It's been said that a lie can run around the entire world while the truth is still putting its shoes on. The same could be said for information that, while not deliberately false, is misunderstood or misleading - a poorly formed version of the truth makes the rounds and is accepted as the gospel before the real story comes out, by which time it's too late.
Such could have been the case at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, where a sudden burst of viral activity called attention to one of the zoo's polar bears, which appeared to be showing some unusual behaviors. Some members of the public came to the conclusion that the animal was suffering, and were quick to spread the word. Thankfully, the zoo was just as quick to respond, putting out a reply (it's a reel, not a video, so I couldn't figure out how to embed it - I'm not tech savvy) that directly explained what was going on and assured visitors that the bear was receiving optimal care and was ok.
Too often, when we see people raising concerns about animal care, we have a tendency to dismiss it as a few uninformed folks on facebook, and assume it will just blow over - or that nothing we could say to those people would make a difference anyway. However, ignoring problems, or only responding one-off in comment sections, doesn't address concerns, and may make it look like there is a problem that the zoo is hiding from, or a truth we're ashamed of. The best solution is to be upfront about concerns - if there's not a problem, explain it with science and observations and data, if there is a problem, explain what is being done to resolve it, if possible. Let everyone know the truth that we know - that the animals come first, and caring for them is our top priority. To that, well done Point Defiance.
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