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We believe that zoos should not be a part of our future. Thousands of animals are kept in captivity in zoos, aquariums, mobile zoos and other entertainment industries with animals spending their days in tanks and cages. Very few animals have their true story told and we are here to talk about the animals that have been forgotten. Zoos that exploit animals can never be ethical. No expensive or well designed enclosure can amount to that of their natural habitat. Although many people choose not to believe it, there is a considerable amount of suffering that occurs in zoos, whether that be physically or mentally. Studies show that over 75% of elephants in captivity where overweight with 16% of them being able to walk normally. If these animals where in the wild, they would be able to walk for miles in different terrains, which would prevent their foot problems which cause them to suffer. As well as this, studies also show that Lions in captivity spend 48% of their time pacing, a recognised sign of mental suffering.

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Self mutilation in various different zoos. How is this good for the animals?

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Self mutilation in various different zoos. How is this good for the animals?

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rv_igJGtAlM

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Being ex-members of the primate section, can you tell us how the primates were kept?

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Could you tell us how many animals you have helped during your time on the conservation team?

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BBC horizon documetnary in response to the controversy of south lakes safari parkTHE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.....

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BBC horizon documetnary in response to the controversy of south lakes safari parkTHE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.....

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Should we close our zoos?, Should We Close Our Zoos?, 2016, Horizon - BBC Two

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Do zoos have some hard questions to answer?

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Whilst this information is great could you please provide us with some information on the statistics on how many animals you’ve impacted so far?

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The Scottish wildcat is close to extinct in the wild, with "fewer than 100 left in the wild" they are one of the most endangered cats in the wild. They are protected by the UK law, but there is still the issue of cross-breeding with feral and domesticated cats
https://www.actforwildlife.org.uk/what-we-fight-for/animals-under-threat/scottish-wildcats/

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Could you provide us with some evidence to prove that your projects have been increasing wild populations and not just monitoring them and coming up with plans that may or may not be acted upon?
As a zoo who houses multiple species of animals why is it if your conservation focus is on the animal in the wild you continue to expand and house more animals, since this isn't the wild environment that you've told us your helping conservation in?

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How has your group impacted these results though?

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Our zoos and aquariums deliver formal education sessions on site for over 1,300,000 million children and students whilst inspiring people to get involved with conservation. As BIAZA we currently assist more than 800 conservation projects out in the field and contribute in excess of 10 million each year.

https://biaza.org.uk/our-association

http://www.zoofederation.org.uk/conservation-charities.html

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What we have achieved throughout the last 12 months!

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What we have achieved throughout the last 12 months!

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We’ve seen that Chester Zoo partake in conservation projects but can you say that all zoos do the same and if not how come?

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You say that you provide this assistance to charities but can you give us some proof of charities that have benefited from your organisation?

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If conservation is a con, how do you explain the increase in numbers of wild and endangered animals?

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South Lakes Zoo Animal Welfare Statement as of 2017 outlines how a change was needed after 2016 seeing as the statement was edited for this new 2017 model

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Can you provide me with some evidence that your zoo is working on this project along with its specific goal and its current progress? If not I find it hard to see how this has any positive impact or representation for your zoo.

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Chimpanzees in the wild live in jungles and forrests therefore they have vast areas to travel to allow them to interact and hunt. Can we really give them the space they need in captivity?
In  the article 'Sad Eyes and Empty Lives' it says "they exchange the infinite possibilities of the forrest for little more than playground climbing frames" which suggests that the chimps have been forced into a smaller space with alot of other chimps not allowed to hunt which may cause them stress.

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Chimps

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Blackpool Zoo has recently been involved with and headed a project to help secure a future for Asian elephants in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, the elephants future is an uncertain one with there numbers being more than halved in the past two centuries. There are now thought to be less than 5,000 remaining in the country. At Blackpool Zoo, thanks to public donations, they have been able to collect and raise over £35,000 for the project.

Many of the majour threats to elephants unfortunately come from humans. With a rapidly expanding human population and increasing demand for land, forest habitats are diminishing. This causes elephants to move into cultivated areas which can and often does cause conflict between elephants and humans. The project is fully aware of these life threatening conflicts and are taking steps to change attitudes and resolve conflict through education of the locals.

During visits, volunteers worked alongside BECT (Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust) to help with the rehabilitation of elephant calves that were orphaned and left unprotected. These calves would then go on to be released back in the wild where they came from. This is all down to the project Blackpool zoo has started. This is why zoo's can help wild and captive animals. They can be a really good thing for animals. -Abbie

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WHAT IS BASE CAMP?

Base Camp is the name we've given to our new Elephant House.

Base Camp is at the heart of every aspect of Project Elephant. It is here where our visitors will experience a sense of adventure and discovery as they are taken on a journey through Asia that will lead them to the beginning of something much bigger.

It is from Base Camp that visitors will learn and be inspired and it is from Base Camp that we will provide world class care for our herd, carry out vital research and continue to advance and develop the work of Project Elephant.
Buy tickets online and experience Project Elephant for yourself!

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Project Elephant | Blackpool Zoo - For a future where elephants thrive - in our care, in others' care and in the wild.

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Base Camp is the name we've given to our new Elephant House. Base Camp is at the heart of every aspect of Project Elephant. It is here where our visitors will experience a sense of adventure and discovery as they are taken on a journey through Asia that will lead them to the beginning of something much bigger.

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To answer your above question. I've stated above how Blackpool are heavily involved in conservation and all other zoos under BIAZA have to be involved with conservation and education. -Abbie.

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Our zoos and aquariums have become part of this global movement and are fast becoming a powerful force for conservation.

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https://youtu.be/T0T-mK_bQZo

At Chester zoo, the conservation team has bred one of the rarest amphibians to save them from going extinct.
(Check the video description for more information)

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Blackpool zoo are trying to boost numbers and find possible reason why breeding isnt successful in our zoo. The mixed species bird  enclosure for example. Breeding is one of the main aims in zoos. Breeding is important to keep high populations even if they are never realised it keeps them safe and let's people get to see these amazing animals 

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Blackpool zoo are trying to boost numbers and find possible reason why breeding isnt successful in our zoo. The mixed species bird  enclosure for example. Breeding is one of the main aims in zoos. Breeding is important to keep high populations even if they are never realised it keeps them safe and let's people get to see these amazing animals 

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Read below for more
scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=positives+of+zoos&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart#d=gs_qabs&p=&u=%23p%3DxI1Y_eeyV-wJ

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Investigating zoos and performing all of this work seems to be great but how does This benefit the wild population of the animals or are you just targeting zoos without providing any benefit to the animals?

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"Zoos claim that they protect species from extinction. However, most animals in zoos are not members of endangered species. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE (which is dedicated to original research from all disciplines within science) found that only 18 percent of land animals in zoo collections are threatened or endangered. Of the nearly 4,000 species in captivity, only 691 have this status."

"Most animals confined in zoos are not endangered, nor are they being prepared for release into natural habitats. In fact, it is nearly impossible to release captive-bred animals, including threatened species like elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and chimpanzees into the wild."
https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/dont-zoos-help-to-preserve-endangered-species/

https://www.peta.org/features/zoo-conservation-captive-breeding/

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A current project we're working on is putting a stop to illegal wildlife trade.

"We’ve teamed up with Taronga Zoo and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, to raise awareness of this disturbing issue and just what devastating impacts illegal wildlife trade is having on our precious animals and plants around the world.

By working in collaboration with other leading organisations, we are highlighting just how big the problem is and how important it is that we work together to help find a solution."

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What stuff does your zoo do that has a positive impact on the human visitors

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What you have stated here is a very important and serious issue that we at Blackpool Zoo agree is a major problem. What I would like to ask is do you have any evidence of this so we can all see fir ourselves and learn further just how devestating it is. Thank you.
-Abbie

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Hello. We at Blackpool Zoo are curious and would like to know. Could you give us a few examples with evidence of the conservation projects you are involved in? Maybe a couple examples of marine life for your aquariums and a couple examples for your zoo animals? Thank you.
-Abbie

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Freedom for Animalsinfiltrated a training session held at Blackpool Zoo in 1998 and filmed elephants being trained to lift their feet and head, hold sticks in their mouths and jabbed with elephant hooks in the shoulder and head. Blackpool Zoo proudly publicised its training of a baby sea lion for shows in mid 2013. This is in spite of the fact that the UK Government has agreed to ban similar shows in circuses on the basis that: “we should feel duty-bound to recognise that wild animals have intrinsic value, and respect their inherent wildness and its implications for their treatment”. https://www.freedomforanimals.org.uk/Blog/10-facts-about-zoos

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Chester Zoo – Chester, United Kingdom

Tripadvisor review says: “The healthiest animals in the cleanest facility I’ve ever seen. The habitat is as close to natural as possible. An amazing facility”

We say: During a recent trip to Chester Zoo, welfare concerns were raised over an elephant who was showing serious signs of mental distress. The unnatural and disturbing behaviours demonstrated by the elephant were dismissed as a “bad habit” “like biting your nails” by the zoo. This is one of the main reasons that zoos should not exist in our future. How is this showing good animal welfare standards. Especially in such a well known zoo around Europe. https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=30rX5Ae0Ir8&ved=0ahUKEwjmpajuv5XbAhUKB8AKHe7bDCgQo7QBCB0wAA&usg=AOvVaw1_75Qv5PmqwRQMcuT5a_ac

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What is your opinion on how Jane Goodall, one of the most famous and celebrated primatologists in the world, said that if the chimps could choose they would happily stay in captivity where it is safe compared to the wild where their habitat is being destroyed?

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8-HpJdqiZfU

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Jane Goodall

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Zoos only care about the animals paying visitors want to see

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Zoos only care about the animals paying visitors want to see

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https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/who-you-calling-ugly-zoos-prefer-cute-animals-to-less-attractive-species-research-shows-8640803.html%3famp

Zoos favour larger, more intelligent, and more attractive animals over less interesting animals as they bring in the most visitors, and in turn the most money to the zoo. Most zoos are home to big cats, elephants, giraffes, and red pandas, which are seen as some of the most iconic zoo animals. The endangered marsupial mole, rated among the least attractive animals, is not found in any zoo in the world, which has led researchers to warn that 'the focus on attractive species that appeal to paying visitors could have detrimental effects on conservation'.

Many smaller, less attractive species that are vital for biodiversity preservation are becoming threatened, and without conservation efforts being made to save them, they could become extinct

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Its clear that on your website you talk alot about out of zoo conservation; is it fair to say that there should be more focus on the zoo itself and the animals within it seeing as this is just one of the barrage of negative comments/reviews  over many websites about the experince at your zoo?

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As BIAZA we are very much in favour of zoos and the benefits they have on both the education of people and the protection of animals. Do you not believe that there is a potential future for primates in zoos given how far zoos have come in recent years? https://www.theodysseyonline.com/progression-of-zoos

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Being an ex zoo keeper at south lake zoo and being involved in "486 deaths" of animals accommodated in the zoo. I believe zoos should be improved for example, they should be extended to resolve fatal problems such as the death of the rhino after being "crushed by its partner". These rhinos needed a bigger enclosure which could be achieved by locating them into nature reserves.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/28/calls-for-cumbrian-zoo-to-be-shut-after-nearly-500-animals-die-in-four-years

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I agree, there is a number of problems arising with large animals in captivity. "Lions have around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would have in the wild". This causes physical and psychological issues for the animals.

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Currently both me and Chloe are tied between both pro zoo and a pro wild stance as the information given has led us to believe that whilst the wild is the optimal condition zoos work really well for smaller animals and we see that safaris work better for the larger animals.

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Shouldn’t all zoos in the UK be under BIAZA? This would ensure every zoo in the UK would have to follow the correct animal welfare.

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Do you think, given the high levels of intelligence shown by many primates, that it is fair to keep them in what is little more than a playground in a prison? Could the chimps be capable of understanding that they are being denied their natural right to freedom and to live the most natural life possible?

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/how-monkeys-really-feel-about-living-in-captivity/

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"I understand the posts you have given us along with the "evidence" but what I would like to ask you is if you could get this again in a non biased format? That way we can see the argument from both sides instead of listening to a very upsetting, emotional, story. I would implore you to come back with a post like the one I described instead of using a post from one side of the animals in zoos argument?"- Abbie
when you stated this I would like to remind you that directly after making this remark you stated your personal opinion without facts to back it up. Not only this but can you please remind yourself that we the reporters are the ones who are separating the emotion from fact and to ask for the supporting evidence making sure no one starts a bias discussion.

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So far we are against zoos but for safari parks. This is because safari parks are much better made for the animals as their enclosures are bigger and that the animals show less stereotypical behaviours.

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Have you heard of the process called pinioning? http://www.zoocheck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Mutilated-CAPS-2013.pdf
What do you think of this process? And does this happen at Blackpool zoo?

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I am in more favour of wildlife reserves than zoos. In zoos, free animals are confined in cages and the animal loses it’s natural instincts of hunting.

However, I believe the advantages of zoos and wildlife reserves are :

-protection of species from hunting and poaching by humans.

-wildlife reserves are helping to maintain population numbers and are the only chance of stopping extinction in some species.

-they offer homes for animals which are suffering due to habitat loss due to deforestation and global warming.

-provides humans with a chance to get close with the animals so that they can be educated about the species.  Which may help humans understand and eventually help to protect these animals.

-animal research occur which helps improve the knowledge of each species

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Bad review on the zoos.