G'day mates!
Today I want to share my recent experience visiting the famous Australia Zoo. Before I begin, let me tell you that I was in complete shock about what I witnessed during my visit. I felt like I had no other choice than to write about it and share my thoughts with all of you.
I know many of you have heard the stories about animals in captivity suffering from neglect and mistreatment, with owners only caring about profit. Animals are not getting the care they need, they don't have enough space, and they are even molested by zookeepers. This has to stop.
Australia Zoo is a source of pride for the country, and mentioning anything negative about the zoo could lead to serious consequences. However, I have to ask the question, is it still possible to find places that treat animals right and do better?
Australia Zoo has won 78 awards since 1999, including Terry Irwin, Steve Irwin's wife, winning the Honorary Order of Australia for her dedication to wildlife conservation and the tourism industry. It would be great to see more awards for their conservation efforts, rather than just for tourist attraction and business.
The zoo sees around 700,000 visitors each year, but I can't help but wonder if the zoo would have the same number of visitors if it wasn't for its conservation credentials.
Terry Irwin and her children, Robert and Bindi, are amazing human beings and are doing extraordinary things for both people and animals. However, my visit made me question their leadership and made me wonder if they are turning a blind eye to some things.
After visiting Africa and going on a Safari, my perspective has changed, and I can't help but think that we as a human race are robbing animals of their life by keeping them in captivity. This has made me think about what kind of space animals need and their natural instincts.
In the wild, lions can cover as little as 20 square kilometers, but in captivity, they are confined to a small enclosure. This raises the question, what kind of space do animals need to be happy and healthy?
In conclusion, I want to say that I am not here to take away anything from Australia Zoo. It is one of the better zoos out there, but at the end of the day, it is still a zoo, which means animals are kept on display for human entertainment.
I am still figuring out my thoughts about supporting a business like Australia Zoo, but I do believe that this topic deserves to be talked about. I hope this post has shed some light on the matter and sparked some thought-provoking discussions.
Cheers!
Rolf.
