And we pretend we care about animals???

[Newhere]

I know what you are saying longqi, isn't it illegal to capture or kill a dolphin in Australia? As for keeping them in captivity I think it does more good to keep a few rescued animals that are not suitable for release so we can raise awareness and I'm sure the two places that do keep them in captivity have strict rules and regulations they have to follow.

You have to start somewhere and we are doing more than nothing. If we were doing nothing I could legally keep a dolphin in my swimming pool and then go for a stroll in the bush and collect some carpet pythons and turn them in to wallets.

 

[longqi]

I know what you are saying longqi, isn't it illegal to capture or kill a dolphin in Australia? As for keeping them in captivity I think it does more good to keep a few rescued animals that are not suitable for release so we can raise awareness and I'm sure the two places that do keep them in captivity have strict rules and regulations they have to follow.

You have to start somewhere and we are doing more than nothing. If we were doing nothing I could legally keep a dolphin in my swimming pool and then go for a stroll in the bush and collect some carpet pythons and turn them in to wallets.

I love how Australia usually tries to protect its wildlife
We are far in advance of most other nations in that regard
But we give millions every year to save the whales and wwf and greenpeace etc and yet a poor third world country
actually goes all the way and protects them??
As for keeping a fairly intelligent herd based animal as a solitary 'display pet' earning its owners money???
Most sea side areas have places and or boats where anyone can watch cetaceans living free
Isnt that far more educational than watching one balance a ball on its nose??

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So are you saying that the dolphinariums in Australia should be prohibited? I believe dolphinariums keep Dolphins in the public eye and whilst there are some costs to the individuals housed the overall benefit to the dolphin population makes it worthwhile. Its so easy to ban keeping a particular animal in captivity and think that will fix all the problems. People are selfish; They are more likely to care about something that is in their immediate community than a dream which lives off in the distance. I would like to see "wild" animals kept as pets, rather than dogs and cats so as to make people aware of what else lives on this planet. Sure it would be hard setting and maintaining appropriate keeping standards but to continually say NO! lets the decline in the wild happen while the majority of the public remains unaware .
The plight of dolphins would be better served by having a few in properly maitained Dolphinariums rather than examining corpes along the shores of the Ganges!

Actually agree with a lot of what you said
BUT
Cetaceans in captivity live shorter lives than wild ones
Plenty of places to see and closely observe wild ones too
Is it ok to keep an fairly intelligent herd animal in solitary for the term of its natural life?

I did NOT specify Australia
I include the entire western world

 

[Newhere]

I thought dolphins are protected in Australia like every other animal its illegal to catch one or kill one. If we protect magpies and crows I'm sure we would have laws in place to protect dolphins too. The only difference is we let places like seaworld keep them. Seaworld does train them to do tricks but its a part of keeping them stimulated and having to work for their food like they would in the wild, I'm pretty sure they are animals that can't be released and I think they might breed them there aswell. They do shows for the public and you can even go swimming with them, the money raised goes to funding the park and rescuing other marine animals and rehabilitating them and releasing them if possible.

How would they get money to rescue wild animals if they released all their animals and closed the park?

And no they should never be kept by themselves.

 

[Bluetongue1]

...Things like this may seem nice on the surface, but they're not well thought through....

You make a supercilious statement like this indicating your authoritativeness yet plead ignorance when challenged. Allow me to correct that short fall by expanding your biological knowledge first. The study of intelligence is part of the behavioural sciences (Pavlov’s dog or Skinnerian boxes ring a bell?) and the behavioural sciences are part of the biological sciences. Q.E.D. So as not to put too fine a point on for you, I take exception to being patronized.

The issues facing the river dolphins have nothing to do with them being popular or not. The sort of popular interest and support to which you are alluding, works well in a place like Australia where the media can disseminate information and alter attitudes in so doing. India does not have the capacity to replicate that due its huge level of illiteracy and the extent of abject poverty, both of which preclude access to mass media. The dolphins have already been accorded a high level of protection but it is estimated that poaching and use of gill nets remove around 100 each year. This has been happening year after year while the dolphinariums operate. The environmental issues they face are dams, pollution and the turbidity and silting from sand mining and deforestation.

If elevation of their status and protection helps to reduce the direct killing by humans, that is a positive for a species with low fecundity. We cannot say what will happen. But at the very least there is a chance of bringing more pressure to bear on those who currently are involved in their deaths.

The other side of the coin is that other countries may reconsider at least the captive environments that are provided for cetaceans and whether they are appropriate or not. I will also point out that not all animals are suited for captive culture, so you need to call the individuals or groups as you see them, rather than make all-embracing statements.

Blue

 

[wildthings]

Nicely said Blue

 

[mmafan555]

There are two sides to a coin ,we in Australia do put on the 'animal shows' this is true ,but to get support of the public in recognizing animal welfare and financial support for the animals,shows that are put on seem to have a better impact then a filmed docco. Most times in our country the animals ,although constricted with space (which is an obvious issue)overall the welfare of our captive animals are of a very high standard...unlike in a lot of overseas places,where the animals are just a commodity and the welfare of them isn't high on a priority list. Don't get me wrong ,I'm glad that India ,has taken a stand in 'animal' concerns and protection but I can't move past the hypocrisy because we all know what values they place on humans over there and have seen it sadly...

In India many reptiles/animals pose a real legitimate threat to people...So the villagers many kill them on site without mercy...This is understandable since some Indian snakes kill thousands of people each year and pose a real danger....Everyone on here would be doing the exact same thing if they lived in that situation but with snakes/reptiles only killing several people a year in the first world it is impossible to compare.

Yes the occasional snake/croc/bear will kill someone in Australia/The US/Canada/Europe but the situation is just not comparable to a place like India or Sri Lanka....India has a huge amount of animals that kill tons of people each year. Venomous snakes are often killed immediately in South Asia as they pose a real danger to people.

Rape happens throughout the world sadly....Often at very shockingly high rates.

 

[Sdaji]

*sits back and waits to see if he catches any *fish*

Well I'll be! I actually did catch a couple! :lol:

Hey blue, you're obviously pretty passionate about the issue, I won't argue with you

 

[Bluetongue1]

Thank you Sdaji. I am passionate about Biology but I discuss and argue with my head rather than my heart. Rational use of logic with the known facts is a lot more convincing.

Blue

 

[Darlyn]

In India many reptiles/animals pose a real legitimate threat to people...So the villagers many kill them on site without mercy...This is understandable since some Indian snakes kill thousands of people each year and pose a real danger....Everyone on here would be doing the exact same thing if they lived in that situation but with snakes/reptiles only killing several people a year in the first world it is impossible to compare.

Yes the occasional snake/croc/bear will kill someone in Australia/The US/Canada/Europe but the situation is just not comparable to a place like India or Sri Lanka....India has a huge amount of animals that kill tons of people each year. Venomous snakes are often killed immediately in South Asia as they pose a real danger to people.

Rape happens throughout the world sadly....Often at very shockingly high rates.

Can't see how this is relevant, what are you trying to say? BTW no deaths in Australia from bears

 

[longqi]

BTW no deaths in Australia from bears

Maybe no actual deaths yet

But drop bears have caused a few changes of knickers when one drops into the middle of a group of tourists huddled around a dim torch listening to stories about Aussies dangerous beasties

 

[Trimeresurus]

Maybe no actual deaths yet

But drop bears have caused a few changes of knickers when one drops into the middle of a group of tourists huddled around a dim torch listening to stories about Aussies dangerous beasties

Not only that, some of the noises they make are terrifying.

 

[Cypher69]

BTW no deaths in Australia from bears

That's because they have smart lawyers & good alibis.

 

[princessparrot]

Maybe no actual deaths yet

But drop bears have caused a few changes of knickers when one drops into the middle of a group of tourists huddled around a dim torch listening to stories about Aussies dangerous beasties

Aren't dropbears koalas or am I thinking of something else?

 

[sharky]

Drop Bear - Australian Museum

 

[princessparrot]

Drop Bear - Australian Museum

Sorry, but I am having quite difficulty believing that

 

[andynic07]

Sorry, but I am having quite difficulty believing that

But it has the museum logo on it.