Blow Your Whistle

When the concerned staff of Project Chimps had felt that their concerns about animal care were not being listened to by their leadership, they did the only thing that they felt they could do.  They became whistleblowers.   Those that did so did not make the decision lightly.  Among other consequences, it would mean the end of their careers.  Still, if they wanted to bring the problems to light and make a difference, it seemed like there was no other option.

Front-line staff at zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, etc are the employees who have the most direct exposure to the animals.  That means that they are the ones who are likely to be the first to notice problems - health issues, husbandry challenges, deficiencies of the facilities, you name it.  It is their responsibility to bring those concerns to the attention of supervisors so that appropriate action can be taken, whether its bringing in the vet or making changes to the care protocols or even deciding to send the animal to another facility.

But what do you do if the boss hears you, but doesn't do anything?

For one thing, no matter how long you've been doing this, you should be willing to pause for a moment to consider that you may, in fact, be wrong.  That's the hardest part.  Our field is full of would-be Dr. Dolittles who are convinced that they and they alone know what's best for the animal.  I know I've been one.  Sometimes a curator or lead keeper will hear the concern and, based on their experience, decide that it's not actually a problem.  If so, they should then do their best to communicate that to the staff.  Ideally, you want everyone feeling good about the situation.  

This may be controversial, but I believe in giving management the benefit of the doubt.  If you have a nagging voice in the back of you head about it, make sure you document concerns.

But what if you know they're wrong, and animal welfare is suffering as a result?  Then, you may want to speak with an outside power - but knowing that once you do, you lose control of the situation.

If the facility is accredited by AZA, you can contact them.  At every AZA inspection I've been present for, inspectors have met with keepers privately, giving them a chance to anonymously raise concerns.  Again, maybe you'll raise something to them but they may tell you it's not a problem.  Be prepared to accept that.  If you go through that many levels, it really might be your mistake.

If the institution has a governing body - say, it's run by a city government - you can bring it up there.  Be prepared for the likelihood of the mayor or city council acknowledging that they don't know much about animals and yielding to more experienced judgement - like the people you've already asked.

If the animal that you have concerns about is a mammal, you can raise a concern with USDA - but they will only respond if it's an animal that falls under their purview (again, a mammal).  If you think you've seen actual, deliberate cruelty or criminal neglect, animal control can be contacted.

A final step is to go to the press.  If by this point no one seems to take the concern seriously, then you should probably consider leaving the institution, if you haven't already.