Well, I was very ready to kiss this forum good-bye (and in many ways, still am). A few folks have offered some words of encouragement and reminded me that I do this for the animals, and by “giving up†and walking away, I am doing the animals a disservice. This is certainly not what I want, no matter how frustrated I get at humanity and how often I feel like I am wasting my time. A large part of my goal as a reptile hobbyist is the dissemination of accurate information, and education. This goes from helping a beginner set-up a habitat for their first reptile to discussing advanced topics such as breeding or the ethics of hybridization or whatever. Additionally, as my username implies, I am always learning, and I certainly do not consider myself to be an “advanced†expert tortoise keeper by any means. There’s a handful of individuals I often glean very useful information from, and I lurk in more threads than one may think.
Apparently, there are some people (a discouraging number, actually) around these parts who have trouble understanding the differences between animal welfare and animal rights, being an animal “hobbyist†versus merely a “pet owner, some issues with conservation and what these matters mean to you, Joe Tortoise Nut. I intend to cover all these topics in some degree because they really do all relate to each other in some way.
Instead of simply making a single gigantic post, I will start out by making a handful of separate posts covering each individual topic. When I am through, I will clearly state as such. I would like to ask everyone to refrain from responding until I get to that point. Thank you for understanding.
First of all, before I get into the rest of it, let me point out something that I think a lot us forget. If you are reading this, you are human. You are of the species, Homo sapiens, the dominant sentient life form on the planet. We run the place; we’re not doing the greatest job of it, but that’s a different topic altogether. Until they start passing laws restricting procreation, we will continue to expand. This means we will continue to bulldoze and pave over natural habitats and ecosystems to make room for our subdivisions, skyscrapers, shopping malls, etc. This will never stop, and as a human, you are part of the merry-go-around. You get off when you take the final dirt nap. Until they find a way to live on other planets, this is the only one we got.
I say all that to say this: whether you choose to own animals of any kind for any reason, or not, it does not matter much regarding conservation. Since this is a tortoise forum, I’ll try to keep examples to turtles and tortoises. So if you decide never to own turtles or tortoises of a certain species, you’re not making a big contribution to the conservation of that species. Habitat will still be destroyed sooner or later, the pet trade will still prevail, etc…these are all humongous machines that will never be defeated. True, you could donate money or time to a particular cause or organization that does help (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but if you investigate closely enough, most such organizations do involve some level of keeping that species in captivity, whether it is rehabilitation, rescues, ambassador animals used for educating the public, breeding programs, or any combination of the above. You’re not going to get away from “keeping animals in captivity†any way you slice it. Some may think this is a pessimistic view; I prefer realistic.
Now let’s talk more about conservation (next post).
Conservation
I already touched on some points, but let’s recap a little bit. Mankind is decimating natural ecosystems all over the globe at an alarming rate. In the grand scheme of things, there’s not a lot that can be done about this. Sooner or later, if there is enough pressure for X to be built, enough money will exchange hands and get the project completed. Here’s an example:
Not 2 miles from my home, there is plans to build a raceway, all in the name of bringing a little more economy to our area, I’m sure. Well, the location is in prime gopher tortoise habitat (I’ve personally been out there a few times and seen several burrows). The project has been tied up for a couple years for that very reason, but eventually they will hire a “wildlife removal expert†approved by the local USFWS office (likely under pressure from local govt officials), to come remove and relocate the tortoises so they can start breaking ground. I have spoken with local fish and wildlife officials in my area, and other experienced herp folks and they all have confirmed this takes place all the time, in all states in the gopher tortoise’ range. Ecology looks good on paper, but boosting local economy looks even better. This is a very sad reality, in case anyone was not aware of it.
So with habitat loss all but inevitable, what is there to do? Simply preserving some existing habitat in state parks isn’t enough. Captive –breeding is paramount to restoring some of these endangered species.
Another example: the spotted turtle, a small species already virtually extinct within most of its natural range. Why? They have very specialized habitat needs: small bogs with slow-moving water. They can’t just live anywhere with freshwater like a red-eared slider can. Right now, the only way the average person can expect to see one is in captivity, most likely at a nature center. Ownership requires permits. Some may disagree that the life these turtles have in captivity pails to the life they would have in the wild, but how is providing all of their needs and help them continue the species that horrible? Some say for nature to just take its course, and if they go extinct, so be it….but how natural is it when we’re the ones destroying their habitats and polluting their waterways?
Yet another example is our state reptile, the Alabama red-bellied turtle. This turtle is all but endemic to right here in my figurative backyard in Mobile & Baldwin Counties. Get that? The only place in the WORLD you can find these turtles in the wild is right here in the crotch of Alabama in the Tensaw River Delta, not even just in any ole creek or stream. They are a very beautiful and unique turtle, and several programs are in existence that raise hatchlings at least for the first 1-2 yrs of their life to give them a good head start before releasing them back into the wild. (a lot of hobbyists do this with baby snakes & turtles all over the country, and I think it’s a great idea). I personally would like to get more involved in starting a breeding program. Am I selfish? Not really, because I know how much trouble and effort keeping aquatic turtles can be, let alone attempting to breed them. I just want to help maintain and preserve one of the native herp species here in my state.
I also hope that they eventually implement some form of permit system that would allow people to keep and breed gopher tortoises, similar to CDTs out in California. There is no way gopher tortoises are going to continue to thrive without the aid of captive breeding programs.
I could list other examples, but hopefully, my point is getting across.
Another use in captive keeping for use in conservation is ambassador specimens for education. Some might see this as frivolous and unnecessary, but I disagree. When I am speaking to any audience, regardless of age level, and I am talking about a particular species and its ecological role, why it is important to promote conservation, etc…I cannot sway the audience with a mere pamphlet, or a cool photo of that animal. Unless they can actually see that animal in the flesh, and touch it, that connection is not made. It is a very effective tool for raising awareness for conservation.
Of course, there are those who do rescue work and rehabilitation for native species. Some disagree with this practice and say again, that nature should just take its course. To some level, I can agree, but it depends on the injury. If the turtle was hit by a car or a boat, I don’t feel that qualifies as “nature’s fault†and see no harm in intervening to offer medical treatment. It would be different if the turtle was naturally removed from the wild gene pool by means of predation or disease.
Bottom line: When it comes to conservation, you can only go so far using videos, posters and brochures to promote your message. Having a live representation of the species (or genera) you are striving to preserve has many advantages for the cause.
Animal Rights versus Animal Welfare
I’ll cover welfare first…
Animal Welfare – This is essentially regarding the well-being of the animal; i.e. good health, proper care & husbandry, etc. I am pretty certain everyone on this forum is an advocate for animal welfare. This has little to do with the purpose of why the animal is in captivity (service animal, beast of burden, lab animals used for experimentation, pet, food, skin trade, etc.). As long as the animal is cared for properly, and all its needs are met, that’s all that is really important. If the animal is destined to be killed for food, skin, etc., then likewise, it should be euthanized in a humane fashion.
Animal Rights – This is a little more of a gray area to truly define. To some degree, any animal does have some “rights†in order for welfare laws to apply. In other words, as a living being, it obviously should have a “right†to proper diet, fresh water, shelter and a reasonably clean living environment. Of course, some animals have additional specific needs to keep them alive (reptiles & amphibians require heat & full spectrum lighting, certain fish require different water chemistry, etc.). However, since cold-blooded animals (reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates) are not technically considered animals under the Animal Welfare Act, it can be somewhat subjective to define rights for those types of animals in a legal sense.
But in reality, when the term “animal rights†is used, it is most often referring to a notion that animals have equal (if not greater) rights than human beings. Many people believe that keeping an animal in captivity for any reason is equal to holding a human prison; that the slaughtering of food animals such as cattle and poultry is the same as what Jews suffered through during the Holocaust…and so on.
Now, people have the “right†(pun intended) to believe whatever they want, but if one has even an intermediate understanding of the mental capacity of most animal species compared to that of humans, they will know that comparing the two is comparing apples to oranges. I’m not going to dive into a long discussion regarding intelligence or emotional capacity, because I will concur there are some exceptional examples in the animal kingdom, both on the species and on the individual level.
Again, this is a somewhat subjective topic, but I believe what truly separates mankind from the beasts is that from an early age, man is acutely aware of his own mortality. No matter how smart we are, or how emotional we are, we know that one day we will die. No animal has exhibited this awareness. Yes, it may be true that some animals, when terminally ill or very old, have some sense that their time has come mere moments, or even hours before death comes. But mankind is so focused on the idea of his inevitable demise that we as a species record our history for others to look to. We have religion. We have stories & legends. The mere fact that we have the ability and comprehension to even discuss the topic is a clear enough indicator that we’re a distinct level separate (if not above) animals, at least I think so anyway.
The Animal Rights Movement
Some organizations have taken this notion of animal rights to the extreme. There are a handful of them, but the two most noteworthy ones are the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Both organizations have done some good work for advocating animal welfare, but their agenda for promoting animal rights (among other things) remains dominant. I will briefly describe their faults below:
PETA – PETA is infamous for their outlandish campaigns against the meat industry, the skin & fur trade, the entertainment industry, and of course, the pet industry. I have often cited their faults and can elaborate later if people really want to know more. Their main opposition to the pet industry (as tortoise keepers, most on this forum qualify) is their stance that animals shouldn’t be held “captive†for any reason. This includes service animals such as seeing-eye dogs, tropical fish, domesticated livestock, etc. All animals should be free. For non-domesticated species, their view is debatable and somewhat noble, but in real world application, they will never overturn the pet industry. People will always have pets. Period. In short, they should focus their efforts more on cases of animal abuse & neglect than throwing red paint at people wearing fur or trying to make the whole world re-label fish as “sea kittens.â€
HSUS – HSUS is PETA in a suit. Now, when I say that, I’m not trying to say the two organizations are actually tied to each other in any way (they may be, I don’t know, I have evidence of it). My point is that their objectives are very similar, but their tactics are different. PETA is the passionate protester with a picket sign. HSUS is the pseudo-journalist/lawyer who will manipulate the facts to meet their agenda.
Bottom line: neither organization is really a friend to pet owners.
Apparently, there are some people (a discouraging number, actually) around these parts who have trouble understanding the differences between animal welfare and animal rights, being an animal “hobbyist†versus merely a “pet owner, some issues with conservation and what these matters mean to you, Joe Tortoise Nut. I intend to cover all these topics in some degree because they really do all relate to each other in some way.
Instead of simply making a single gigantic post, I will start out by making a handful of separate posts covering each individual topic. When I am through, I will clearly state as such. I would like to ask everyone to refrain from responding until I get to that point. Thank you for understanding.
First of all, before I get into the rest of it, let me point out something that I think a lot us forget. If you are reading this, you are human. You are of the species, Homo sapiens, the dominant sentient life form on the planet. We run the place; we’re not doing the greatest job of it, but that’s a different topic altogether. Until they start passing laws restricting procreation, we will continue to expand. This means we will continue to bulldoze and pave over natural habitats and ecosystems to make room for our subdivisions, skyscrapers, shopping malls, etc. This will never stop, and as a human, you are part of the merry-go-around. You get off when you take the final dirt nap. Until they find a way to live on other planets, this is the only one we got.
I say all that to say this: whether you choose to own animals of any kind for any reason, or not, it does not matter much regarding conservation. Since this is a tortoise forum, I’ll try to keep examples to turtles and tortoises. So if you decide never to own turtles or tortoises of a certain species, you’re not making a big contribution to the conservation of that species. Habitat will still be destroyed sooner or later, the pet trade will still prevail, etc…these are all humongous machines that will never be defeated. True, you could donate money or time to a particular cause or organization that does help (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but if you investigate closely enough, most such organizations do involve some level of keeping that species in captivity, whether it is rehabilitation, rescues, ambassador animals used for educating the public, breeding programs, or any combination of the above. You’re not going to get away from “keeping animals in captivity†any way you slice it. Some may think this is a pessimistic view; I prefer realistic.
Now let’s talk more about conservation (next post).
Conservation
I already touched on some points, but let’s recap a little bit. Mankind is decimating natural ecosystems all over the globe at an alarming rate. In the grand scheme of things, there’s not a lot that can be done about this. Sooner or later, if there is enough pressure for X to be built, enough money will exchange hands and get the project completed. Here’s an example:
Not 2 miles from my home, there is plans to build a raceway, all in the name of bringing a little more economy to our area, I’m sure. Well, the location is in prime gopher tortoise habitat (I’ve personally been out there a few times and seen several burrows). The project has been tied up for a couple years for that very reason, but eventually they will hire a “wildlife removal expert†approved by the local USFWS office (likely under pressure from local govt officials), to come remove and relocate the tortoises so they can start breaking ground. I have spoken with local fish and wildlife officials in my area, and other experienced herp folks and they all have confirmed this takes place all the time, in all states in the gopher tortoise’ range. Ecology looks good on paper, but boosting local economy looks even better. This is a very sad reality, in case anyone was not aware of it.
So with habitat loss all but inevitable, what is there to do? Simply preserving some existing habitat in state parks isn’t enough. Captive –breeding is paramount to restoring some of these endangered species.
Another example: the spotted turtle, a small species already virtually extinct within most of its natural range. Why? They have very specialized habitat needs: small bogs with slow-moving water. They can’t just live anywhere with freshwater like a red-eared slider can. Right now, the only way the average person can expect to see one is in captivity, most likely at a nature center. Ownership requires permits. Some may disagree that the life these turtles have in captivity pails to the life they would have in the wild, but how is providing all of their needs and help them continue the species that horrible? Some say for nature to just take its course, and if they go extinct, so be it….but how natural is it when we’re the ones destroying their habitats and polluting their waterways?
Yet another example is our state reptile, the Alabama red-bellied turtle. This turtle is all but endemic to right here in my figurative backyard in Mobile & Baldwin Counties. Get that? The only place in the WORLD you can find these turtles in the wild is right here in the crotch of Alabama in the Tensaw River Delta, not even just in any ole creek or stream. They are a very beautiful and unique turtle, and several programs are in existence that raise hatchlings at least for the first 1-2 yrs of their life to give them a good head start before releasing them back into the wild. (a lot of hobbyists do this with baby snakes & turtles all over the country, and I think it’s a great idea). I personally would like to get more involved in starting a breeding program. Am I selfish? Not really, because I know how much trouble and effort keeping aquatic turtles can be, let alone attempting to breed them. I just want to help maintain and preserve one of the native herp species here in my state.
I also hope that they eventually implement some form of permit system that would allow people to keep and breed gopher tortoises, similar to CDTs out in California. There is no way gopher tortoises are going to continue to thrive without the aid of captive breeding programs.
I could list other examples, but hopefully, my point is getting across.
Another use in captive keeping for use in conservation is ambassador specimens for education. Some might see this as frivolous and unnecessary, but I disagree. When I am speaking to any audience, regardless of age level, and I am talking about a particular species and its ecological role, why it is important to promote conservation, etc…I cannot sway the audience with a mere pamphlet, or a cool photo of that animal. Unless they can actually see that animal in the flesh, and touch it, that connection is not made. It is a very effective tool for raising awareness for conservation.
Of course, there are those who do rescue work and rehabilitation for native species. Some disagree with this practice and say again, that nature should just take its course. To some level, I can agree, but it depends on the injury. If the turtle was hit by a car or a boat, I don’t feel that qualifies as “nature’s fault†and see no harm in intervening to offer medical treatment. It would be different if the turtle was naturally removed from the wild gene pool by means of predation or disease.
Bottom line: When it comes to conservation, you can only go so far using videos, posters and brochures to promote your message. Having a live representation of the species (or genera) you are striving to preserve has many advantages for the cause.
Animal Rights versus Animal Welfare
I’ll cover welfare first…
Animal Welfare – This is essentially regarding the well-being of the animal; i.e. good health, proper care & husbandry, etc. I am pretty certain everyone on this forum is an advocate for animal welfare. This has little to do with the purpose of why the animal is in captivity (service animal, beast of burden, lab animals used for experimentation, pet, food, skin trade, etc.). As long as the animal is cared for properly, and all its needs are met, that’s all that is really important. If the animal is destined to be killed for food, skin, etc., then likewise, it should be euthanized in a humane fashion.
Animal Rights – This is a little more of a gray area to truly define. To some degree, any animal does have some “rights†in order for welfare laws to apply. In other words, as a living being, it obviously should have a “right†to proper diet, fresh water, shelter and a reasonably clean living environment. Of course, some animals have additional specific needs to keep them alive (reptiles & amphibians require heat & full spectrum lighting, certain fish require different water chemistry, etc.). However, since cold-blooded animals (reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates) are not technically considered animals under the Animal Welfare Act, it can be somewhat subjective to define rights for those types of animals in a legal sense.
But in reality, when the term “animal rights†is used, it is most often referring to a notion that animals have equal (if not greater) rights than human beings. Many people believe that keeping an animal in captivity for any reason is equal to holding a human prison; that the slaughtering of food animals such as cattle and poultry is the same as what Jews suffered through during the Holocaust…and so on.
Now, people have the “right†(pun intended) to believe whatever they want, but if one has even an intermediate understanding of the mental capacity of most animal species compared to that of humans, they will know that comparing the two is comparing apples to oranges. I’m not going to dive into a long discussion regarding intelligence or emotional capacity, because I will concur there are some exceptional examples in the animal kingdom, both on the species and on the individual level.
Again, this is a somewhat subjective topic, but I believe what truly separates mankind from the beasts is that from an early age, man is acutely aware of his own mortality. No matter how smart we are, or how emotional we are, we know that one day we will die. No animal has exhibited this awareness. Yes, it may be true that some animals, when terminally ill or very old, have some sense that their time has come mere moments, or even hours before death comes. But mankind is so focused on the idea of his inevitable demise that we as a species record our history for others to look to. We have religion. We have stories & legends. The mere fact that we have the ability and comprehension to even discuss the topic is a clear enough indicator that we’re a distinct level separate (if not above) animals, at least I think so anyway.
The Animal Rights Movement
Some organizations have taken this notion of animal rights to the extreme. There are a handful of them, but the two most noteworthy ones are the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Both organizations have done some good work for advocating animal welfare, but their agenda for promoting animal rights (among other things) remains dominant. I will briefly describe their faults below:
PETA – PETA is infamous for their outlandish campaigns against the meat industry, the skin & fur trade, the entertainment industry, and of course, the pet industry. I have often cited their faults and can elaborate later if people really want to know more. Their main opposition to the pet industry (as tortoise keepers, most on this forum qualify) is their stance that animals shouldn’t be held “captive†for any reason. This includes service animals such as seeing-eye dogs, tropical fish, domesticated livestock, etc. All animals should be free. For non-domesticated species, their view is debatable and somewhat noble, but in real world application, they will never overturn the pet industry. People will always have pets. Period. In short, they should focus their efforts more on cases of animal abuse & neglect than throwing red paint at people wearing fur or trying to make the whole world re-label fish as “sea kittens.â€
HSUS – HSUS is PETA in a suit. Now, when I say that, I’m not trying to say the two organizations are actually tied to each other in any way (they may be, I don’t know, I have evidence of it). My point is that their objectives are very similar, but their tactics are different. PETA is the passionate protester with a picket sign. HSUS is the pseudo-journalist/lawyer who will manipulate the facts to meet their agenda.
Bottom line: neither organization is really a friend to pet owners.