Zoos

I’m not a big fan of zoos, generally. Animals in captivity as entertainment isn’t something I agree with – especially when they’re not native. If the purpose is education, research and helping to save a species from extinction, then I’d be prepared to have a discussion, but with today’s education turning into “edutainment”, there’s certainly a lot of grey areas and slippery slopes.

Melbourne Zoo is horrible. I’ve been there once, and found it terribly depressing. Bored animals in concrete cages far too small for them. Vapid and generally devoid of any educational or research activity, it’s all about entertainment. It’s on my list of places I will never go again. There are two other zoos under the Victoria masthead – one in Werribee and the other in Healesville. I’ve never been to the Werribee one, but I was somewhat comfortable with the one in Healesville – it features native flora and fauna only, and (with a few exceptions) isn’t as brash and commercial as Melbourne Zoo. Recent events have changed my mind, however, and I’m no longer going to go to Healesville Sancturay, or recommend anyone else does either.

In the past week, the RSPCA and The Age have been very critical of Victoria for making some fairly poor decisions: repeatedly stabbing an elephant, allowing animals to escape by placing them in inappropriate enclosures, starving birds to death, and (bizarrely) bringing an echidna to an auto race. This story takes the cake , however. Zoo chief’s home became menagerie for fund-raising event . What?!

Zoo sources said native animals that were removed from Melbourne Zoo and the Healesville Sanctuary — including a koala, parrots, snakes, lizards and a possum — were paraded around the party, a launch of a fund-raising foundation at Andrew Fairley’s Kooyong Road residence in November.

An orphaned short-beaked echidna is also believed to have been taken to the party. It died a month later after a senior keeper from Healesville Sanctuary took it to the V8 Supercars on Phillip Island.

This is madness, and totally irresponsible. Victoria ought to be ashamed of themselves.