Marine Biologist Answers Hard Questions About Zoos & Aquariums
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- #aquariums #zoos #kpassionate
Why do zoos and aquariums train animals like walruses and sea otters? Are they just doing tricks for food? A marine biologist debunks common misconceptions about zoos and aquariums.
00:00 - Are Zoos Ethical?
00:40 - Are There Good Things About Zoos and Aquariums?
01:50 - Why Do Zoos and Aquariums Train Animals?
02:36 - Do Zoos and Aquariums Starve Animals?
03:38 - Training Animal Tricks?
04:40 - Do Zoos Do Research?
05:41 - Do Zoos Help Conservation?
06:16 - Do Zookeepers Bond With the Animals?
07:08 - How Do Zoos Train Dangerous Animals?
08:23 - KPassionate
I'm a marine biologist who has worked at AZA accredited zoological facilities for over a decade and have trained dozens of walruses and sea otters husbandry and research behaviors. Species like polar bears, walruses, and penguins live in extremely remote areas of the world. So AZA accredited zoos and aquariums are really the only place for people to see these species. According to Polar Bears International, “More people pass through turnstiles in U.S. zoos than all North American sporting events combined,” and “research shows that zoos and aquariums are trusted messengers on climate change and other conservation issues, reaching millions of people every year who might not otherwise hear such messages.”
That is one of my favorite parts of the job and the primary reason I’m on social media. To reach people, expose them to incredible animals like sea otters and walruses, and hopefully inspire everyone to take the actions that are necessary to save them. If people are also entertained at the same time that they’re learning about sea otters… I don’t see why that would be a bad thing. If we just dumped the food in a pile for them every day, well, that would be incredibly uninteresting for them. Training sessions are one way to deliver food while also stimulating them mentally.
Some people think that zoos won’t feed animals if they don’t do "tricks." And that’s simply not the case. Each animal has a base diet that they get everyday whether or not they participated in the training session. And the animals can choose not to participate at any time.
Another misconception is that zoos and aquariums only train animals to do tricks to entertain guests. Sure, there are some behaviors that are just for fun but most of them either for their healthcare or for research. A lot of animals need eye drops on a daily basis, just like humans. We train our animals to voluntarily participate in things like blood samples and vaccinations so they become a positive part of their day with little to no stress involved.
The same is true for the research. Every year, WAZA, CAZA, and AZA accredited zoos and aquariums carry out thousands of research and conservation projects, half of which are field projects in over 80 countries. WAZA accredited facilities spend nearly 350 million US dollars every year on conservation and research, making zoos and aquariums the third largest contributor to conservation in the world.
Cited Sources
[1] polarbearsinternational.org/n...
[2] polarbearsinternational.org/w...
[3] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
[4] wildwelfare.org/the-conservat...
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I went behind the scenes at the Oregon Coast Aquarium → ua-cam.com/video/Eo-VwnlVHGk/v-deo.html
I understand and appreciate people who are concerned about animals and that they be treated properly and well, but everything I've seen of your videos tells me that you and many (though maybe not all) conservation and welfare organizations are trying their best to provide for, care for and study these wonderful creatures so I thank you and all that are involved with the best intentions and efforts.
Concise, informative, and entertaining. Anything that generates public interest in the conservation of animals and their habitats is a good thing.
Love what you do KP! Keep on sharing these awesome animals with us!
Just remember people....KP and her team are professionals working with the animals. DO NOT try this yourself if you see a sea otter or elephant seal or walrus.
This. ThisThisThisThisThis!
You need a million likes on this comment.
thats it i need new glasses anyway so im going to demand a glass of wine at the visit
Ygyyyy6yyyyjyyyyyyyyyyy
I love your channel because it's about educating us. And there are a lot of people who need that. Plus it helps that the animals are cute and smart too!
Keep on keeping on, we're here for the learning KP!
Animals are smarter than we give them credit for and they get bored. I'm all for giving them options to learn, play and earn extra nums.
Your videos are always entertaining and informative! Thanks for the great job KP!❤😊
We enjoy your channel very much. I'm glad people can learn what you do to help protect and preserve these animals for our future.
I loved this video! Learned so much KP. And people need to be educated on this. Also, I never thought about getting a glass of wine from my doctor, but next visit, I,m trying!!! 😂😂❤
In snack lady we trust!
You're such a great educator (and fun, funny, unique).😊 The animals are wonderful too.❤
Thank you so much!
Love living vicariously through your videos.
Such good quality in each video! Keep it up!
So how long does it take a new employee to gain trust with an animal/exibit of animals. Do they see all of you as food machines or does a new person need time before they will do the behaviors.
Wonderful video, I've always viewed animals in Zoo's as Ambassadors of their species, their are so many wonderful animals out their I wouldn't have the same interest without zoos(Red Panda's for example). I don't think some of the kneejerk no zoo activists understand the conservation angle
I think one problem people have with some zoos trying to breed and repopulate animals into their natural habitat is that a lot of programs fail to train the animals to BE animals, so when a lot of those animals get released, they don't know how to survive, so they die.
I love how extra Clara is 🤣
Excellent video 😊 Keep up the brilliant work ❤
Gawd, I'd love to get a gourmet cupcake or a loaded poutine every time I had blood work done. We should implement that! It'd get more people into the doctor's for sure!
in a world animal species are saved by "cuteness" those animal embassadors in the zoes highly benefit the public opinion and funds raised towards preserving their species
Great video, KP. You really show your skill as an educator with these thoughtful responses.
I appreciate that!
I'm hoping to be a Marine Biologist. I am currently in Highschool. I would especially love to work with otters, seals, sea lions, or whales. Do you have any advice on how to get started along the path to a career in this field, and the kinds of jobs and responsibilities that are a part of it. This is a passion of mine and I would be very interested in learning more
I made a video on it! It’s a bit dated. But here you go! How To Get a Job Working with Marine Mammals
ua-cam.com/video/mOvXeTILxqU/v-deo.html
@@KPassionate Okay, thank you
If you care about animals, work for NGOs that push to help wild animals stay in the wild, don't work for animal prisons that promote caging animals up like this person is doing in her channel.
Awesome~👍
Thank you for all the responses~🤗
I always wondered why people get angry at videos where they train walruses. Honestly, still am. It always seemed harmless to me.
Just discovered your channel, instant subscribe, love your content!
Awww thanks! Welcome in
This was cool, thanks for letting us know about what zoos do for conservation.
Thank you ever so much for caring about giving a full explanation. I have been following for a while and I am happy that you never disappoint when talking about your job/passion and allow us viewers to feel it. I hope you can keep doing lots of this wonderful work. People are just misinformed
Because I am sure that 1st of all you need to feel such love to study so much marine life and 2nd of all dedicate yourself to bring awareness without hesitation about what the misinformed think, say or do.❤
I appreciate that!
"Learn tricks for a snack" … more like "use rewards of A Treat to reinforce behaviors you want to see."
Some people just get things bass-ackwards…
Very informative video. Very admirable person
I think it's important for people to see animals in person as it may help them appreciate wildlife. I've been lucky to have lived in a coastal area US East Coast) where we saw some marine animals in the wild. One incredible experience I've had was a friend and I were surfing some early morning waves when some dolphins decided to play in the surf with us. I also got to live in SE Alaska and got to observe various sea mammals in the wild. Of course my favorite was watching orcas.
I 100% agree. Thanks for the comment! Your experiences in Alaska sound wonderful.
0:49 OK.Here's a hard question: Why hasn't anyone mentioned that sea otters have heart-shaped nostrils?
It’s been mentioned! Might have been buried in all the comments.
@@KPassionate Hahaha,thank you,KP.
I love seeing the behind the scenes in animal husbandry! Any animal taken into human care needs the best treatment to thrive :)
Great info. Great video. Love it!
OMG‼️Your videos are just another level of scientific based research factual videos packaged with information for the masses! Love your channel! I am going to binge through all 450 videos on this channel starting now.👍🏻❤️
Glad you like them!
Wonderful! ❤
Fantastic video. Here's another question: Do you ever find yourself adopting their behaviors? 😂
Wut 😂😂😂😂
Also, walruses are so dopey and sympathetic looking.
Clara: More Yums now! Now!! Feed me, human!
Human: I have a name, you know...
Clara: Dun care.
🤣❤
That’s a healthy Walrus 🫶❤️🔥
If a care taker leaves the employ of that zoo, it must be tough on their charges. 😢
They are ok. They have strong relationships with lots of people and other members of their species.
Do you ever see an animal exhibit a behavior and think "this could become a fun trick?" For example, my cat always pawed at my hand when I had treats in it, so I redirected him to paw the empty hand instead. Now he high-fives. Anything like that? Thank you for your time. 😊
This happens all the time!
I understand if they can’t be returned to the wild and we are able to give them the correct conditions and adequate space. However I don’t think they should be shipped to different continents with a different climate. That’s not fair, if humans want to study them then we should go to them and do it there even if it’s remote .
We often CAN'T go to them. For example, we know absolutely nothing about polar bears in Arctic Russia because it lacks basic infrastructure like roads and airfields. Something I talk about in the video linked below.
[1] ua-cam.com/video/K-sYKF2EwW8/v-deo.html
Zoologists at accredited zoos and aquariums go to great lengths to ensure that animal habitats mimic native habitats and promote the well-being of each animal. A study from the University of Zurich found that most mammals have a greater life expectancy in zoos and aquariums where they are safe from the threat of poaching, predation, food shortages, and habitat loss.
[2] www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161107112635.htm
If you're interested, I found this article from the Center for the Environment and Welfare particularly enlightening because it debunks a lot of misconceptions about zoos and aquariums, discusses a lot of the benefits of these facilities, and backs up all their arguments with data from published research.
[3] environmentandwelfare.com/the-benefits-of-zoos-for-conservation-and-education/
How many words do all the animals in this video understand?
Ooh, that's a good question. I often see them responding to hand signals as well.
Hi are you looking for a profetional youtube thumbnail designer?
The only backlash would come from morons who don't know what the heck they are talking about. Training animals in captivity is massive mental enrichment and makes their quality of life much higher.
Most marine animals you pose with die within 1/4 of their wild lifespan due to being depressed in captivity.
Do we think it's healthy for humans to die between 15-20 years old? or is it healthier for a human to die between 60-80?
Sea lions and sea otters are the only things you pose with that thrive in captivity. Shows what you know as a "marine biologist"
Please provide the peer reviewed sources for that claim. These animals live as long and in most cases longer than their wild counterparts.
while i do understand the need for zoos. There's a reason why you aren't a lawyer. These are probably the worst arguments. You're grasping at straws...
What about dolphins? they die within their teenage years in capitivty vs 30-40 in the ocean.
Orcas and walruses have a similar fate.
Seems like all the marine biology schools hasn't done you too good. How is dying at your teens good for you? these animals die early because of depression.
Here is a recent study on dolphin longevity in human care. Things have come a long way since the 70s! Happy reading. www.researchgate.net/publication/332785682_How_long_do_dolphins_live_Survival_rates_and_life_expectancies_for_bottlenose_dolphins_in_zoological_facilities_vs_wild_populations