In the last few days, I spend some time at the Calgary Zoo and it was a very weird experience for me. The weather in Alberta was very cold just like the rest of central and eastern Canada, minus 27 and below in some spots.
Due to the extreme cold many of the animals at the zoo were kept inside however as I ventured around the zoo I spotted lots outside. Having seen many animals over the years living both in the wild and in captivity it puts things into perspective in many ways.
I've always had mixed feeling about zoo's and what zoo's represent. Seeing African animals in the snow just doesn't seem right and watching both hippos and giraffe feeding, while housing in these man made structures is bizarre to say the least.
I'm not someone who is going to sit on a soapbox and talk about animal rights and weather or not animals in captivity is a good or bad thing. That can be debate for the comments below. I understand zoo's and aquariums can have there place for scientific research and education. I feel that education is a huge part of what is necessary to ensure that humans and animals can coexist for years to come. Kids love the zoo and if the zoo is built and maintained for the right reasons then I can appreciate why they exist.
Thanks for reading and please keep the comments clean and civil.
Scott
For more stories and images - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/
Thanks for sharing. You have a really good view ..
I think you should go to wildlife reserves to enjoy seeing animals.
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God bless you
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@scottdphoto looking at the animals in captivity,a person with a keen sense of observation can see that something is missing,like a side of them is being repressed.Much like a man in prison with limitations of movements, rights and freedom leads to depression in spirit,mind and body same also happens to animals in captivity only difference is they become spectacles.I would rather go on a safari to see the animals in their natural habitat as nature intended them to be natural predators or prey doing the dance of death and life.
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yeah but who wants to bring a toddler on safari? how many people can afford to?
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So then just don't bring you kid on the safari? Wait a few years? Seeing "exotic" animals is not some kind of fundamental right we're entitled to.
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I am sure I didn't say it was a fundamental right but if you want people to actually give a shit about those animals then letting them see and experience them is fairly basic, far fewer people will care about them if they are not inspired by them as children. It's pretty absurd and elitist to say "just go on safari instead". Not to mention how essential zoos are for research and conservation efforts. The individuals in the zoo are like ambassadors for their species.
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@funbobby51. Wild animals belongs in the wild, anything short of that is irrelevant. If the kids wants to see them tune to National geographic channel
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awesome shoot
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I always thought the zoo was cool when I was growing up. I liked seeing all the different animals that I couldn't see in my backyard. A few years ago I went to a small local zoo and the conditions were so bad that I felt depressed looking at the depressed animals. Most of them just laid in the dirt and did nothing. The worst was the elephants; animals that are used to having 100s of acres to roam around were in an area not bigger than someone's yard. Just sad.
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I love the quality of images and how wild you see everything
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Yes especially the image of the tiger looks super cool. I think it is because of the contrast between the snow and an animal that is associated with rather hot places. I also thought about going the zoo to play around with my new camera. I' ve heard from a vet that some zoos can be actually alright for the animals. So there doesn't have to be a contradiction between holding the animals in captivity and educated people who can't travel. But I am not a pro, so I can't say for sure it's true.
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I always wonder why people think that there people who love animals more than zoologists.
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awesome photo!)
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@politt your nice posts your support me Steemit thank you
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Prefer not to go to the zoo, I do feel bad for the animals. Thanks for posting this, it brings awareness!!
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Hello @thomasfarley your good content your support me Steemit I will support you
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Following yah ;)
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An animal should live in it's natural habitat and not held captive in zoo's to make money. That is just my opinion and I am sure not everyone may agree.
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I've recently visited the one in my city and I felt the same.. Mixed feelings. I went so my little daughter could see the animals
Great shots btw
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Animals really are another world and their real world is far from human. Man has changed the balance of nature very much by entering the world of the earth, and really it does not deserve what is happening to it, we hope to live in peace.
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Your last image of the tiger in the snow was very powerful. Beautiful contrast between the orange, black, and white!
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It's heartwarming to see injured animals in a zoo because they're receiving rehabilitation and kindness from humans who empathize with an animals struggle to survive in the modern world. Though, when there are frustrated, sad animals pacing back and forth...that's heartbreaking. It's a tough issue. Would future generations care less about animals if they'd just seen them on TV instead of in person? Does it benefit the survival of their species some way if they're in a zoo? The smaller animals like meerkats have it made in a zoo. Plenty of space, lots of food and no predators. But the bigger animals....if they're 100% healthy I can't see it being a good existence. Not enough room to roam & solitary confinement.
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the concept of animal captivity comes down to two things for me. is it for science or for entertainment
(as both are applicable in zoos I guess it's what comes first.)
if animals are kept captive in the pursuit of science and education, then the act will most likely link directly back to the preservation of said animal races, meaning that captivity on an anecdotal or individual level is sad, but on a societal level, it's a benefit
a necessary evil i guess
i do understand that some people would disagree though, but i'd say i'm somewhat of a pragmatic conservationist, and since the sum of the action brings more good than harm i'd support it
tl;dr: idk, i like zoos
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Same feelings. I enjoy a zoo but have difficulty justifying captivity. I have concluded the zoos are unnecessary. It isn't a hands on experience. We can look at pictures of animals in their natural habitats and probably learn and see more!
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Really nice photos man! What lens do you use?
Nice photo realistic👍
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Dear follow me I will follow back your support me i will you @lovemedik
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Lessen your impact on the wildlife! :)
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Beats being in the wild, I heard it was so cold they had to bring the penguins inside.
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My dear friend your very nice contents @scottdphoto I wish your support me Steemit thank you
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Scott, those are excellent photos. Congratulations.
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I have been to the Calgary Zoo as late as May for an end of school year trip with all the kids from our local Amish school. I was surprised to find it was still snowing at that time of the year. I know every year is different, but this post has made me think about how these animals are not just living in a colder climate, but that it lasts considerably longer than many people might think.
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Beautiful pictures and good content. Nice one.
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Great photos. Oh I felt sorry for those African animals living in the cage and in cold weather. Hope they survive..
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zoo should be well kept, because it is the only source of art and nature that intrigues humans especially kids.
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Great post, it does seem rather surreal to see a tiger in the snow though, haha.
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Winer 500$ upcoin.com/?ID=25a6832b
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Absolutely amazing photos...and thanks for your perspective! We live just a couple hours down the highway from you guys and my children love the opportunity to learn about the animals and understand the environment.
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Personally not a big fan of zoos (or safaris for that matter), but they might provide a crucial refuge for some species. Good educational experiences. I'm quite happy with TV/online documentaries, especially the new ones from the BBC with David Attenborough. No zoo visit or safari could provide me with such amazing scenes and stories.
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Nice picture for thes animal
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awesome photos your shots has a really wonderful aesthetic i love it
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Loving tone's in the photographs.
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amazing amazing amazing photography loved .. loved the animals to
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Realy nice pictures @scottdphoto
The most important in picture is what you want to show and not only what you see !
Everithing about Feeling ;)
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I have lived in Calgary like 10 years and have never been to the Zoo. LOL. I was going to go to Zoo Lights last year...
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I have mixed feelings with the zoos, even if some are to educate the children I think we have to take into account the habitat of some of these animals, even so I appreciate and I see that some zoos take care of their animals. Thanks for these beautiful photos @scottdphoto .
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Good collection of pics nice post
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Unfortunately, animals are victims of our perspective of good or bad. We offer knowledge in exchange for prison disguised as kindness. Very good post
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Looking at the pictures it looks like the animals are confused and depressed.
They are used to a warm climate, where their roots are.
And if your roots are now in the extreme cold, it can be very difficult for those animals to carry on.
For us people it could be cool to see these animals in real life, but if you try to understand what they have to go through, you get indeed mixed feelings.
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For some reason I guess, animals in a zoo can be a good thing though they have to make a big adjustment not being in the wild. But if they are in the wild, they can be a prey or they're starve if they cant hunt. Eventualy they'll die. #opinion. This is something nice to read.
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I've feel exactly the same while visiting any zoo... It's pretty interesting watching those animals in captivity (even if they're very well treated) and it's weird at the same time that I would like them to be in their own natural habitat. Very good shots by the way!
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: boca_abierta :
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Animals are definitely better off in their natural habitats and protecting zones where they can roam free should be priority number one. However, it's also worth considering the tremendous long term benefits that responsible zoos' captive breeding programs can have on conservation efforts for endangered species. As long as living conditions are appropriate and humane, the added revenue garnered from visitation not to mention the public's more informed take-away could help ensure the survival of at least some of our planet's threatened species for posterity to enjoy as well.
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Such a wonderful pictures @scottdphoto. We have started a contest on wildlife photography. Please participate and earn rewards and help the animals and wildlife, as part of the author rewards will be used for the conservation of wildlife and nature.
https://steemit.com/contest/@patronage/contest-1-wildlife-photography
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I love animals ,but in reality I never see a hypo or a tiger, even zebra's. but i guess they are in danger species here on Asia, thank your for your great photography and thank you for sharing this .@scottdphoto. have a nice time.
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Such good pictures! Very interesting discussion on freedom and zoos...perhaps it could tie in with human freedom vs complacency and centralization :)
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The picture is very nice , your post is interesting
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I completely understand! I have the same contempt in my heart when i visit Zoos (Toronto is closest to me). When you open your mind to how an animal may feel on the other side of the glass, it doesn't take much to realize how sad, bored, or in this case far from their ideal habitat they actually are. Good on ya for raising your concern, it gets people talking.
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If not in a Zoo, you would probably never been able to see a real hippo or other exotic animals. But yes, it's kind of sad to see them out of they natural habitat. Lion's and snow?
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Allah hu akbar binatang yg lucu
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Yeah, agreed. Zoos can be a great experience for kids and adults alike, can be useful for study and research, and not everyone has the time or money to be able to travel to see these totally amazing animals in their natural habitats.... but the contradictions are strange, the feelings evoked from keeping them captive are so mixed. I don't know how I feel about it. Thanks for your post and the beautiful pictures.
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Me encanta!!
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These animals are soo beautiful
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amazing
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I love animals but have mixed feelings towards zoo. One of the reasons for creating zoo is to preserve the existence of theseunique creatures but on the other hand i am concerned about the loss of freedom of the animals. No one wants tobe put in captivity, not even animals. A deep look at then and you will discover they seem to be communicating a message and cry for freedom. It seems i hear them say "they are not being preserved but used as source of income"
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Beautiful pictures of truly majestic creatures. It saddens me to se them captive and in a completely alien environment. I don't get the we need zoos to educate kids about animals. After all kids know tonnes about dinosaurs, yet have never seen a real live one ( Bar maybe a crocodile)
Upvoted, resteemed and followed for quality photos.
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schöne Fotos
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Well, I were ok with zoos when I was a little girl, but now, I don't like them. I have a little baby and I don't think I'm gonna take him to the zoo.
It's that having travel to Kenya (and so other many places) and see wild animals free it's a more gratificant experience. But I agree that if they are in a place for caring purpose, it's ok (like the pandas in Chengdu, but also there I suspected a little bit - there was a fine line between earning as much money as they could and taking care).
Nice photos! Regards,
Flor
PS - editing - also seeing these animals in the snow is a little sad :(
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I so much love hippos ,come to Africa u gonna see a lot
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Este es un buen tema para discutir, los zoológicos le permiten conocer a los animales a miles de personas que de otro modo no podrían conocer... yo e visitado mucho de ellos a lo largo de mi vida y visto animales que no son de esta región donde vivo, pero no podemos olvidar que estos son animales en cautiverio que se les a privado de su libertad... todos hemos nacido libres y debemos ser libres inclusos estos bellos animales
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Seeing exotic animals inside paddocks filled with snow like this makes me sad... If I had a kid I would never bring them to a place like a zoo, thats surely not a healthy way to educate them about animals.
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Beautiful photos man. I kind of feel the same way about Zoos as I do about Circuses. In my mind there is no way to justify removing animals from their natural habitats to amuse curious man. Rather have parks or reserves and in the case where certain animals live in a removed geographic region, watch a documentary.
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