Grades 10 -12

Many zoos and marine parks come under attack by animal rights organizations that feel that keeping animals in captivity is wrong in any circumstance. It is important that the public make well-educated decisions about these organizations, many of which are non-profit, depending on public support to survive. The first zoos were first formed as collections of animals by wealthy people who knew little about dietary requirements and animal comfort. Zoos and marine parks today have a different role, which has become necessary as a result of man's destructive nature and activities. Animals and plants are facing extinction at an alarming rate and these organizations act as a sort of Noah's Ark, trying to preserve what we have left for future generations.

People do not often have a desire to protect things that they know nothing about. It is quite easy to stir feelings of anger/sadness when images of an abused child or pet are flashed across a television screen, because we all have some sort of personal experience with children and companion animals. The plight of a tiny tree frog facing extinction in the rainforests of South America because of encroaching human development, however, does not elicit the same response.

Start by downloading the lesson handouts (pdf) and printing them out.

Wild Research

Understanding how the animals live and interact in their natural environment is very important to keeping animals in captivity healthy and happy. Visiting and conducting research in these areas is also important if the natural habitat is to be preserved for animals to be released back into the wild. In the wild many of these animals have their habitat destroyed for farmland or development, and many others are poached for their ivory tusks or hides, or captured to be sold on the black market as pets, or for private collections. Employing the people of these areas in these research projects will hopefully instill a desire to protect these animals rather than destroy them. Education is a mind opener for everyone.

Rehabilitation and Release

Many Wildlife Parks and Marine Parks rescue injured animals and rehabilitate them for release back into the wild. They have extensive experience with these animals and know their dietary and environmental needs. They are also experienced enough to give these animals the care they need without having them become dependant on humans and subsequently unsuitable for release. For example, California's Sea World facility, normally rehabilitates and releases approximately 100 California Sea Lions and Elephant Seals each year at their San Diego Marine Park. In 1998, due to weather conditions caused by El Nino, they had about 350 of these animals at their park in various stages of rehabilitation. They have rescue vehicles that travel along the California coast on marine mammal rescues. They also offer learning opportunities for veterinary students so they can learn about marine mammal and avian rescue, rehabilitation and husbandry.

Often the animals on display at many of these facilities are there because they have a physical limitation that would prevent them from being able to survive on their own in the wild. Living in the wild is a harsh and demanding way of life; animals need to be healthy if they are going to prevail.

Animals As Teachers

One of the greatest achievements of these establishments is education of the public about animals that the majority of us would otherwise only see in pictures or not at all. Giving people an opportunity to come face to face with these wonderful creatures forces them to give that animal real, living, breathing characteristics that is something a picture cannot do. Animals are often the best teachers because they only do what they know best, with no false agendas or pretenses.

If we hope to conserve and protect the animals of the earth, it will take more than the efforts of these zoos, wildlife parks and marine parks. They need your help. Everyone has to do his/her part so that future generations will have these animals to enjoy in both the wild and in wildlife parks.

"In the end we will conserve only what we love,
We will love only what we know and we will know
only what we have been taught."

Baba Dion Senegal

Critiquing An Animal Facility

You know best how you feel when you see animals in captivity. How these facilities make you feel depends to a great extent on how the animals are being treated and what their enclosures are like. Not every zoo, wildlife park or marine park is a well-run operation and there are some things you can look for when you are deciding if this is a good place for the animals.

1. Do the animals look healthy? Do they have a full coat of fur? Are they dirty or clean? Is there discharge from the eyes or nose? Even animals at well-run parks can get sick from time to time, but these animals should not be on display. They should be isolated from the other animals to prevent spread of disease and kept in a quiet place so they can recuperate under the care and supervision of a veterinarian and animal care attendants. Just because the animals are sleeping does not mean that they are not feeling well, you have to take many things into consideration like temperature and the species (i.e. nocturnal vs diurnal).
2. Take a good look at the enclosures. Are they clean? Does the food and water look fresh and clean? Do they seem big enough for the animals to move naturally? Are there different levels and objects in the enclosure to keep the animals occupied? In marine parks, are the pools clean and big enough for the animals to interact and exercise? The way the animals are housed and fed can say a lot about the care they receive.
3. Are the animal care attendants knowledgeable about the exhibits and the animals? Caring for wild animals is not like caring for your dog or cat. These animals have many unique dietary and environmental requirements. Good zoos have workers who are informed and are willing to answer your questions freely and openly. This is an educational facility and a good zoo will want you to leave feeling that you have learned something important about the animals they have on display.

Research: A systematic investigation, the study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

Research on wild animals, their habitats, behavior and diseases is important for a number of reasons. Environmental pollution and habitat destruction are leading to species extinctions at an alarming rate. Protecting the species that are remaining requires knowledge about their life in their natural habitats. Researchers learn a lot from animals both alive and dead. Many diseases of wild animals can be transferred to domestic livestock and companion animals. In order to protect domestic animals, we must understand potential diseases and how they are transmitted. Techniques used in research, however, should be as humane and non-invasive as possible.

Many different people conduct research for many different purposes. These include: habitat conservation, protection and maintenance of species populations, disease control, knowledge for rehabilitation and release, breeding programs, etc.

Research on wild animals, their habitats, behavior and diseases is important for a number of reasons. Environmental pollution and habitat destruction are leading to species extinctions at an alarming rate. Protecting the species that are remaining requires knowledge about their life in their natural habitats. Researchers learn a lot from animals both alive and dead. Many diseases of wild animals can be transferred to domestic livestock and companion animals. In order to protect domestic animals, we must understand potential diseases and how they are transmitted. Techniques used in research, however, should be as humane and non-invasive as possible.

Field Studies

This type of research involves going out into the habitats of the particular animals you wish to study. The object is to learn as much as possible about the object of interest without damaging the animals or their environment. Field studies can take many forms.

Observation and Recording

Researchers will sit and watch the animals they are studying and record information about what they are eating. Where do they like to rest and forage? Are they social animals (do they live and interact in groups) or do they like to live alone? How do they look after their offspring, are both parents involved or only one? And the list goes on. Can you think of any other information that you would like to discover? This is the least invasive method of fieldwork, and it can provide a great deal of important information. However, there are still a lot of things that one cannot learn with this method.

Capturing Animals

To study many animals properly we may need to capture them, even if only briefly. We may need to mark them for identification. We may want to take notes on sex, weight or age of the animals to look for trends within a population (i.e. females are larger than males).

There are a variety of different methods of capture and choosing a method depends on habitat, behavior and what will be the least traumatic for the animals involved. Some examples are nets, live trapping, electro-shocking for fish and tranquilizer darts for large animals.

Animal Identification

In many cases we want to be able to identify individual animals. We may want to know which animals in a group are dominant (i.e. wolves)? Are young cared for only by their mothers or do other females share the work (i.e. elephants)? In some species, there is enough natural variation in coat colors and patterns that we can identify individuals based on appearance. In other species (i.e. mice, birds and fish) we must use methods of tagging.

There are many different methods of tagging in use. Some of these include:

• Powder tracking - small rodents are dusted with fluorescent powder which leaves a trail as they move through the fields. This trail can be followed with a black light to provide information concerning their movements and habitat use.
• Tagging - this technique is used for fish and a variety of mammalian species. A plastic or metal tag is placed through the fins of fish and the ears or flippers of mammals. The animals are sedated prior to the placing of these tags. Regular monitoring of animals and fish with these tags can give information on migratory patterns and habitat use.
• Radio Collars - These are devices that send out an electronic signal that can be picked up by a tracking device. These are useful for animals that cover large areas in a short period of time or for animals that have habitats that are not easily accessible (Sperm Whales who dive 1200 meters below the surface in search of giant squid).
• Banding - Numbered plastic or metal bands are placed around the legs of many avian species. At the time of placement information about location of capture, species, age and sex are gathered and written on standard field sheets. Ducks on P.E.I. are banded this way and the information is compiled into a North American Wide Data Base. Areas are baited with corn, and traps are set to catch the ducks while they are feeding. Ducks are handled with care to ensure that feathers are not damaged and delicate legs are not broken. Persons who receive contracts to do this type of work must have a banding license.

Ducks are hunted all over the world and when a hunter shoots a banded duck, he/she will call in the information and the travel of that duck can be documented. Data from recovered bands provides information on distribution, migration and movements of species, annual production, behavior and social structure, reproductive success, lifespan and causes of death.

Studying Dead Animals

The pathology department at the Atlantic Veterinary College does a great deal of work on wild species as well as domestic species. There is still much to be learned about an animal and how it lived from it's carcass. In veterinary medicine, animals are examined after death by a necropsy. This is equivalent to an autopsy in human medicine.

This technique allows systematic evaluation of all the different systems of the body in hopes of uncovering the cause of death. Sometimes this is very obvious (hit by car or gunshot wound), but sometimes the cause of death requires a great deal of investigative work (poisoning which may require a visit and examination of the area the animal was found in order to determine the source of the toxin). In the case of wild animals, a necropsy can provide a great deal of information about the animal's habitat.

Is there enough food in the area to support the population this year? If more animals than usual are being found dead due to starvation and the animal is otherwise normal, is this just a normal cycle or is something wrong with the habitat? Are there pollutants or chemicals in the area that are affecting individual animals or their breeding success? Fish and other aquatic species are particularly sensitive to contaminants in their environment. Insecticides sprayed onto a potato field can be blown or washed into a stream or lake, killing thousands of fish at a time. Necropsy and chemical analysis of the skin, gills, nervous system and digestive tract of the fish determine cause of death.

Disease identification

A very important aspect of studying animals that have already died is identification of disease. Some diseases are specific to a particular species and are only found in wild populations. Often disease epidemics are part of a species natural life cycle and are nature's way of selecting the strongest animals to survive. Identifying these trends is important when evaluating how a species is doing in the wild.

Conclusion

Animals play an important role in our eco-system and it is our responsibility to protect them. Zoos and Marine Parks protect animals while conducting research that is essential in the development and reproduction of many types of animals. The study of diseases and disorders that affect animals is important because it can aid in finding treatments and cures. If you have any questions on the conservation and protection of animals please feel free to contact our office.