I have a friend he and I spend a lot of
time together in the summer we love to
talk for hours he lives with his two
adopted sisters and gets along pretty
well he’s also very shy everywhere to
see a big group of people like this he
would hide away or act like he’s asleep
he has a hard time making friends unless
they’re wearing a green orange shirt oh
and I forgot to mention his name is bozo
and he’s a 52 year old spider monkey hi
my name is Rowan and I volunteered a zoo
for two years now our work in the zoo’s
education department which means I work
with both people and animals this
combination has led me into many
hilarious and equally upsetting stories
but most of all I just led me to a
contradiction I enjoy working at a zoo
yeah I regret the necessity of having
animals in captivity it is obvious that
captivity has negative effects on some
of the animals for example chimpanzees
where eighty-one percent eat feces and
58 percent pluck their own hair on
average each captive chimp has 4 to 5 at
normal behaviors a few of which can be
considered self-harm as Nick Carter of
the Humane Society institution for
research has stated there is no longer
any question that the psycho
physiological effects have been and
continue to be prime causes for the
suffering and the consequent high
mortality rate among captive dolphins
and these negative effects like AD
normal behaviors and sufficient fear of
humans and exposure to novel diseases
often limit the success of
reintroduction attempts as I stated
before I work in education my job is to
teach the public using animals and bio
facts which are remnants of animals like
teeth in here sometimes they show the
herbivorous diet of elephants we use a
piece of elephant poop of course it’s
covered in plastic but we don’t always
let the kids know that so one time I was
working in the summer and this kid comes
up to me seemingly interested in what I
was holding and without missing a beat
he grabs the
OOP out of my hand and licks it while
besides the wacky kids we help teach the
message of conservation to adults where
else will an average go come face to
face with a bald eagle or a lion and I
actually leave the experience caring
please try to get someone to remember
the word ovoviviparous without holding a
lizard zoos are also placed for research
and rehabilitation a lot of information
can be gathered while studying captive
populations which in turn help with
conservation efforts at the zoo I work
at we have a Raptor rehabilitation
program which focuses on healing native
species if an individual is determined
unfit for the wild after completing our
program they’re offered a home at our
zoo or another location within the
Association such as the story of my
friend Zeus over 214 zoos are part of
the ACA or Association of zoos and
aquariums this is a prestigious
organization that demands a high level
of animal welfare and expects
conservation and education efforts from
each of their zoos within the
Association there is a program that
effectively governs SSPs or species
survival plants SSPs our breeding
programs that practice safe husbandry
with animals within the Association they
match mates on a list of characteristics
like the behaviors of the species the
needs for the environment they live in
basic veterinary needs basic care needs
or to oversimplify they play genetic
matchmaker the goal is to maintain
populations within the associations
collections and to not take any animals
from the wilds all of these positive
efforts are put under the umbrella of
Wildlife Conservation Wildlife
Conservation is defined as protecting
animal species and their habitats zoos
have changed from a source of
entertainment to a force on the
frontlines of wildlife conservation
awareness everything a well-run and it
association approves ooh does can be
boiled down to wildlife conservation a
percent of every ticket in every
purchase goes straight to organizations
such as Association of protecting the
environment or ape and World Wildlife
Fund so why do we do this why do we pour
millions of dollars into wildlife
conservation well I’m sure you see the
commercials and read the ads packed in
the magazines when waiting for the
doctor even though your appointment was
supposed to start 30 minutes ago they’ll
say things like your donation will make
a difference or to adopt an animal and
that’s great because it provides funding
for amazing projects but it doesn’t give
you the numbers did you know that in two
thousand forty eight point five percent
of the tropical dry broadleaf
rainforests have been converted for
human use or that in 2030 150 percent of
the lion population will be gone these
numbers are scary and not alone but it’s
not helpless
everyone knows the most important line
in real estate location location
location
zoos are accessible nowhere else can
people come face to face with amazing
creatures from around the world and that
connection that relationship gets things
done but again that white noise is
playing in the background we zoos help
us appreciate the world but to do so we
alter the purpose of the animal from a
wild instinctual creature to an
ambassador of their own species I’m not
here to advocate for zoos I’m here to
justify them when me and my fellow
volunteers get accused of hurting the
animals and visitors going on and on
about what they see most of time what
they’re describing is the natural
behaviors of the animals themselves
for example wolves wolves are an
intelligent creature that walks their
territory every morning so when you see
a canine species pacing
most of the time what they’re doing is
acting like them normal selves not like
our cute pets we cuddle what’s at home
we volunteers can immediately defend
having animals in captivity because we
know that these animals will make a
difference in the public eye in the
future of their own species no matter
how hard you employees and volunteers
try zoos will be imperfect but that
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t support them
zoos are the necessary compromise that
will move us from the dire straits of
today to the maintainable tomorrow so
please go visit your local zoo because
only then only when people know and care
will we change the environment of our
world thank you [Applause]
time together in the summer we love to
talk for hours he lives with his two
adopted sisters and gets along pretty
well he’s also very shy everywhere to
see a big group of people like this he
would hide away or act like he’s asleep
he has a hard time making friends unless
they’re wearing a green orange shirt oh
and I forgot to mention his name is bozo
and he’s a 52 year old spider monkey hi
my name is Rowan and I volunteered a zoo
for two years now our work in the zoo’s
education department which means I work
with both people and animals this
combination has led me into many
hilarious and equally upsetting stories
but most of all I just led me to a
contradiction I enjoy working at a zoo
yeah I regret the necessity of having
animals in captivity it is obvious that
captivity has negative effects on some
of the animals for example chimpanzees
where eighty-one percent eat feces and
58 percent pluck their own hair on
average each captive chimp has 4 to 5 at
normal behaviors a few of which can be
considered self-harm as Nick Carter of
the Humane Society institution for
research has stated there is no longer
any question that the psycho
physiological effects have been and
continue to be prime causes for the
suffering and the consequent high
mortality rate among captive dolphins
and these negative effects like AD
normal behaviors and sufficient fear of
humans and exposure to novel diseases
often limit the success of
reintroduction attempts as I stated
before I work in education my job is to
teach the public using animals and bio
facts which are remnants of animals like
teeth in here sometimes they show the
herbivorous diet of elephants we use a
piece of elephant poop of course it’s
covered in plastic but we don’t always
let the kids know that so one time I was
working in the summer and this kid comes
up to me seemingly interested in what I
was holding and without missing a beat
he grabs the
OOP out of my hand and licks it while
besides the wacky kids we help teach the
message of conservation to adults where
else will an average go come face to
face with a bald eagle or a lion and I
actually leave the experience caring
please try to get someone to remember
the word ovoviviparous without holding a
lizard zoos are also placed for research
and rehabilitation a lot of information
can be gathered while studying captive
populations which in turn help with
conservation efforts at the zoo I work
at we have a Raptor rehabilitation
program which focuses on healing native
species if an individual is determined
unfit for the wild after completing our
program they’re offered a home at our
zoo or another location within the
Association such as the story of my
friend Zeus over 214 zoos are part of
the ACA or Association of zoos and
aquariums this is a prestigious
organization that demands a high level
of animal welfare and expects
conservation and education efforts from
each of their zoos within the
Association there is a program that
effectively governs SSPs or species
survival plants SSPs our breeding
programs that practice safe husbandry
with animals within the Association they
match mates on a list of characteristics
like the behaviors of the species the
needs for the environment they live in
basic veterinary needs basic care needs
or to oversimplify they play genetic
matchmaker the goal is to maintain
populations within the associations
collections and to not take any animals
from the wilds all of these positive
efforts are put under the umbrella of
Wildlife Conservation Wildlife
Conservation is defined as protecting
animal species and their habitats zoos
have changed from a source of
entertainment to a force on the
frontlines of wildlife conservation
awareness everything a well-run and it
association approves ooh does can be
boiled down to wildlife conservation a
percent of every ticket in every
purchase goes straight to organizations
such as Association of protecting the
environment or ape and World Wildlife
Fund so why do we do this why do we pour
millions of dollars into wildlife
conservation well I’m sure you see the
commercials and read the ads packed in
the magazines when waiting for the
doctor even though your appointment was
supposed to start 30 minutes ago they’ll
say things like your donation will make
a difference or to adopt an animal and
that’s great because it provides funding
for amazing projects but it doesn’t give
you the numbers did you know that in two
thousand forty eight point five percent
of the tropical dry broadleaf
rainforests have been converted for
human use or that in 2030 150 percent of
the lion population will be gone these
numbers are scary and not alone but it’s
not helpless
everyone knows the most important line
in real estate location location
location
zoos are accessible nowhere else can
people come face to face with amazing
creatures from around the world and that
connection that relationship gets things
done but again that white noise is
playing in the background we zoos help
us appreciate the world but to do so we
alter the purpose of the animal from a
wild instinctual creature to an
ambassador of their own species I’m not
here to advocate for zoos I’m here to
justify them when me and my fellow
volunteers get accused of hurting the
animals and visitors going on and on
about what they see most of time what
they’re describing is the natural
behaviors of the animals themselves
for example wolves wolves are an
intelligent creature that walks their
territory every morning so when you see
a canine species pacing
most of the time what they’re doing is
acting like them normal selves not like
our cute pets we cuddle what’s at home
we volunteers can immediately defend
having animals in captivity because we
know that these animals will make a
difference in the public eye in the
future of their own species no matter
how hard you employees and volunteers
try zoos will be imperfect but that
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t support them
zoos are the necessary compromise that
will move us from the dire straits of
today to the maintainable tomorrow so
please go visit your local zoo because
only then only when people know and care
will we change the environment of our
world thank you [Applause]
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