I'm really fucking pissed.

[RiffRandell]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/12/01/beluga_1202.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

I grew up in CT--we had the Mystic Aquarium that, being near the ocean, rehabilitated several marine animals and then released them back to their natural habitat. They still had animals in captivity; I have a HUGE problem with that.

This lame shitty "aquarium" In Atlanta that has tons of oblivious visitors has had 4 whales die this year-----possibly due to their error of adding a bad chemical to the water to kill some other shit growing, and puncturing one's stomach with a feeding tube because it stopped eating.

BANNED!!! I told my first grade son if there is a field trip there, he cannot attend. I explained in the simplest of terms that they are actually hurting animals. He is not allowed to attend circuses with animals either.

[alarimer]

1. I really think it was a bad idea to put those giant fish in an aquarium

It just has proven too difficult to keep them.

I generally think aquariums and zoos are okay because of the educational factor, though. Most people will never get to see most of those animals in the wild. And they do a lot of good with breeding programs for endangered species. Zoos at least have mostly gotten to the point where they no longer have to take them from the wild. Aquariums, not so much.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Whales aren't fish.

But yes, large marine mammals are difficult to care for in captivity.

[alarimer]

3. I know that- I thought the article was talking about Ralph and Norton, the whale sharks

But it was two belugas that died recently as well as the two whale sharks that died earlier this year.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Oh, OK, my bad. Thought the reference was to the belugas.

[LeftyMom]

4. Agreed.

Also, I think the educational benefit of such places is hugely overrated.

I had to go to the m&(&%#ng zoo for an anthropology class, and listening to all the morans misidentifying primates to their kids (no, that's not a gorilla, the nearest gorilla exhibit is two hours drive away) The worst was that I heard the same loudmouthed moran call the chimps and the orangutans gorillas, the latter while standing in front of bronze figures displaying the obviously different facial features of orangs and gorillas, I swear to Darwin.) Another mother explained that the chimps were grooming each other "because he's old and he can't get the fleas off" nevermind that grooming is a social behavior, the two doing the grooming were both female and neither was old.

The saddest thing was that two of the chimps showed toolmaking behavior (using a light bulb box left in the enclosure for "enrichment" as a cup to get water from a waterfall built into the back of the structure) and nobody else paid much attention. Certainly tool use by a closely related primate should have drawn a crowd, it's something even professionals rarely get to see, let alone an older animal teaching a younger one to use a tool.

Frankly, I think the percentage of people who get any more out of a trip to a zoo or aquarium than they do out of a similar time spent watching animal planet is vanishingly small. For the most part, they seem to gawk and do their best to get their ignorance reinforced (though having a small army of docents might help, I kinda doubt people who can't be bothered to read signs will do much listening and paying attention either.) As a result, I tend to think that the educational benefits of captivity are almost nil. The main thing people learn is that even the rarest, strangest and most dangerous animals are ours to conquer.

[RiffRandell]

6. Thank you.

I was ranting and raving on the phone today to my childless friend (who totally understands) how kids can learn more by reading a book or from one of the internets (sarc) than gawking at these poor animals in captivity.

I know it will be a field trip eventually, and I will write a letter to the teacher/school explaining my position.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. I hear ya. I also think dissecting animals in science class is immoral.

And having students kill bugs to make an insect collection in science class is also immoral.

I despise the use of animals in circuses - awful. Just awful. When that elephant went on a rampage in Honolulu back in '93 or so, I applauded it.

I often also wonder about the ethics of household pets. I have a fishtank, and sometimes it bothers me that I've been part of a system of taking animals out of their natural habitat just because I'm a selfish piece of shit that wants to watch them from the comfort of my living room 10,000 miles away from their home.

[Deep13]

9. So just how are you different than religious fundamentalists?

You really think a few goddamn frogs should prevent us from learning about biology? If science followed your example we would still be bleeding people as a treatment for fever.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Um.

Yeah.

[Deep13]

8. So you're taking it out on your son.

Sounds like circus animals are more important to you than your own kid's well-being.

Reminds me of this girl we had in high school whose parents were Jehovah's Witnesses. She was not alowed to participate pretty much in anything because of her parents' weirdo religious views. This sounds very similar to me. There's nothing worse for a kid than being an outsider.

[RiffRandell]

13. Circus animals are very important to me and my son.

He is far from an outsider. I think it is my job (amongst other things) to teach my child right from wrong. He is learning animal abuse (of any kind) IS WRONG. You are turning a blind eye like so many parents do; well, it's fun for the kids, so it's fine. Bullshit.

[Deep13]

14. I don't agree that it's wrong.

"Animal rights" is a luxury issue that people adopt to make themselves feel morally superior to everyone else.

[ThomCat]

10. That's an awesome decision to make

and I'm glad you're clear about it with your son. Keeping animals in cruel conditions should never be seen as entertaining. :(

[Blue-Jay]

11. You should celebrate your decision

at Red Lobster.

[patsimae]

15. I can't believe what I just read.

They put a feeding tube in a whale??????