For those of you that read and were interested in the email that I wrote to SciWorks last week regarding the animals I observed there, here is the response I received back. I appreciated them taking the time to respond at length to offer me some insight, and thought it only fair for me to share it as well. Hey Rachel, Thank you for thoughtful email about SciWorks animals. We welcome the opportunity to tell visitors about them. Just about every staff person at SciWorks is an animal lover, from our Marketing person to the person who cleans the restrooms. We all care for them and concern ourselves with their welfare. Our animals are acquired through different sources. The native wildlife are injured or orphaned wildlife that can no longer care for themselves in the wild. Some of our exotic animals were acquired through rescue groups. We maintain all state and federal licenses and permits to have these animals, and are inspected annually by USDA. We never know when our inspection will be it’s not like we can tidy up before they come. The USDA inspects the overall health of the animals, the animal’s records, the animals’ food storage and habitat. They are very thorough and we have always received a good report. We work closely with veterinarians, and in addition to their regular exams we consult them if we have any issues or concerns. As for the animals’ emotional well-being, I hope you will rest easier knowing that most of the animals do not stay in their exhibit cases all the time. We take them out for enrichment and sunshine. The macaw you mentioned is named Huey. Huey actually lives in another room with some other animals. They have free range of the room all day. Just about every morning Huey sits on a stool beside one of the animal keepers while she prepares the animals’ morning diets. He loves interacting with his keepers, and will “talk” dance, meow and laugh. When it is time to open the museum he goes right into his enclosure. I realize it is technically just a box, but it is climate controlled. There are heating panels to keep the room warm enough for a tropical bird, and there are misters that provide the humidity he would have in the rainforest. We realize it is not actual trees and sunshine, but it is the best we are able to do with our location and resources. Many of these animals have been raised in captivity for generations and would not survive the freedom of their natural habitats. They would not know how to survive. Some natural instincts would kick in, but I do not believe they would live very long on their own. Animals that live in zoos, aquariums, nature centers, and museums are there to be ambassadors for their species. They are used to help educate people about wildlife and conservation. SciWorks offers animal programs for school groups and scouts, we have daily Animal Encounters programs, summer camps and special events that focus on educating people about animals and wildlife conservation. When I take Huey in a program for a group of kids, their faces light up. They get so excited and have so many questions, which gives me the opportunity to teach them about parrots. I don’t know how Huey feels emotionally about these interactions, but he appears to enjoy seeing and being around people by the way he dances, talks, and moves. A colleague at a nature center once told me about an encounter she had with a visitor. He was looking at the bald eagles they had on exhibit and she overheard him exclaim “I can’t believe I use to shoot at those birds”. While the thought of shooting at any bird is horrifying for many people, it apparently wasn’t to this man. His up close encounter with the eagles apparently changed his view of these magnificent birds. That is why we have animals in captivity. Whether or not you believe in housing animals for educational purposes is a personal belief that you have obviously thought a lot about. I hope that some of my words have made you feel better. I completely understand what it is like to see an animal in what I believe to be a poor situation, and not able to shake the thought. If you do decide that it is valuable to keep some animals’ captive for educational purposes there are lots of organizations who would benefit from donations of supplies, volunteering and donations. If you have any other questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:52:46 +0000
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