Captive-bred animals don't do well in the wild, even with millions of years of animal instinct.
I learned that with my pet snakes and lizards, all captive-born. They outlasted and were happier with me and in the cage with regular feeding, heat lights, and heat pads, than the ones I caught in the wild.
Babe the Ball Python would climb up my arm, wrap himself around my eyeglasses, and just sit there for half an hour.
At the Bronx Zoo Giraffe House, I asked the guy if the giraffes recognized him. He put up his hand in a v-shape, thumb down, fingers up, and a Giraffe strolled over, and nuzzled his hand. I thought it was wonderful.
The Bronx Zoo also saved Pere David's Deer, taking in the whole endangered species and giving them a nice pastureland and forest in the zoo to run around and do deer stuff in. They eventually widened the species so much, they could share them with other zoos -- they hope to be able to return some to the wild.
I was amused at how zoos swap animals, I must admit. "I'll trade you two Meerkats and a Painted Turtle for a Snow Leopard, a minor league pitcher to be named later, and cash considerations."
It broke my heart…again! First my panda family leaves and I found the magnificent Flaco only to find that this wonderfully independent resilient owl has died. I cheered him on through all of his hair raising escapades and now he’s gone on to a better place, but I’ll miss him. 🦉❣️
Enjoyed your story. I was amazed to see a character in your comic strip named Mehitabel. My maternal grandmother, who I loved very much, was named Mehitable, after her grandmother. She was born in 1894 and told me it was was a common name back in the 1800’s. We called her Grandma Hittie. She lived to be 92 and was married to my Grandpa Reed for 66 years.
I was devastated by the death of Flaco.
Captive-bred animals don't do well in the wild, even with millions of years of animal instinct.
I learned that with my pet snakes and lizards, all captive-born. They outlasted and were happier with me and in the cage with regular feeding, heat lights, and heat pads, than the ones I caught in the wild.
Babe the Ball Python would climb up my arm, wrap himself around my eyeglasses, and just sit there for half an hour.
At the Bronx Zoo Giraffe House, I asked the guy if the giraffes recognized him. He put up his hand in a v-shape, thumb down, fingers up, and a Giraffe strolled over, and nuzzled his hand. I thought it was wonderful.
The Bronx Zoo also saved Pere David's Deer, taking in the whole endangered species and giving them a nice pastureland and forest in the zoo to run around and do deer stuff in. They eventually widened the species so much, they could share them with other zoos -- they hope to be able to return some to the wild.
I was amused at how zoos swap animals, I must admit. "I'll trade you two Meerkats and a Painted Turtle for a Snow Leopard, a minor league pitcher to be named later, and cash considerations."
Huzzah for any animal that brings joy to human being hearts! 🥰
Well said, Anne. Oh, wait a minute, just got a call that the Red Pandas at Woodland Park Zoo would like a word.
It broke my heart…again! First my panda family leaves and I found the magnificent Flaco only to find that this wonderfully independent resilient owl has died. I cheered him on through all of his hair raising escapades and now he’s gone on to a better place, but I’ll miss him. 🦉❣️
So cool you got to see pandas!
Enjoyed your story. I was amazed to see a character in your comic strip named Mehitabel. My maternal grandmother, who I loved very much, was named Mehitable, after her grandmother. She was born in 1894 and told me it was was a common name back in the 1800’s. We called her Grandma Hittie. She lived to be 92 and was married to my Grandpa Reed for 66 years.
Reed Merritt