Animals behind glass

[Catherine]

Quote:Tobi, I hope that you don't mind: I have edited the link address for the video so its producer doesn't get link credit on Google. The video is highly commercial, starting with ads and pushing for subscribers - in order to make money. I can't bear the thought of the maker of that video making lots of money from its video showing the near-abuse of animals. S/he doesn't deserve a link, although I'm glad that you posted about it on this forum. You draw attention to an important issue.

LPC, I am so glad you ae able to do that. I never thought about the guy getting credit for the link. I don't think he deserves it. His video is actually making fun of the animals.

This is the problem of human animal interactions anywhere. It is not just zoos. If people find a birds nest in the wild they will harass the birds until they end up killing them. They get their hands on a baby dolphin they will pass it around until they kill it. 
Zoos struggle with how to keep the animals safe from the public. Most of the bars are not there for the animals. They use creative landscaping and people will climb over it. People ignore signs, pound on glass and even jump into pens. I stopped girls picking up stones to throw at baby geese at the Toronto Zoo. 

The gorillas have the worst problem. People make a point of challenging them. You can see how frustrated the gorillas are. The idea of glass like that was to allow people to see the animals close. If you are respectful there is no problem. I have sat by the glass next to an orangutan and she put her baby next to the glass so he was between us and we were like a couple of friends sharing some time together. We were a couple of friends sharing time together.

I have a picture. I will post it when I find it.

Zoos are going to have to find ways to protect their animals from the public. If I had been there I would have asked people to move or I would have called for help from a keeper. It is never right to taunt an animal. Taunting an animal in an enclosure is pathetic behavior on the part of the human. We obviously are not the superior species.