The Circus= No Fun For Animals

[April_Rose]

(Which is why I'm glad that the Ringling Bros shutdown.)

 

[tampasteve]

Big Cat Rescue has an agenda of its own as well, and most of the "questions" could be turned around at them. Their mission sounds and seems altruistic, and it is better than the circus by far, but they are essentially a zoo, even if they do not like to think so.

Circuses are a thing from another time at this point, as a society we are generally past them. I loved it when I as younger, and I do wish that I could have shared the experience with my son, but I also understand why they are no longer here in the same way.

 

[April_Rose]

Big Cat Rescue has an agenda of its own as well, and most of the "questions" could be turned around at them. Their mission sounds and seems altruistic, and it is better than the circus by far, but they are essentially a zoo, even if they do not like to think so.

Circuses are a thing from another time at this point, as a society we are generally past them. I loved it when I as younger, and I do wish that I could have shared the experience with my son, but I also understand why they are no longer here in the same way.

Hey Steve, how have you been? I don't see you around here too much anymore so you must be busy and here's the thing. So maybe Big Cat Rescue is a bit of a zoo,.. but as long as the animals are treated fairly and have big enough spaces to run around then I'm fine with it and that's how most zoos are nowadays anyways. That's why I was so upset when Seaworld stopped breeding their Orcas. Sure there was occasionally an animal cruelty report about them,.. but mostly they had big enough space to swim around and we're being loved by their trainers. I might love animals but I'm also not a PETA advocate are those are two entirely different things in my book.

 

[tampasteve]

Hey Steve, how have you been? I don't see you around here too much anymore so you must be busy and here's the thing. So maybe Big Cat Rescue is a bit of a zoo,.. but as long as the animals are treated fairly and have big enough spaces to run around then I'm fine with it and that's how most zoos are nowadays anyways. That's why I was so upset when Seaworld stopped breeding their Orcas. Sure there was occasionally an animal cruelty report about them,.. but mostly they had big enough space to swim around and we're being loved by their trainers. I might love animals but I'm also not a PETA advocate are those are two entirely different things in my book.

I agree with this. I volunteered at a zoo for quite a few years. It was a wonderful experience and it gave a great insight into the behind the scenes care for the animals. The keepers really have a deep devotion and care for the animals.

The issue with Big Cat Rescue is that they have a mission, and they believe in that mission, but that mission also blinds them to believe that they are something, they are doing something, that they really are not. They do great work helping cats that were pets or in bad situations, and that is to be commended. The do OK work educating people on the animals. But in the end they are just another facility that chooses to be largely outside of the wider animal conservation community.

They ridicule regular zoological institutions because they feel their call and motivations are better. The volunteers there ridicule keepers and volunteers at other organizations. They shun donations from other organizations that they deem not worthy, such as AZA accredited facilities that are local. Some of these things might have changed since I was involved in that community, but I kind of doubt it since the same person is in charge there.