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A Look at Man Through the Vapid Eyes of His Captives
Disturbingly recent exceptions aside, civilized nations now agree that burning fellow human beings at the stake, torturing them or enslaving them is inhuman. The day will come when civilized nations will agree that imprisoning wild animals in zoos, whipping them about in circus acts from city to city or forcing them to do tricks for our amusement in such places as SeaWorld, Marineland and Epcot is as cruel to the animals as it is lewd of the people watching them.
That day is far off, no doubt. Pulling profits and emoting power over weaker creatures, vicariously enjoyed by those audiences that delight in the safe splashing of a killer whale or the harmlessness of a caged animal, are strong impulses. Too strong to be outdone by notions of rights for beasts that don't speak English or pay taxes.
Until then, handlers of animals forced into unnatural situations will continue to die, as SeaWorld's Dawn Brancheau did in February when a killer whale dragged her underwater after turning the tables and making her its plaything. I keep reading references to Brancheau's death as "tragic." What lazy news writers mean is that her death was sad, unfortunate, avoidable and, from the spectators' (but not the whale's) perspective, lurid, as it was for SeaWorld's PR.
Brancheau's death was foretold. Besides practicing drills by coaching their prisoners to follow a script, trainers like her practice not getting killed for a reason. They presume at every moment to outwit a predator's instincts. They can't outwit the law of averages. For a brief moment, the whale that killed Brancheau went off script. It acted in character. Mauling her might have been the most natural thing the whale had done in years. If it's an education spectators wanted, they finally got an authentic one.
I don't mind the work with animals of people like the late Steve Irwin, the Australian of "Crocodile Hunter" fame killed by a stingray in 2006. Irwin had his moments of cruelty when he wanted to prove that he could best a beast bigger, bitier or faster than him. But mostly he worked on the animals' turf, on their terms. He did not rearrange their nature for our amusement. He risked his life to show us how wild these animals are, and how freely noble and untamable they should remain.
This isn't to argue against domestication or even the slaughtering of animals. We are animals and predators. But domesticating an animal for help or companionship and certainly killing an animal for sustenance will always be more morally defensible than taming one for entertainment or "education." (The less defensible gobs of cruelty in the chicken farms and the feedlots of the West, where cattle are turned into walking mummies of drugs and fat, have more to do with a nation's gluttony than sustenance. But that's another story.)
Places like SeaWorld love to claim that their shows give people a close-up of something unique that fosters an appreciation for nature and conservation. Florida residents give the lie to that invention. They've been converging on SeaWorld from subdivisions that have plowed under entire ecosystems and obliterated the habitats of 111 plants and animals (at last count). That's not about to change.
"The sensational Shamu show" itself plows under the killer whales' natural instincts to make them fit human conceits. It doesn't honor the killer whales or their place in nature, since that place is nowhere at SeaWorld, so much as it pumps up man's capacity to synchronize dives, sentimental music and greeting-card philosophy with 5-ton creatures.
The show, called "Believe," is motivational splashing. And in an age when entire cable channels and other media by the ant pile are devoted to natural science, there's no justification anymore for amusement-park animal exploitation. A minute's worth of a nature show like "Planet Earth," even on a television screen -- which takes the viewer to untold places with an intimacy and humility that really does put humans' insignificance in perspective -- does more to inspire reverence for nature as it really is than any Shamu schmoozing that mostly warms up your gift shop's cockles.
As for zoos, I've visited some of the great ones in the country. I've also walked the wards of several jails and prisons, including death row in Nashville, Tenn. In both places I saw the identical shuffling lethargy and vapid look of captivity. Criminals are presumably imprisoned as a result of their own misdeeds. Animals aren't. The crime of their captivity, reflected in their eyes, is ours every time we visit a zoo or clap like dopes at a mud-wrestling show whenever Shamu flips. Forget Willie. Free them all.
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31 Comments so far
Show AllActually, zoos can be both humane and a possible sanctuary from extinction. During the 1940s, the only European Bison (visint) that existed lived in the Bronx Zoo in New York City. From this nucleus, the bison was reintroduced to some of its native grounds in Russia and Poland. Providing a spacious, natural environment in a zoo or a reserve may be the only hope for some species that are presently losing their home grounds.
Tony Vodvarka
Seems reasonable, Tony, but I have to wonder: We preserve these animals to what end? While it is possible that a few captive animals might repopulate the world with their own species, the odds are hugely against them.
We need to ask why these animals are on the verge of extinction in the first place. Of course, it's a rhetorical questions - we know the answer.
As long as we feel the need to cage animals, for whatever reason, we should understand that we are right in there with them.
The example I pointed out above, the European bison, is a perfect success story. A couple of dozen of these creatures (that were painted on the walls of the caves of neolithic people) were all that were left, in the Bronx of all places, because of the loss of their habitat during the predations of WWI and WWII. Now there are viable populations across Eurasia. It is conceiveable that habitats might return. Would we want, for instance, the orangutan, whose forest environment is fast disappearing, to go extinct?
I see your point, Tony. I certainly don't advocate for the extinction of any species, at least, not due to the ignorance of another specie.
I can understand nature reserves and large parks where they can roam and where contact with humans is limited, but I also agree with the point of this article, that we have no right expecting other species to entertain us when that is not their nature. And I understand that you're not arguing for entertainment.
I've been to many zoos and circuses and went to the Seaquarium as a kid. While I enjoyed them, I guess I did so in ignorance. Now, I would think several times before going to one. It's a process.
I heard that scientists are considering reclassifying some higher intelligence mammals (non-human) as "non-human persons," which means that they will have rights they have not had until now. It's clear that some mammals such as apes, dolphins and whales, and elephants, have abilities and emotions similar to that of humans. But we need to keep in mind that all animals have some kind of feeling, rudimentary as they may appear (and we don't really know what they feel).
In the end, as long as we discredit other species, we discredit ourselves. Similarly, as long as we hold them in captivity, we do so to ourselves.
I think Tony is using a species (pardon the pun) of lesser-evilism. I appreciate what I have learned from zoos. I also appreciate the interaction with animals that some zoos offer.
But, I am no fan of animal shows or circuses. When I went to animal shows as a child, I thought dolphin acts (seal acts, sea lion acts, etc.)were stupid and had little to do with learning anything about the animals. One could not argue of any value added to my life by seeing those shows.
I prefer seeing animals in their habitats. I don't even mind sharing my garden with deer or the back yard with a bear now and then. I know what is needed to deter myself and them from being a danger to each other.
We are in agreement, there is a vast difference between having wild creatures jump through hoops for entertainment and captive animals living relatively natural lives in appropriate preserves.
Excellent article.
Agreed - free them all! As long as they are captives, we are.
We are animals and predators?
We were never created but always were and always will be; we are immortal beings.
In the sense that we never die we are angels.
Then, there are the animals and predators among us.
I saw a sad thing at a shopping mall in the 1970s. They had a big transparent tank in the middle of the mall, and in it was a dolphin. All it did was swim in circles around the tank - perhaps 20 feet across (I don't remember).
I could not watch for long because I realized that that dolphin's life was equivalent to confining a human to a bathtub for life. Is that educational?
Indeed i understood this recent seaworld event to be a revolutionary act by those sentient creatures who have been gitmoized for so many years. And since sonar is their primary sensory apparatus, being stuck in a tank is the equivalent of extreme sensory deprivation which will create psychosis in short order. Not to mention the confinement of the space itself.
I'm not certain this will change any time soon. We are torturing human beings - will the money makers and general populace care more about non humans?
To be honest, since we are all part of this planet - made of the same stuff, etc. I thought this event was interconnected with seismic events of late. A wake up call.
Call ignored.
Sioux Rose
READY: Right-on post. Whenever I hear of dolphin or whales beaching themselves, I always presume that the creatures just gave up after experiencing the awful bombardment of U.S. military sonar used in underwater experiments.
As someone who left Gainesville in part due to the proliferation of so many boom boxes (making the possibility of quiet contemplation impossible), I can only imagine how a miraculous creature wired to sound far more than myself would feel when its entire world became ruptured by an alien invasion of unstoppable noise, most of it no doubt cacaphonous. These creatures, especially whales, produce mating calls that are some of the most hauntingly melodic love songs imaginable. When instead forced to endure military sounds driven by aggression, it would not be hard to see why their entire beings would elect a form of suicide instead. I am sure these sound "tests" qualify as torture to our sea mammal brothers and sisters.
Indeed, two sides of the same torturous coin!
Thank you.
"He risked his life to show us how wild these animals are, and how freely noble and untamable they should remain."
And, finally, while needlessly harrassing a ray, the animal rightfully killed the asshole.
Agreed Irwin was nothing more than a tormenter for entertainment purposes. As for zoos, I attended one as a youth and what struck me was the saddness that overcame me at the sight of wild creatures pent up in small cages. While todays major zoos have improved the lot of the animals in their care, even without bars a cage is still a cage.
I also find the argument that zoos are needed to preserve endangered species' insane, a better option would be to stop destroying their habitat and hunting them to the brink of extinction
Like PT, have seen many of the nation's zoos - hate em all. Haven't been in 15+ years. Will never return, except to protest.
And, I know this might sound weird, but I haven't been to a 'strip club' in at least as many years either, because the moment I enter, I get the same feeling of disgust a zoo delivers.
Especially the ones with drugged, depressed girls 'dancing' in cages...
Sioux Rose
FRANK: I often agree with your posts, cynicism and all. This one shows your deep humanity. Thank you for being courageous in posting the sentiment of decency.
There's an excellent documentary, 'The Cove', that takes Tristam's side quite dramatically. Until then, I'd never thought at length about the captivity of cetaceans. I asked myself why a former trainer of dolphins would do a 180 degree flip like that. And it was clear: he began to see the world as they saw it.
Steve Irwin was trying to educate people and demonstrate the plight of animals. He would tell you what they were going through and how their habitats were diminishing and whatnot. The guy was reckless and had ADD I believe. I never got the impression that he was just harassing animals. He was in more danger than the animals he encountered were. It's not like he was hunting and killing them.
I haven't been to a zoo in 20-25 years. I see what people are saying about holding animals in captivity, but what of animals that cannot be released back into the wild. The animals I saw at the Pittsburgh Zoo seemed to be docile and rather liked the attention people gave them. The bears would wave for people to throw them snacks, which patrons were no longer allowed to do. The only animals that seemed to not want to be there were the gorillas. You could see the sadness in their faces. The other animals just hung out and seemed content that they didn't have to hunt or forage for food.
Zoos should just be for animals who can't survive in the wild. They should not be there to do tricks.
Even when I was a child, I was taught that it was cruel to tease animals with food like that.
VERY Well put.
I am always amused by discussions of the intelligence and emotions of non-human species because I have come to believe that: 1) we seriously underestimate other species' intelligence; 2) we can scarcely "assess" human intelligence and emotions across cultures, which makes it laughable to think we can assess the minds of other species; and, finally, 3) no other species but our own is driving the unfolding Sixth Extinction, despite some fifty years since Rachel Carson's bellwether call. In this context, it could be argued that humans, for all our cleverness and opposable thumbs, are the very LEAST intelligent of all species. The "Anthropocene" period will not last 300 years, and will end with this global extinction event.
That said, I'm all for preserving genetic diversity in hopes that it may buffer this extinction event.
Well said and I am in complete agreement.
That the field of human psychology has changed so much and continues to date demonstrates we cannot even accurately ascess our own mental state, much less that of another species in which we haven't a clue of how they internally evaluate their environment or their emotional responses.
I do however believe it would be accurate to state that an Orca has no interest whatsoever swimming laps in a tank while being cute and "waving" at the human audience with it's pectoral fin.
Absolutely! Any Orca now in captivity was taken when Orcas were, in some fashion and with some kind of intelligence, experiencing the decimation of the oceans. It would be unreasonable, by my estimation, to exclude the possibility that Orca populations are aware that the collapse of marine ecosystems is an exclusive consequence of human activity. I won't speculate beyond that, or try to tie that into the death of what's-her-face.
There are few limited cases where Animals in a Zoo make sense. Just as example the Island Marmot faced extinction on Vancouver Island due to out of control development and the lack of an intact and contigous ecosphere.
They existed in small isolated pockets with the only way to get to the other by hazarding areas of heavy traffic.
A number were taken and bred in captivity, a preserve was found for them in the wilds and they were released again.
I imagine that the last we will see of species like the Snow Leopard or the Sumatran Rhino are the Zoos and nature preserves. I myself have not been to a Zoo isnce i was about 12 years olf. I never really liked them yet at the same time
Do we just allow extinction in the wilds?
IMO -- if Zoos have to be around , if for nothing else than to truly educate humans about giving the wild world its already diminishing space (such as for example bringing attention to animals humans might otherwise NOT be aware of)...then they have to be tolerated - BUT the space provided as Zoos ought to be as close as possible to what the animals experience in the True Wild -- in effect, even having them in very large spaces, limited in number and humans have to make the necessary trip to visit them...something similar to protected areas but in some way open to human visits..but NEVER cage animals in a manner that is simply for the convenience of humans to "find or see" them "in action".
part of a ZOO is also its environment ...and this includes animals being "un-available for viewing" if humans happen to visit and they're "not around".
animals shouldn't be "trained" to "obey" for the purpose of entertaining humans, imo..unless it's your own pet such as the well-known domesticated dogs or cats...that one must understand probably enjoys communicating and learning with its "owner".
these "seaworld" type of animal shows - no matter how humanely the trainers treat them are still basically FOR PROFIT. and even within the cage and captivity - the trainers are humans who , once they are IN the water - have entered the territory of the whale or the orca...and tragic as it was ....these deaths by "natural instinct" - are, quite bluntly , what the trainers were asking for...they played with "fire" and they got burned. ..in a watery way.
It seems to me that the starting point is to accept that the earth and all that's in it is sacred. From there we can work out an ethical way of how we humans should conduct ourselves on this small planet.
Might makes right!? Come on people man up and go vegan. It is just that simple, don't give me this man as predator crap. You sittin on your couch watching the tube and eating some captured poor creature.Let them all go free (and it stops climate change to boot.)
It ain't "another story," it IS the story.
Bong Hit 4 Jesus Brigade
The lessons that these animal prisons teach is that humans have the power and right to dominate and control other beings and, by extension, the nature world generally. Indeed, the capture and export of animals was one of the earliest forms of "resource imperialism."
If we need to capture and keep animals in order preserve a species, then the battle is already lost. Until we can learn that the planet is essentially a great living being in which every species experiences life in a unique way that supports all other life, we are doomed. Human arrogance has doomed not only other species, but ourselves and the planet itself.
I'd suggest that we need to preserve as many endangered high-order species as we can, any way we possibly can.
*AND* we need to get real about human overpopulation and begin to reduce it.
Once we've cut our own population back to where it needs to be compared to Earth's ability to easily source and sink for us, then there'll be enough space for those species to be returned to the real world.
Of course, that presumes that we're smart enough to 'get' that what we're seeing glimpses of right now is a disaster, not a disaster movie.
genicon
Why be surprised at anything humans might do to so called lesser species, when millions follow a book that declares God gave man dominion over all his creation.