OKC Zoo

[d-usa]

We went to the first Safari Soirée at the Zoo tonight, it was my birthday present from the wife. It's a new conservation fundraiser they were doing this year, and I hope it manages to become an annual thing.

The Zoo was open from 7pm-11pm for a 21+ event, and your ticket included admission, food and drinks (with many alcoholic options available), a DJ in one area, a cover band in another, and a string orchestra in a third, many areas where zoo staff had some of the smaller animals that usually make the rounds at birthday parties for us to touch and learn more about. Most of the animals were out and about, and it was fun to explore the zoo by flashlight after it got dark. It was $75 a person, with the option to buy behind-the-scenes tickets with the Elephants, Gorillas, Rhinos, and Bears (I think that was it), Your entrance also included the giraffe feeding, stingray visit, and sea lion show. And you could ride the tram from exhibit to exhibit, or drinking station to drinking station, if you so desired.

It was definitely a bit expensive (especially if you went for the behind-the-scenes experiences which we didn't), but it was a fund raiser after all. It was nice to experience the zoo without any kids, being able to spend a lot of time talking to keepers and staff about the different animals and conservation programs they are involved it, and just have a zoo that wasn't packed at all.

I don't know if they had enough people show up to make it worth the effort, but the behind-the-scenes experiences were sold out and they ran out of food and some of the pre-mixed specialty drinks in some areas. I think it's a great event for the zoo and for OKC, and I hope it becomes an annual thing.

Also: The parking lot is finished!

[Bill Robertson]

We went to the first Safari Soirée at the Zoo tonight, it was my birthday present from the wife. It's a new conservation fundraiser they were doing this year, and I hope it manages to become an annual thing.

The Zoo was open from 7pm-11pm for a 21+ event, and your ticket included admission, food and drinks (with many alcoholic options available), a DJ in one area, a cover band in another, and a string orchestra in a third, many areas where zoo staff had some of the smaller animals that usually make the rounds at birthday parties for us to touch and learn more about. Most of the animals were out and about, and it was fun to explore the zoo by flashlight after it got dark. It was $75 a person, with the option to buy behind-the-scenes tickets with the Elephants, Gorillas, Rhinos, and Bears (I think that was it), Your entrance also included the giraffe feeding, stingray visit, and sea lion show. And you could ride the tram from exhibit to exhibit, or drinking station to drinking station, if you so desired.

It was definitely a bit expensive (especially if you went for the behind-the-scenes experiences which we didn't), but it was a fund raiser after all. It was nice to experience the zoo without any kids, being able to spend a lot of time talking to keepers and staff about the different animals and conservation programs they are involved it, and just have a zoo that wasn't packed at all.

I don't know if they had enough people show up to make it worth the effort, but the behind-the-scenes experiences were sold out and they ran out of food and some of the pre-mixed specialty drinks in some areas. I think it's a great event for the zoo and for OKC, and I hope it becomes an annual thing.

Also: The parking lot is finished!

Glad it was a good time. We got the invite in the mail and I wanted to go but after a job scare with the wife's job couple few months ago I'm on a mission to get everything paid off but the house. I'll have that done by New Years so we'll go next year if they do it again.

[TheTravellers]

The neural cruelty of captivity: Keeping large mammals in zoos and aquariums damages their brains

[mugofbeer]

The neural cruelty of captivity: Keeping large mammals in zoos and aquariums damages their brains

While the article is, l am sure, quite accurate for animals that are in stark, confined areas without adequate stimulation, there is a huge difference in the quality of zoos around the world and a huge difference between the kind of animal. For example, an orca might be OK if it's tank was the size of the zoo lake. I don't think any Sea World tank approaches that.

You may remember the polar bear they had at the OKC zoo (when l was young) that had nothing but concrete and a small pool. Yeah, it went nuts. Responsible zoos will have animals they can properly care for and stimulate. When you have facilities like OKC that are adequatly funded, the animals are - or as is being discussed - will be cared for properly.

It's all about care and entertainment. I'm stuck in a house of limited size because of covid but I'm ok because l work, garden, build things, read, play with my dogs, have my wife and have internet. I realize others are going nuts.

The article talks about stress, mood, etc. I think wild animals have plenty of stress just surviving. The article talks about illnesses, skin conditions, etc. I think wild animals have plenty of that in the wild plus parasites, venomous things, etc.

The article also seems to justify letting species go extinct rather than subject them to inadequate lifestyles. I disagree for the sake of the world. Living in an adequate captivity beats the alternative of extinction. I just wish our zoo could be more like the San Diego zoo that's large enough for free roaming.