Wednesday, October 3, 2018
From the News: Baby rhino bites zoo visitor
Of course, those behind-the-scenes encounters with large mammals don't always go the way you plan...
I'll admit that when I first read this, I just saw the headline and was infuriated. I thought that it was another fence-jumper, and after Harambe I'd say that's the last thing Cincinnati Zoo needs. Instead, this just seems to be one of those potential risks that occur when we bring visitors and animals together. I'm glad that the patron is fine, not that there would have been much doubt... baby rhinos aren't known for their massive chompers. Seriously, there are days when I feel like a little mouthing from a baby rhino on my hand might do wonders for my mood...
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In terms of recent zoo news, I’m a bit more concerned regarding some trouble the Bronx Zoo is in, as the Nonhuman Rights Project sued them for “unlawful imprisonment” of Happy the elephant.
ReplyDeleteLawsuits such as these have a tendency to not go anywhere. San Antonio Zoo was the primary target of groups such as these for years and nothing ever came of it. Houston's Downtown Aquarium has faced threats of lawsuits over their tigers.
DeleteSimilarly, years ago (before Blackfish), PETA tried suing SeaWorld on the grounds that keeping orcas under human care was slavery and therefore violated the 13th Amendment - the courts tossed that also.
I know about all those other cases. I just figured that this could be a different case since the NhRP is a bit feistier than the other groups, considering their history with a group of chimps they petitioned the courts to recognize as nonhuman persons (and admittedly haven't officially succeeded to do).
DeleteFeisty or not, right now the issue is that there is no legal framework for this to succeed, and if they can't get the courts to recognize chimps, I'm doubtful that they'll have any luck with elephants.
DeleteGood point.
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