animals are important
August 29th, 2009 pianist Posted in General, asia, curios, oddity, zoo |
chicken trap, 2009, ICZ
I am not saying animal traps and animal experiments in the name of science are a cruel representation of our relationship with nature. In fact, I find these traps and experiments a necessary process and development between our relationship with animals and nature. This may sound ironic but we live in ironic times. I am not an activist and I approach my observations through art.
My friend who worked for one of those ’society of prevention of cruelty to animals’ once told me that he felt the society’s agenda had an objective play on subjectivity and their political agenda was problematic. My friend later moved to Africa and opened up a wildlife hunting ranch. His ranch, along with other hunting ranches, now supports some of the biggest wildlife conservation projects in Africa.
Zoos are important to us today. Zoos must be important because without Zebras in Zoos, my niece might never comprehend the true meaning of the alphabet ‘Z’. She could not remember what Z was for until I brought her to the Singapore Zoo. Now, to her, Z is both for Zoos and Zebras. The idea is not so much that animals are living in un-natural spaces and that they are suffering but rather it has become of one the last ‘refuge’ which animals can still survive alongside humans.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I’m glad you see the value of zoos for animals like zebras. In fact, there are animals — such as the American bison (or buffalo) that would no longer exist, if not for zoos. Some radicals like to say that zoos are “animal prisons”. In fact, they are animal resorts, where their wonderful creatures are well cared for.
Allen Nyhuis, Coauthor: America’s Best Zoos
November 25th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
The idea of the “ZOO”is to provide animals with a place to be displayed, care for and used as an educational medium for “the gaze of man”. That is the only way to protect the animals from extinction? The animal kingdom had not avert the progress of man’s capital market agenda. Gosh, is it not the end of the animal kingdom is it not?