parks that save and protect these creatures, of killing a drunk, naked man that crossed all barriers and jumped into Shamu’s pool. This man was found floating in the water with marks of killer whale bites. The autopsy showed that this man died of hypothermia. Tilly only played with him after he died. Now, the most recent and unfortunate accident at Sea World Orlando. Everyone who works with wild animals loves what they do. But they also know that it is a risk. It is a risk of injury or, in the worst scenario; our lives might be in danger too. It’s a risk that animal keepers, trainers and veterinarians take every day. And they do it for passion and love for those creatures that they care so much. In an unfortunate mistake, the Sea World trainer lie down on one of the platforms inside the pool, something that Sea World supervisors are not sure that that should have happen. Her pony tail, called the attention of Tilly that is a very smart and big animal. He grabbed her pony tail as a toy. Unfortunately, due to his size, playing with a human becomes fatal to the second.
Animals in zoos and parks that perform with their trainers to an audience, they do not starve and they are never forced to perform. An animal that isn’t healthy, it’s a big expense to the park. So, is for the best interest of the animals, the trainers and the owners of the parks to maintain their animals as healthy as possible.
Sanctuaries are a fraud. In sanctuaries, the animals are kept in worst conditions than in zoos. The animals are kept in their enclosures with a much bigger number of individuals. Some of the sanctuaries don’t have the money to feed or take care of the health of the animals that they have and, over the years, several sanctuaries were forced to close due to the lack of conditions. There are no sanctuaries for marine mammals.
Keiko was an animal in similar situations as Tilly. She was sent to a “sanctuary” in Iceland were she was released. Over the couple years that she was “free”, she searched for humans contact. For at least three times, Keiko had to be brought to captivity due to “issues” in the wild. She was hand fed in the wild and ended up dying for some medical reasons that could have been avoided if she was kept in captivity. Basically, she was the only killer whale born in the wild and kept for several years under human care. Her release experiment was not successful.
Losing a friend, worker, family member is painful enough. Sea World, their trainers and families don’t need people criticizing what they so well do. Every year Sea World spends millions on the rehab of Seals, Sea Lions, Otters, Dolphins, Whales, Turtles, Manatees, Birds…
Lets applaud what they do and thank them for their effort to save the amazing creatures that share these beautiful planet with us.

sábado, 5 de abril de 2008

Sem Dúvida!


Infelizmente a vida é uma viagem curta. Uma viagem em que nunca se sabe o que vai acontecer durante ela nem kuando, como e em que circunstancias vai acabar. No entanto podemos aproveitar cada dia, cada hora, cada minuto, cada momento para que possamos ver o quão bonito é este lugar maravilhoso que tanto tentamos destruir.