REXANO What is wild and free

WHAT IS WILD AND FREE?

By Karl Mogensen, Natural Bridge Zoo, March/April 2008

To the suburban, couch-potato, wanna-be animal authority, we who exhibit, propagate and keep animals or birds in captivity are nothing more then glorified jailers. Influenced by PETA, HSUS and other self-serving money grabbing animal rights organizations, many feel that all captive animals long for the wilds in which their ancestors originated. What they fail to realize is that with few exceptions, in this day and age, all of these animals have been born in captivity and are acclimated to a semi-domesticated life style.

We have modified the feeding habits, spatial requirements and temperament of most of our long-term zoo or game farm inhabitants. We carefully select for propagation purposes for those that exhibit the gentlest dispositions and adaptability to a semi-domestic life style. Animals that have been born and reared in a zoological atmosphere would find it difficult if not impossible to adjust to a release program without a long and tedious training period. This can be documented by zoological publications, which describe the extensive training and acclimation time that must be taken to reintroduce certain selected species to their former habitats. Most captive raised animals wouldn't recognize their normal food items in a native habitat nor have the ability to procure it.

The unacquainted, but well meaning, city dweller has this child-like vision of the carefree animal romping through the beautiful Disney-like forest atmosphere, enjoying the company of other inhabitants and wandering freely throughout its natural habitat. They have no concept of the daily struggle that most species must endure to maintain their territories, seek out food items without becoming one, and in general maintaining a state of high alertness at all times.

I had a rather interesting session several years ago when a well meaning but severely anthropomorphic college age girl was visiting our zoological park with her patronizing parents. It was in the evening approaching closing time, when I was, unfortunately trapped by this young lady as I was doing my routine leisurely walk around the zoo. She was standing in front of one of our big cat exhibits, mourning over the plight of one of our two-year-old Bengal tiger cubs that was playfully jumping around its spacious enclosure, eagerly awaiting my arrival and anticipating a special treat. Totally ignoring the superb condition of the tiger cub and indifferent to the pool, huge boulders and logs which the young cat was enjoying at the time, she proceeded to lecture me on the deplorable existence of this unfortunate creature. Her parents stood back enjoying their daughter's newfound animal rights, zoological expert attitude. I sat down with this well meaning, but totally uninformed family and told them some of the details of tiger existence under natural conditions.

This two year old tiger, I explained, would just be leaving or have recently left it's mothers territory. He would be attempting to perfect his hunting skills, scavenging and desperately trying to avoid all other adult tigers, especially territorial males. It certainly wouldn't be as heavy, well fed and relaxed as the captive specimen playing in front of her. Our wild cub would be subject to both internal and external parasites, hunting pressures from poachers, aggressive if not fatal encounters with other tigers and desperately seeking an uninhabited territory. Due to the ever-increasing human population and decreasing habitat for large predators, it is very unlikely that our young tiger would survive his first year on his own. He would have a very slight chance of finding a suitable unoccupied territory and while striving to secure prey and living a nomadic existence, he would possibly kill a domestic goat or cow and be shot.

I asked the young lady if she missed Australia or Indonesia. She asked how could she miss them if she had never been there? I told her that it was the same with the tiger cub in the enclosure in front of us. He had been born in captivity and never having experienced life in the wild, certainly didn't miss it. Having been bottle raised and totally acclimated to humans, his spacious enclosure was his territory. All of his nutritional and health requirements were more then adequately provided for. He had his own territory and was enjoying superb health. I explained that this tiger would probably live to its late teens and possibly into the twenties. If and when it developed age related health problems and was unable to function properly, a veterinarian would mercifully euthanize it. I stated that no animal ever dies a peaceful death under natural conditions. The final demise of all-wild birds or animals is from starvation, injuries, predation, poaching, parasites and disease. The young lady and her parents listened to me and afterwards stated they had never thought about the things that I had mentioned. When they left, I felt that they had a different attitude about captivity and how responsible zookeepers care for and nurture their birds and animals. Hopefully they will retain some of the information provided and possibly pass it on to others.

Suitable territories for many species, especially large predators, are severely limited by the expanding human population. If and when large animals have a conflict with humans, the animal is ultimately the loser, A very low percentage of animals and birds born or hatched in the wild, make it through their first year. Nature creates in abundance, but also culls severely. Our captive raised animals, while not living in their natural habitats, enjoy an easier and less stressful existence then their counterparts living in the wild. Many humans live in suburban or townhouse environments with little or severely limited backyards. Would they be happier as hunter-gatherers in a primitive tribal group with no territorial restrictions and subject to all the life limiting conditions, which these people must endure? We humans are constantly confiscating the wilderness areas of the world with our logging, farming and population growth while complaining that all animals should be wild and unrestrained. Are we willing to compromise our constant degrading of wilderness areas to allow more habitat for wildlife? We all enjoy watching the nature shows and seeing the wild creatures in their native habitats, but we just don't want those same animals anywhere near our homes. We build our homes in newly cleared land areas and then complain that it is infested with reptiles or animals. We totally disregard the fact that these reptiles or animals had been living there for generations and have been displaced by our clearing and invasion of their personal territories. We quickly demand that nuisance trappers remove these offending creatures from our newly built home sites and landscaped yards. How dare these alligators in Florida, these Gila lizards and rattlesnakes in the Southwest and the black bears and cougars in the Northwest remain on their own territory after we have physically invaded it with our financial land purchase.

Those among us who truly enjoy and appreciate our captive animals would love nothing better then to realize that there is a place for them in the wild and will always be. For many animals time is running out. We are destroying out closest relatives, the great apes, at an alarming rate. Threatened bears and large cats are being poached in the misguided belief that their body parts yield aphrodisiac powers. Japan is killing whales under the guile of scientific study. I feel that captive husbandry and reproduction of wild animals, if done by responsible and knowledgeable individuals is beneficial, not only for the animals involved, but for humans as well. Many children would never get to see the actual animal or bird if it were not in captivity. While television programs are educational, there is nothing like standing next to a live giraffe, looking into the eyes of a tiger, riding an elephant and bottle feeding a baby camel to really acquaint children with our natural world. We have a program at our zoological park where select children spend time actually living at the zoo and participating in the daily care of our birds and animals. These young people develop an understanding of wildlife and of the time and care that goes into the captive husbandry of a large and varied collection. Only through education and hands on experiences can we hopefully prepare our next generation of young people to appreciate both the wild animals and the properly managed captive specimens that are entrusted to our care.

Article originally published at FCF, Feline Conservation Federation March/April 2008, Volume 52, Issue 2

Karl Mogensen is the founder and owner of Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia. He is also FCF Accreditation Committee Board Member.
Karl attended Cornel University for two years, majoring in Poultry Science. He left school to marry and raise a family. Karl was employed as a New York state police officer from 1962 to 1968. During this time he also operated his Adirondack Animal Farm.
Breeding exotics and dealing in zoological animals then became his full time profession. Karl moved his family to Virginia, bought 25 acres and built a zoo from the ground up. The Natural Bridge Zoo opened in 1972. Karl's zoo exhibits cougar, African lion, Siberian and Bengal tiger, serval and caracal, as well as giraffe, zebra, camels, many species of antelope, and seven kinds of cranes. His zoo employs 10 people and is open 8 months a year with about 90,000 visitors.
Karl is experienced with designing and building enclosures for the large and small cats, and has visited many zoological parks and animal facilities throughout the country.

Copyright © Karl Mogensen, FCF & REXANO