wild animals
Animals the way nature intended it; explore the world of wild animals and the controversies surrounding domestication and hunting of feral beasts.
The Hypocrisy of Thomas Cook Travel Agency When It Comes to Zoos and Aquariums
Recently, Thomas Cook, a travel agency that is based in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it would no longer include marine mammal facilities that house orcas. The decision was likely influenced by animal rights extremists who target any zoo or aquarium that houses cetaceans. However, aside from the fact that it was an animal rights influence that made the company say “adios” to anything SeaWorld or Loro Parque, it’s the fact that Thomas Cook does have some ties to a facility based in China that houses cetaceans that were collected from waters off of Taiji, Japan.
Jenna DeedyPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeDear Parents, Don’t Let Your Kids Play With the Sea Lions on the Beach!
A California woman was recently visiting Point La Jolla Beach just right outside of San Diego, California when she saw a disturbing site: A group of families visiting the state harassing a colony of California sea lions. Andrea Else Hahn was visiting La Jolla’s famous sea lion rookery on Sunday when she witnessed a group of visiting tourists harassing a colony of sea lions by attempting to take selfies with them, feeding them, petting them, playing with them, and there was even a number of kids kicking sand at some juvenile sea lions. For three days, Hahn, continued to film the growing public ignorance and ongoing violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This was despite a number of signs that were written in three different languages that advised the public to not attempt to feed, pet, nor harass the sea lions.
Jenna DeedyPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeMorgan's Story
The above picture is that of an Orca Named Morgan. She was Captured about six years ago when she was spotted swimming alone in the waters off the Netherlands. She was not stranded or in distress but was extremely underweight, but still able to swim on her own. She was captured by a local theme park Dolfinarium Harderwijk, under a Dutch Government issued "rescue, rehabilitation and release" permit. She was supposed to be rehabilitated and then reintroduced to her family, whom she was not with at the time of capture. Scientists have recorded Morgans echo's and sounds and have found a pod that shows promise to be her family. Everything looked like it was going to have a happy ending for this young whale.
Rebecca SlaneyPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeSilent No More
Loro Parque. Situated in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, it is apparently considered "the best zoo in the world" according to the park's website and numerous posters plastered across the island. It's hard to ignore the appeal of such a place that offers the world's largest indoor penguin enclosure and Europe's largest shark tunnel, whilst also playing host to a variety of different animal shows throughout the day. So, having been in Tenerife myself recently on holiday with family it seemed only right that which should pay a visit of our own to such a thrilling place. And to be quite honest, from the family-friendly exterior it's hard to imagine that anything could be wrong with a place so driven by the conservation of endangered animals. However, as most people should have come to understand by now, all is not as it seems from the outside looking in and after doing my own research off of knowledge I vaguely had already I discovered something that needs to be uncovered.
Beth TitchmarshPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeFive Things to Know About Great White Sharks
One of the most celebrated species of shark in the world, the great white shark (Carchardon carcharias) is regarded as the largest species of predatory shark on Earth. A healthy adult shark can grow up to 21 feet in length and weight up to 4,000 pounds. In addition to having powerful jaws that are full of large serrated teeth, they are also capable of exerting lethal forces of more than 20 tons per square inch when biting on prey and foreign objects. So, in honor of “Shark Week”, here are five facts to know about the great white shark...
Jenna DeedyPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeBehind the Scenes
The first elephant to be born in captivity in the western hemisphere went by the name "Packy", he was an Asian elephant who lived until the age of 44, which is premature for this breed of elephant as they normally live up to 60 years. Although Packy was the firstborn in captivity in the US, elephants being subjected to capture and taming started more than 4,000 years ago. Many people assume because an elephant has been tamed that its natural place is with humans, which isn't the case because elephants aren't domesticated animals as it takes generations after generations for an animal to become domesticated. Now there are still over 15,000 elephants in captivity for our own entertainment.
Lillie MariaPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeAn Unforgettable Moment
This is my personal experience of the first time I truly realized the vast beauty and authenticity of Mother Nature... It was a hot and bright day in the Abacos Islands, a good one for boating to the stingrays. As I packed my snorkel gear and baseball cap, I looked out into the flat and crystal clear ocean, as it sparkled blue light shimmers into the sky. We loaded the boat and we were off. We were racing across the ocean; salty air filled my nose, as the strong breeze tangled my hair. After what seemed like minutes later, we slowly crept up onto a little bay. Peeking over the edge of the boat, my eyes lit up. Stingrays filled the bay, gently gliding through the shining water. My breath had been taken away by the fascinating, intricately-designed creatures.
Nicole WengerPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeFreeing Lolita the Killer Whale Is Not an Option
Lolita is a Southern Resident killer whale who was believed to have been born in 1966 to the Southern Resident orca population. She was collected on August 8, 1970 off the coast of Penn Cove, Washington where she was kept in a pen-based facility for about a month before she was sent to Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, FL. There, she spent the first ten years of her life at the facility with a male orca named Hugo, who was believed to have come from the same pod as she did, until his death in 1980. She has been the only orca in its care since. Today, she currently resides at the facility with four Pacific white sided dolphins, who serve as her companions, and is one of two living killer whales to have been collected from the Pacific Northwest during the 1960s and 70s. Yet, despite the fact that Lolita continues to thrive at Miami Seaquarium, animal rights extremists want Lolita to be “released” from the only home she has ever known for the last 48 years by putting her in a potentially dangerous “return-to-the-wild” that would be run by those with very little to no expertise in animal care. I am here to explain why freeing Lolita may not be in her best interest.
Jenna DeedyPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeTop Ten LGBT+ Animals
Have you ever heard someone say that being gay isn’t “natural?” Well, I have some bad news for them: nature is gay AF. Our world has numerous examples of animals that change gender, engage in same-sex activity, and throw gender norms out completely. Here’s my top ten animals from across the LGBT+ spectrum.
Katy PreenPublished 6 years ago in PetlifeZoos: Good or Bad?
Animals all over the world are being abused and mistreated. It is unfortunate that there are people that don’t care about said animals. Luckily, there are zoos to help. After reviewing the three sources, "What Zoos Do" by Amy Miller, "Issue Overview: Should We Have Zoos?" by Shayna Owens, and "Lifespan of Female Elements in Zoos and the Wild," you learn about all of the good that zoos in America have done. There are many people who believe that zoos are a reason for this claim, however, in reality, zoos are more beneficial because they make conservation efforts around the world and rescue said animals from abuse.
Isabella SPublished 6 years ago in Petlife- Top Story - June 2018
The Box Jellyfish
Box Jellyfish are very old, surviving for more than 500 million years. One woman named Diana Nyad, known for swimming from Cuba to Florida, was not as successful as she appears. Three of her five attempts were stopped by the horrid sting of the Box Jellyfish. Although she was hospitalized for several weeks, that determined woman fought through the blood-curdling experience of a sting. If you haven’t heard before, the Box Jellyfish are very powerful creatures, leaving you wanting to die.
Grace MitchellPublished 6 years ago in Petlife Sanctuaries and Cetacean "Bans"
Recently, an animal rights group known as the "Whale Sanctuary Project" revealed its desire to develop a marine mammal "sanctuary" that would house cetaceans that have spent most of their lives in human care in southeastern Nova Scotia. The pen, which would house up to ten orcas, would be about the size of around 40 soccer fields and might open by 2020 even though it would cost around $20 million for the project to be completed. Sounds ideal right?
Jenna DeedyPublished 6 years ago in Petlife