Victim of humans

[Seth]

From http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/10/29/dead-hippo.html?ref=rss

 

A voyage from Denver proved fatal for a hippopotamus that was being transferred to the Calgary Zoo.

 

Six-year-old Hazina was transported by truck on Thursday, but zoo officials said Monday that when the hippo arrived in Calgary, the young female couldn't stand and was in distress.

 

Doug Whiteside, the zoo's veterinarian, said Hazina had been lying in one position in the crate for too long, which damaged her leg muscles, leading to a release of toxins into the bloodstream.

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Can you even imagine the pain that she went through?

 

A recent investigation by the zoo says no amount of foresight could have prevented her death.

 

Oh really? How's the following for the zoo's capitalistic and hypocritical foresight?

 

How about we cease the barbaric and archaic practice of caging and exploiting other life forms for our own amusement and emotional dysfunctions?

[Guest Wolfeymole]

That's outrageous.

They should be locked an a cage and driven round Death Valley for a while.

[ONY]

Thats real sad Seth and i agree with both yours and Wolfey's remarks. And to think we are supposed to be the superior species.

[JEBWrench]

So which is it, Seth? The opportunity to learn and experience new things for everyone, or "stopping barbaric practises"?

[shrimply]

I'm not sure, about this surly places have been doing this for years and are wel aware of what is needed, is this not just an unfortunate accident, its not that the hippo couldn't move just that it didn't choose to. Apart for putting the animal to sleep during transportaion ( which itself is dangerous) then I don't really think this could have been prevented. Although I don't know the full story. This line worsies me a lot more "Two charges of animal cruelty against the B.C. zoo were dropped earlier in 2007 after a larger enclosure for the hippo was built to replace a small, concrete pen."

 

In my eyes zoos and animal parks are vital in conservation and education. And I doubt anyone could argue that animals in captivity, in the UK at least, are badly cared for or neglected in captivity.

[maynardvdm]

Yes indeed Zoo's and animal parks are good places to learn about animals. I'm sure they knew the risk involved in moving a animal of this size. Could you not also then say "If they knew what they are doing couldn't they have done more to avoid this?" Did they "really" take all precations necessary to make sure the animal would be safe?

In cases like this i always feel for the animal which if could speak would say "Leave me alone!"

[help4me]

I remember when my mother had her heart attack and resulting bypass surgery in 1996. She said that she thought she understood what a caged animal felt like because of all the doctors and nurses watching her, entering her room at all hours, and even being discussed between doctors in training as if she wasn't even in the room. She said she felt more like a lab experiment rather than a person.

 

On the one hand I can see where animal parks and such, no matter how "posh" they are and how much the keepers try to provide the best for the animals, it still fails short of freedom. No matter how nice and cushy you make a jail cell, it's still a jail cell. And don't even get me started on the circus. Talk about animal cruelty!

 

But on the other hand, we need to learn about animals in a more in depth way than what we can achieve by studying them in the wild. Perhaps even to the point that we can indeed save a few species from extinction. How does the average person learn about animals that are not native to their homeland? Can they really learn only through pictures and text books? I ask those two questions seriously. If we can find an answer, maybe we can do something about it.