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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Sad Animals in Zoos

“Aw, that polar looks so sad. He doesn’t like this cage”. 

“Poor monkey, so bored with nothing to do”.

Have you ever made a comment like this? Have you ever heard someone say this at a public zoo or petstore? The answer is likely to be yes. Despite unfamiliarity with the species in question, or even that animal as an individual, this is a common occurrence and a blatant example of the conflict with anthropomorphism.

"Sad" Bear


Most people who do not spend significant time around non-domesticated animals often lack the ability to detect an animal’s mood. Even I, before finally adopting a dog, found the behavioral patterns of that species was foreign (I’m isolated socially, and to this day have never held a cat).

The more animals I became in charge of caring for, the more I learned about them. Things that books and even documentaries failed to do. This experience is simply irreplaceable. However, to different extents, ‘wild’ animal behavior will vary significantly with animals raised by or around humans, but this way you will come to understand the species’ capabilities (and limitations).

Read the rest of the editorial at its original source

1 comment:

  1. What an intereting notion; I always think my cat is smiling but it could just be my imagination! :)

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