Typically Zoos do not accept animals from the public because they have a limited amount of space to keep and hold animals and many hobbyists seem to view the Zoo as a place to dump unwanted pets. Typically we get calls almost every day for animals that people have gotten tired of taking care of or have a surplus they cannot do anything with. This has included animals ranging from newts and fire belly toads, to love birds, cockatiels, various snakes, lizards, turtles, sugar gliders, hamsters, etc ( and even big cats). People have even gone so far as to throw thier pets over the fence or into a exhibit and leave thier pet at the Zoo.
One of the points that seems to be often missed when people start bashing zoos is that the animals need to be set up in a manner that the public can locate the animal in a couple of minutes as the average visitor does not spend more than about 45 seconds at an one exhibit (averaged time). If the animal is not in plain view then the people spend less time at the exhibit. The problem with this is that it is already difficult to get support for conservation and protection programs for various species and if the person cannot see the animal then the support is even less.
Now this means that Zoos often do not keep an animal in the same way a person does at home but this does not necessarily mean that the husbandry is improper, it is different. How many people keep thier animals the same way the Indiana Axolotl Colony keeps thier axolotls? You cannot deny that the colony has been hugely successful but they do not keep them the same way the average hobbysist does because it isn't practical and would make meeting thier mission impossible. The same can often be said for a Zoo.
As a further point of comparision (I am speaking about AZA Zoos in general), how many hobbyists get routine medical care for thier axolotls including examinations and fecal checks? At many Zoos that I am aware of, the animals get at least a fecal exam twice a year and often at least a quick physical exam once a year.
If people want to discuss the differences between Zoos and the hobby we should take this off list and not hijack the thread any further so please feel free to e-mail me. I will be out most of the afternoon so any responses will probably be tomorrow.
Ed
