Roger Williams Park Zoo's Axolotl Exhibit.

[Shizeric]

My girlfriend and I took a trip down to Rhode Island a week ago to visit the Roger Williams Park Zoo. It's a very nice zoo, with a great variety of animals. I was even pleased to see they had an Axolotl exhibit! However, when I took a close look at the setup, I was pretty unhappy with what I saw. The tank was a cube, which I bet is about 25 gallons with at least 3 Axolotls inside. There were no hides, and of course a gravel substrate. The axolotls didn't look too well either, and had short gills and at least 1 appeared bloated. I didn't mention anything to the staff, because I didn't think I'd be taken seriously, or they would have ignored my comments...but I was thinking of writing an e-mail to the zoo, which may be more readily accepted. I took some pictures, so you can see what I am explaining.

 

[sek]

Please write an email. It does work. Everything makes a difference, be as honest as you can. I changed our local pet shop to the right stuff for the axies this way, now they are thriving there.

 

[ted22]

Do it! after 6months of nagging I finally managed to get my local shop to remove all the gravel from their axie tanks! I was so pleased when i went in last week to see almost perfect conditions for them, the constant nagging, phone calls, emails and random hints on paper I'd leave around the place finally paid off!

 

[Shizeric]

random hints on paper

Did the hints read "Change your Axolotl's substrate OR ELSE" cut out of different letters from a magazine?

 

[zoezakella]

Heh there, same as Neo & Ted have a word with them you have nothing to lose! I recently did this at the weekend (see axolotls on gravel in the axolotl free for all) and the staff and manager were very happy to hear my words of wisdom lol. Granted not everyone is going to be happy to have someone telling them they are doing wrong but you can only try your best!!

Good luck and go helo those poor axies

 

[Velaria]

If the zoo doesn't change their substrate out of concern, then maybe they'll be willing to change their substrate if they fear having the axolotls taken away, or worse, if the zoo is shut down? If the zoo was, for instance, keeping penguins in a desert environment, I'm sure they would be shut down. It's the zoo's obligation to keep their animals in the proper environment for the animal, and I'm sure there's an applicable law that they're supposed to adhere to.

 

[jclee]

I live in Providence and have a zoo membership, and I had the same reaction to the display as you. Not good.

 

[Shizeric]

I live in Providence and have a zoo membership, and I had the same reaction to the display as you. Not good.

At least the wild dogs were cool....

 

[Jennewt]

Send them a copy of the X-ray that we have posted on this page
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Ambystoma mexicanum - Axolotl
A picture paints a thousand words! I also have another X-ray photo you could use, which shows an axolotl who swallowed two such rocks.

 

[Birthdayboy]

I worked at a zoo in Montana over the summer and if the people there are anything like the people here, they'll probably love your advise.

 

[Crysta]

I had to complain to the RSPCA to something similar, that's in my blogs, firstly the best thing to do is try to talk to the manager, then if nothing is done, or you are ignored, the information needs to be passed onto authorities, it's a good thing you have pictures, if it gets to that.