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Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom  How has the research and training of tricks for Orcas in captivity benefited Orcas...bc I honestly don't understand that side of the argument?
How do zoos fulfill animals, what do you mean by that? Do you see how animals pace back-and-forth in their cages at zoos? Or how they rock and self-stim? Those behaviors are extremely meaningful in terms of the effects of captivity. I would not view those behaviors as signs of being fulfilled or engaged.
So are you saying that bc *some* animals live longer in captivity - that quantity of years equates with QUALITY of life? What do you mean "you can make a good argument that many animals are better off" in captivity?
I'm not sure anyone said releasing him was a simple process. There are also whale sanctuaries who were willing to care for him for the rest of his life - while also letting him be, if that's what he seemed to "prefer" (ie, no more training/tricks). |
Zoos have put a tremendous amount of work figuring out how to keep animals stimulated. I'm sure there's a long way to go, but it's not just, "throw the animal into a cage and hope for the best." Again, zoos in particular have come a very long way in the past 25 years. Generally speaking, zookeepers *love* their charges: they have essentially dedicated their lives to animal husbandry.
Training for orcas (or any animal) benefits the animal directly because the animals enjoy training. Animals like having their minds stimulated too. Referring back to the "Animals Make Us Human", training stimulates and satisfies the SEEK drive.
Indirectly, of course, it helps us understand orcas better, which benefits us and helps us understand how better to care for the world. It's the basic motivator behind any type of scientific research.
FYI, it is extremely difficult to study whales in their natural habitat - because they spend a lot of their lives under water! Again going back to dolphins, which I know more about, they appear to have a wide array of living arrangements and food gathering techniques, but it's difficult for us to observe anything that doesn't happen right offshore. A lot of people do not like tagging dolphins / whales with tracking devices, as they fear the tagging process is traumatic, and that other animals may react to them. Since they have echolocation, they can actually see INTO each other, so even a device that is subcutaneous potentially can cause a problem.
Of course length of life does not necessarily equal quality of life. However, we tend to forget that most animals spend their lives in rather desperate circumstances - they are trying to avoid being eaten alive, or starving to death. Being safe and well-fed are not things to take for granted.
I do think that zoos help foster respect for wildlife. It's one thing to read about a giraffe, and another thing entirely to see one. After all, children are the ones who really love zoos, and I think it helps shape the love for all types of animals.