Galapagos torts for zoos

Do you think zoos should have Galapagos torts?

  • Yes

    Votes: 20 95.2%
  • No

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
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tortoises101

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I support the idea. Though I'm against removing animals from the wild (yes I'm a hypocrite) I do think that zoos will help bring attention to conserving the Galapagos archipelago. I do understand the tourism problem, but in the long run, bringing attention to conservation is the better draw IMO.
 

ascott

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I am going yo get crap for this statement....but I am a big girl :D

I do not support the ripping of any tortoise or turtle from the wild for any reason. I believe that they should be left in their natural environment and that as society infringes on every part of the world large areas should be deemed protected from human consumption to allow the turtle and tortoise to be left to be.

I do know that turtle and tortoise will find themselves in harms way and be injured ...these tortoise and turtle should, in my opinion, be helped and rehabilitated and returned to their place on this beautiful earth....and the less fortunate ones that can not be returned to a successful chance in the wild then those should be the ones we should take huge measures to set up in zoos and learning environments...I believe that they can represent the species just fine damaged or not....now, some may think this is a silly belief, and that is fine....but I do believe there is not always enough accountability for us humans to destroy whole populations if species because we can....

Zoos set up correctly can do a just job of care....but should not be allowed to go into the wild and shop for what they want without regard for the bigger picture...just simply using hands on education in a captive environment to say they are learning the way of a species....how can you truly do that in captivity? Truly. :D
 

Laura

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Did I miss a post? is there a zoo that is going to go get wild torts and put them in captivity?
I think housing any animal in a zoo and be done well and be a great tool to educate the public, in turn, helping those survive and be preserved in the wild.
If it cant be done well or right,, then that facility should not house them.
 

dmmj

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I am afraid I don't quite understand the question.
 

Yvonne G

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Zoos belonging to the AZA MUST get their animals from certified or qualified places. They are not allowed to take them from the wild. Where that notion came from, I don't know.

Most zoos have breeding programs in place for their animal, including the tortoises. They have all the specifics noted and have DNA and family lines all mapped out. They are very careful with their breeding programs. I like the idea of zoos having the Galops.
 

Wicked Demon

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Any animal that is in any kind of peril needs the greatest chance of recovery possible, and if we cannot provide this in the wild we need to attempt to do so in captivity.
Every species currently in captivity originated from at least one wild specimen, and in most cases many thousands.
We need to manage the numbers, taking only weak, injured, or hatchling from the wild, leaving healthy, mature adults with the best chance of reproducing in the wild.
Like our reefs many of these animals will only ever be viewable in captivity, and with no public awareness there will be no support for conservation attempts.
If climate change continues, and people continue to poo in their nest, these animals will only have a home with us, no wild homes will be left, much like the domesticated dog.
 

wellington

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Ditto to all of the above. No one should take from the wild and yes I support zoos, as long as they are doing the right things by every animal and that they are there for education. I never by a wild caught and no one or zoo should either.
Just my two cents.:D
 

EricIvins

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Why post a question with no context? That makes a discussion possible right? Or am I missing something?
 

tortoises101

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Sorry for the lack of context, I'm basically asking if you think zoos should have Galapagos tortoises or if they should be left in the wild (for whatever reason you think). I would like to understand the conservation of the Galapagos Islands on several different angles, and giant tortoises are also one of the Galapagos symbols, so I decided to survey TFO members on their opinions.
 

zesty_17

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Yes. Information/education is the way to save turtles. Zoos can provide this on a broad scale. I am a zoo keeper. I educate about turtles in every circle that i reside in, am giving a presentation tomorrow on Florida turtles...not because i just love turtles, because i do. But because turtle existence on this planet is in a very dark place.

Just attended a wonderful presentation by Peter Prichard, (the guy who found Lonesome George-and brought him to a captive setup to save the species), and if it means saving a species from extinction we have an obligation to do anything necessary to save the tortoises. Unfortunately, there are poachers and locals in EVERY country containing turtles, and they-humans- deprive turtles any claim to a natural and wild life. The rate at which many of these turtles would decline without human interference would seal their extinction for sure. This is the state of turtles today. 54%. 54% of all 320 species are threatened with extinction in our lifetime. In a perfect world, they should be free, liberated from interference, but then again, in a perfect world-shouldn't humans be free too?
 

Jacqui

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I think way too many zoos have these magnificent creatures, but have very inadequate housing, space, and diets for them.
 

zesty_17

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Jacqui said:
I think way too many zoos have these magnificent creatures, but have very inadequate housing, space, and diets for them.

i agree. Although, there is a push going around between the older and newer keepers to correct this & revamp tortoise enclosures, diets, husbandry, propagation, health assessments etc... unfortunately, until these recommendations are implemented and the culture of reptiles as a luxury animal in zoos versus a legitimate and respectable species is internalized in the people of power in zoos, the general pop will not be able to know or see this effort.
 

EricIvins

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There are plenty of Galops left in the Wild........Some were just released that were produced through a Galop management program........Any Galop brought into captivity in the recent ( and not so recent ) past are always tracked and managed, so I don't see why this would be an issue?

Many people and Institutions and the Ecuadorian Government are involved, and they have things under control.......Strict control.......

Just research how many Fishing vessels the Gov't have sunk for Fishing in the Marine Sanctuary.........Things like that aren't taken too lightly over there........One in the head, two in the chest is the policy for People not authorized to be on any of the Islands.......
 

zesty_17

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EricIvins said:
There are plenty of Galops left in the Wild........Some were just released that were produced through a Galop management program........Any Galop brought into captivity in the recent ( and not so recent ) past are always tracked and managed, so I don't see why this would be an issue?

Many people and Institutions and the Ecuadorian Government are involved, and they have things under control.......Strict control.......

Just research how many Fishing vessels the Gov't have sunk for Fishing in the Marine Sanctuary.........Things like that aren't taken too lightly over there........One in the head, two in the chest is the policy for People not authorized to be on any of the Islands.......

although at the research stations and in the more populated areas/tourist areas there is considerable government enforcement; there is unfortunately, still a significant number of poachers on some of the lesser galap islands, and local fisherman who stop there to rest, etc eat any turtles they find leaving the shells right on the beach, because there is not as much enforcement in those areas. i wish i had a copy of the information in Prichard's presentation to post, i will look for my notes & try to add them here...along withe the other turtle presentations from a couple weeks ago.
 

Madkins007

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You should read either of the very good books about Lonesome George for a pretty well-rounded discussion of this issue as it applies to George, galops in general, and indeed- the role of man in conservation. It is really a pretty complicated issue.

- Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the World's Most Famous Tortoise (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0330450115/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 )

- The Last Tortoise: A Tale of Extinction in Our Lifetime (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0674049926/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 )- which I have not read and listed only for its reputation.
 

ascott

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If we humans would learn to use less....demand less....and stop thinking our thumbs entitle us to rule and destroy at our will and whim there would be alot less consumption of the entire planet....we have a bad trait of thinking a beautiful place inhabited by plants and animals means we are entitled to destroy the natural beauty by clearing and leveling and building our own world in place of and with out regard to every other living creature.....when we do this we are simply lessening the value of all living creatures including ourselves .....

Every tortoise in captivity was at one time or another derived from a wild tortoise that was collected and bred.....the problem is that we think this is awesome because we have loads of tortoise species at our disposal...without little equal regard to the wild that no longer could roam.....

the statement that without human intervention the tortoise would not have a chance...while there is truth to that statement...the flip side is that without the human destruction the need may not be there for an intervention....

I believe as I previously posted, tortoise and turtles (as well as all other animals) should only be housed in a zoo setting in the event the animal is not able to survive in the wild......preservation, conservation and self control in our species is the only way any of us has a chance.....
 

zesty_17

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Madkins007 said:
You should read either of the very good books about Lonesome George for a pretty well-rounded discussion of this issue as it applies to George, galops in general, and indeed- the role of man in conservation. It is really a pretty complicated issue.

- Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the World's Most Famous Tortoise (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0330450115/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 )

- The Last Tortoise: A Tale of Extinction in Our Lifetime (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0674049926/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 )- which I have not read and listed only for its reputation.

the last tortoise is an awesome book! a friend gave it to me last year not really knowing what it was about, & i was so happy.
 

dav3

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well better in a zoo than getting stolen and sold for profit, so yeah...... imma going to say zoo if u havnt figured it out by now
 

Tom

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I've got no problem with taking limited numbers of species that are not endangered or threatened from the wild and bringing them into proper captive environments for our enjoyment and/or breeding, even for profit. If anyone is against this, then they should have no captive animals in their care. To do otherwise would be as hypocritical as Diane Feinstein trying to ban civilian gun ownership while she carries her own pistol with a concealed carry permit. If you love having animals for pets, any animals, then YOU are personally responsible for wild animals being "ripped" from the wild. Even if they are 10th generation captive bred, you are still rewarding the chain of people who originally removed them from the wild. Personally, I don't have a problem with responsible, careful collection of wild animals to be sold for people to enjoy as pets. I DO have a BIG problem with people buying them and either neglecting them or not trying very hard to learn to care for them properly.

As someone who holds a degree in wildlife education, I also completely support the idea of conservation through education. People save what they love. People love what they see, touch and know. There is a huge difference between seeing a Galop in its natural habitat on TV, and standing in front of a 500 pound giant tortoise and taking in its majesty and grandeur with your own eyes. I'm not sure where my love of turtles and tortoises began, but my first memories of them are seeing, feeding and riding the Galops at the San Diego Zoo in the mid 70's. Just a couple of years after that, I finally convinced mom to buy me my first box turtle at age 7 in 1979. Had I not experienced those magnificent tortoises IN PERSON, at that tender young impressionable age, I most likely would not be here on this forum right now. I could show my daughter pictures of endangered sulcata tortoises in the wild (don't laugh, Yes they are endangered in the wild), but that would not make her CARE about them as much as this...
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Terry Allan Hall

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Always figured that zoo galops these days were cb/b.

Absolutely agree that letting people get to know galops (and other species) up close and personal, rather than on TV, goes a long way towards helping people learn to appreciate 'em...and, that (to quote Martha Stewart) is a good thing!
 
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