I'M BOYCOTTING NAPLES ZOO

And this is why:
I was planning on taking a trip to a zoo in the next week or so. I like to visit zoos and state parks to take photos now & then. So...I'm on on-line, checking out the Florida zoos. Been to Lowery Park in Tampa a few times, been to Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, so I'm thinking about checking out the Naples Zoo.
I'm checking out the website, it's looking good, I'm liking what I see...then I get to this page:

http://www.caribbeangardens.com/Visi...igatorbay.html

I'm scrolling down the page, checking out the pictures, doing some reading...and then I see this photo, which, in itself is not adorable by any means...
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but it's the caption that made my blood boil:

"Burmese pythons don't make good pets. So many former pets have been released they are believed to be reproducing in the Everglades. This unlucky python finds itself in the jaws of an alligator where it was photographed by Mike Mercier."

So, join me, if you will, in getting the word out about this zoo. Don't just tell all your reptile friends, TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS! Post it on other forums if you feel as strongly as I do about this!

I am going to give it a few days to see how much interest this thread generates, then I'm going to e-mail them with a link to it.
I think they need to know how irresponsible that one little statement is!

Neither do kids, but people still have them.

Obviously written by a biased person.

My question is how did the snake get in with the gator? I don't see any zoo putting the 2 togeather, because you don't know who would win the fight. Also, very unfortunately, there are enough bad snake owners that I think they are trying to make a point. I agree most people should NOT own such a big snake because they don't realize how much a commitment a snake like that is. Sadly it IS a big problem in FL.

Its probably a photo of a wild alligator..... From that quote, i dont get any hint that its a captive gator being fed a snake. But IF it is maybe it was a dead snake that they fed? who knows.... lots of people feed reptiles to reptiles, i see nothing, inherently wrong with it, so long as its humane and part of an animals natural diet.

What exactly is the reason why you are boycotting this zoo? Because of a photograph and a teeny tiny paragraph about how burms are not good pets? Cause.... its pretty dang true IMHO.

The paragraph about burms not making good pets? Frankly, i gotta agree, for most people, they DO NOT make good pets. I know for sure they would not make a good pet for me!!! and i know several more people that say "I want a burm" who SHOULD NOT own one. They are Large animals, that need LARGE enclosures, and a PROPER setup to contain them. They require several people to be there, when larger, to ensure proper safety when feeding/cleaning/doing anything with the animals.

They are not for the average joe. And i will stand firmly behind that opinion, because I dont want to see another child killed because of ignorance. or another twentysomething girl killed by one of these ( In that case a retic ) large constrictors due to ignorant handling practices.

I greatly disagree with boycotting the zoo in its entirety. I think perhaps you should contact them regarding their wording.

It sounds TO ME, like they are merely trying to comment on the releasing issue. The only problem I see is the general statement of burms do not make good pets.

If they merely added the words "for most people", I would see no issue whatsoever.

I would think that as a zoo, rather than showing their partiality & making a blanket statement like that, they should be sending out educational information. As a facility with the means, as well as the knowledge, they have the capability to reach so many people with GOOD information. By 'good' I do not mean pro-burm. I mean good, bad or indifferent, to EDUCATE the public.
Alicia--I don't disagree with you that SOME people shouldn't have them at all. But some people shouldn't have kids either...that's a different rant, though.
I've had burms as pets before, though, and I do have to disagree that they don't make good pets...(Brandi) for most people.
There are other things inherently wrong with just that photo and caption.
Angela--People turning their burms loose is not the only way they got there; while I don't know if other hurricanes contributed to it, Hurricane Andrew certainly did.
If the gator was a wild one, why would they use that picture on their web site? I also have no qualms about reptiles eating other reptiles. It is a part of life and it's called a 'food chain' for a reason.
If the photo was one of their captive alligators and the burm made its way there somehow and lost the battle for its life--why not say that?!

"Naples Zoo is a 501(c)(3) charitable institution and nationally accredited zoo. Its operations are not subsidized by taxes."
I do not feel the need to subsidize their institution with my charitable donation if they feel the need to be biased and not educate the public in an impartial manner.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but that's how I feel!

Originally Posted by Tiger Lilly

I would think that as a zoo, rather than showing their partiality & making a blanket statement like that, they should be sending out educational information. As a facility with the means, as well as the knowledge, they have the capability to reach so many people with GOOD information. By 'good' I do not mean pro-burm. I mean good, bad or indifferent, to EDUCATE the public.

Yeah! They should put some information up letting the public know that burms have formed an invasive breeding population in Florida!

Oh wait...

I've had burms as pets before, though, and I do have to disagree that they don't make good pets...(Brandi) for most people.

Had? Not "currently have" but "had" Interesting. So, what happened to your burms? How many did you used to have and why haven't you got them anymore?

There are other things inherently wrong with just that photo and caption.

No there aren't. There's not a thing wrong with that photo OR it's caption. You're just experiencing a knee jerk response to a legitimate and honestly worded animal issue because you happen to *like* the species that's become a problem.

If your knee jerks too much, you might swing it up and kick yourself in the mouth, where your foot will get stuck.

Angela--People turning their burms loose is not the only way they got there; while I don't know if other hurricanes contributed to it, Hurricane Andrew certainly did.

I had to look up the date on Andrew. 1992, it certainly did contribute to quite a few loose animals that didn't belong in the area. It was hardly the start of the issues though, Florida has been reporting breeding populations of invasive species that are seen in the pet trade since the seventies. There are numerous causes; the fact the state is a fairly big shipping hub for anything coming in from South and Central America has meant stowaways, hurricanes have damaged buildings and allowed the escape of animals, people have loosed their pets both intentionally and accidently.

Plus uh... those animals released by storms, where do you think they were released *from* exactly? Pet dealers and pet owners. With less of a market for burms, there would be less of them to be released and less of a problem.

'course the state has instituted stricter (although not perfect) inspections of incoming shipments and some measures have been taken to contain any wildlife that does make it in to the immediate area.

And it's tough to prevent natural forces through legislation or human action. You could try introducing a "No more hurricanes" law but I doubt the storms would obey it.

Which leaves pet releases as the most controllable factor that has contributed to invasive species in the state. So when a zoo, an educational institution says "don't release your burms" it seems to be a pretty decent step towards the whole public education thing.

And burms do make crappy pets for most people. The overwhelming majority of people who have them are irresponsible and the overwhelming majority of burms come to some kind of unnatural or preventable end. The only reason they aren't regulated more strictly in more areas is because of their popularity- which can be tied in to a rematively small but definite source of taxable sales. They can live thirty-thirty five years... how many do you think actually reach that age? They pretty much WILL break ten-twelve feet as a given, how many do you think actually manage to surpass that size?

This isn't a zoo saying "Ban burms!" it's a zoo saying "Burms are a species that has been the cause of and target of problems as a result of their captivity. They don't make great pets and they have been released, where they're causing damage to the local ecosystems."

If the gator was a wild one, why would they use that picture on their web site?

Probably because they take that whole educational institution thing a little more seriously than you do and wanted to share some information with the general public. You might have considered that if you weren't throwing wild, wide blind punches at a target just because they relayed a legitimate criticism of a situation that has developed largely due to the pet trade.

"Naples Zoo is a 501(c)(3) charitable institution and nationally accredited zoo. Its operations are not subsidized by taxes."
I do not feel the need to subsidize their institution with my charitable donation if they feel the need to be biased and not educate the public in an impartial manner.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but that's how I feel!

Yeah well, in this case, I feel you're off your nut. There wasn't anything remotely biased about what was written there.

And trust me... as a guy who has friends and aquaintences that straddle the line between the pet industry, the zoo industry and various sciences... there can be bias. Heavy, angry bias. This is not an example of it. The zoo bias generally shows up with more of a "The next jackass who dumps their stupid eight foot burm off in front of the zoo in a cardboard box is getting hit in the face with a pith helmet."

I don't think it would come as a surprise that, in general, zoo people do not think exotics should be kept by private individuals. Even though much of the advances in reptile husbandry, and related products, have come from non-zoo keepers.

They really didn't say anything that was too off-the-wall, especially from their point of view.

And trust me... as a guy who has friends and aquaintences that straddle the line between the pet industry, the zoo industry and various sciences... there can be bias. Heavy, angry bias. This is not an example of it. The zoo bias generally shows up with more of a "The next jackass who dumps their stupid eight foot burm off in front of the zoo in a cardboard box is getting hit in the face with a pith helmet."

Rescue/rehab people say the same thing! Wanna know the two most common types of snakes in rescue facilities? Burms and Balls, the burms because they grow so big that the majority of people can't or aren't allowed to house them by landlords or city ordinances without a license, they can no longer afford to feed them, or the zoo calls and begs the rescue people to come get yet another dumped burm. The balls because they get stressed, go anorexic, and it is cheaper to dump them on animal control, the zoo, or a rescue person than take them to a vet.

Originally Posted by Seamus Haley

Had? Not "currently have" but "had" Interesting. So, what happened to your burms? How many did you used to have and why haven't you got them anymore?

I had 2; I lost one to an RI and the other I sold to a guy I used to sell rabbits to for his retic. And before you ask WHY I sold it--I was a single mother at the time and it was strictly a matter of finances (or lack thereof).

Originally Posted by Seamus Haley

If your knee jerks too much, you might swing it up and kick yourself in the mouth, where your foot will get stuck.

Maybe so...wouldn't be the first time, doubtful it'll be the last. I'd rather have my foot stuck in my mouth than my head stuck up my ass, anyday.

[/UOTE]You might have considered that if you weren't throwing wild, wide blind punches at a target just because they relayed a legitimate criticism of a situation that has developed largely due to the pet trade.[/quote]

So, what are you saying? I'm not allowed to voice my opinion? My opinion doesn't matter? So you feel that they are BLIND punches? So, that's YOUR opinion, and I respect that. I'm not downing ANYONE for not agreeing with me. IT IS WHAT IT IS. You don't agree, fine. I'm not the type that is going to let you or anyone else dissuade me from how I feel. And no hard feelings--because I respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether they coincide with mine or not.

Yeah well, in this case, I feel you're off your nut.

BULLY FOR YOU! You have an opinion--and I'm not going to argue the point BECAUSE it's your opinion. Besides...Lilly's got Balls...so yeah, there's a chance I'm gonna be 'off my nut' now & again.

So, in conclusion, let me just say that I respect everyone AND their opinions that have been posted here. That's what free speech is all about. That's what being an individual is all about. I'm not going to argue with anyone about what I've posted--I'm not going to argue with anyone about what they have posted.
You don't agree with my stance, fine. Have your say. It's not going to change my feelings, regardless of the fact that it may not be the "popular" stance. I'm a big girl with a thick skin...