TOPEKA ZOO By: The GYPSY In 1963 the Topeka Zoo was nothing more than a curiosity. A poorly maintained menagerie that was draining the city coffers and served as a sorry excuse for a tourist attraction. The Zoo was on the verge of being closed down when one of the keepers, Gary Clark, stepped forward and said; “Give me a chance to turn it around.” And turn it around he did. Over the next few years the Topeka Zoo went from being a roadside attraction to being a center of education, research and conservation. In other words the Topeka Zoo moved from the dark ages of animals for entertainment purposes to the saving of species. I grew up visiting the Zoo several times a year. I got the honor of watching it grow up and live instead of grow old and die. The Topeka Zoo instilled in me not only a lifelong love of animals but also an unwavering respect for them. As fate would have it and to my good fortune I eventually became a Zoo Keeper. I was a keeper first at the Abilene Texas Zoological Gardens then later at the El Paso Texas Zoological Park where I was a Senior Keeper. I learned a lot about animals during my time as a Zoo Keeper but one of the most important things I learned is that captive born wild animals cannot and should never be compared to free roam wild animals. The majority of animals that reside in Zoo’s today were born in captivity. The age of the great white hunter going to Africa and capturing wild animals for a Zoo’s collection is long past. One of my charges was the last wild caught Rhinoceros. The sperm of this magnificent animal was so valuable that when he died in transport just 30 miles from the San Diego Zoo they sent a team of Vets out to where the truck had stopped to harvest his testicles. Why was his sperm so valuable? Because the gene pool had become weak, he was not related genetically to any White Rhino in the U.S. His sperm saved a species from extinction. Some of his off spring have been shipped back to Africa to use in breeding programs to save the White Rhino in the wild. Without a Zoo this would not have been possible. I could go on and on and give you further examples of how Zoo’s have saved numerous species from extinction. I could tell you about the large sums of time and money that goes into Zoo educational programs. I could tell you how the modern Zoo Keeper has a degree and over half of their job is research in animal behavior. I could pull at your heart strings and tell you how the animals in the care of the keepers are not just specimens but loved and cared for friends. Do you know that captive born wild animals not only have the best of care but also the most balanced diets of any animals in the animal kingdom? They receive 24/7 vet care and never want for anything. We help them and they help us. Without the knowledge that we gain from these animals many conservation programs would not exist and the earth’s environment would be trashed and beyond repair. Let’s not even mention that Zoos, Wildlife Parks and Aquariums inspire young minds to work with and dedicate their life to animals furthering the survival of many species including our own. I believe that statements from animal rights activists that go something like; “If people want to see wild animals they can watch the NatGeo or Discovery Channels” just goes to show how misinformed and how narrow a view of the world those individuals have. It would be like saying; “Why go see the Grand Canyon when we can just look at photo’s of it?” It is not the same as being there, never has been and never will be. To truly appreciate the beauty of nature you must see it first hand not through a photograph or nature program. True, it would be wonderful if all of us could go on Safari and see a pride of Lions in their natural environment but for most of us that is just not possible so we turn to the Zoo for that opportunity to experience the wild neighbors we share this planet with. I have spent numerous hours out in the desert harvesting rock, dirt and plants to create as natural an environment for my captive born wild friends as I can. The landscaping was not ever meant to be set for the aesthetics of the public it was all about the comfort of the animals and their health and welfare. This is the modern Zoo. The age of concrete and bars is gone. All Zoo’s, Topeka included design their exhibits for the benefit of the animal not the public. Try to remember, the next time that you hear some well meaning animal activist holler for all captive animals to be set free that to do so would be a death sentence for those animals. Remind that person that without those captive born species and the knowledge they have imparted to us that we would not be here; they are that critical and important to not only man kinds survival but the survival of all animals worldwide.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:03:33 +0000
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