Scott Bruun: Why The Oregon Zoo is Awesome
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Polar Bear at the Oregon Zoo, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo
Their American son has two suburban teen daughters of his own. Talented, occasionally snarky teen daughters. These girls also attend. It’s their once-a-year opportunity to see both paternal grandparents at the same time.
Grandpa has two other sons, younger half-brothers of the first son. These sons are Nordic, their mother born in Norway. Skipping continents, these sons are married to two South American women; one Brazilian and one Argentinian. The Brazilian, daughter-in-law of the American grandpa, no relation to the American grandma, also attends the gathering. And with her she brings her two polyglot, grade school-age children.
So just to be clear, the gathering that American grandma organizes once a year includes her two granddaughters, her former husband, her former husband’s Brazilian daughter-in-law, and the young children of one her son’s Norwegian half-brothers.
The set-up for an episode of “Modern Family”? Nope, just a great family day organized by my mom. Her annual treat at the Oregon Zoo.
And what a wonderful place for a treat like that, our Oregon Zoo. A beautiful, 64-acre tree-lined setting of exhibits that include nearly 2,000 individual animals and over 1,000 species of exotic plants. All of which attracts nearly two million visitors annually.
Our zoo is a good thing. A place Oregonians can be proud of, and celebrate. A place where world-class efforts in wildlife conservation, education and research deliver world-class results. And a place whose mission, in fact it’s very right to existence, deserves a hearty defense against would-be detractors.
Gulp, awkward silence. “Sorry, I didn’t know that.” And I should have, given that I also write for GoLocalPDX. But rest assured, I am now a devoted reader and fan of GoLocalPDX’s weekly “Dear Robin” column.
Following that dinner, I learned that Robin was no fan of the Oregon Zoo. Loathed it, in fact. Taking the bait, the idea of doing separate pro/con opinion articles on the zoo came up. And while I promise to never do a “Dear Scott” piece, I am offering this opening salvo. If Robin does write a retort, my guess is that she will focus her ire on issues of animal rights and how those rights are impinged or ignored at the Oregon Zoo.
And of course, she would be correct. Partially. The rights of animals are subordinated at a zoo. Not in the sense of treatment or care, mind you. Modern zoos in general and the Oregon Zoo in particular do a fantastic job in the care and treatment of animals. Correct foods and nutrition, first-class veterinary care, exercise, socialization and enrichment activities are the standard. And the days of steel cages and concrete pits are long gone. The naturalized habitats within today’s zoos are made to look and feel like it’s the humans being kept out, rather than the animals being kept in.
Yet these are wild animals; they are not pets and they are not tame. While they may grow accustom to their captive environment and the presence of humans, there remains no doubt that these animals were built for the wild. That in fact, they are at their individual best and most beautiful natural state when in the wild. And that when removed from the wild, even to an environment as sound as the Oregon Zoo, they are somewhat diminished.
Yet without zoos, without the education and knowledge that zoos provide, animals in the wild would in fact be diminished. Without the research and conservation efforts provided by zoos, without the public affinity and appreciation for animals that zoos foster, the natural world and its animal kingdom would be much smaller and at much greater risk than it is today.
Zoos promote animal awareness and knowledge. My kids spent weeks almost every summer attending Zoo Camp at the Oregon Zoo. That experience has made them ardent defenders of animal and habitat conservation in the natural world. One simply cannot visit the Oregon Zoo as a child, a parent, a student, a tourist or a researcher, and walk away indifferent. The best defense for animals in the wild are the animals in captivity at the zoo. And the biggest advocates for animals in the wild are, in fact, those people who fell in love with animals at the zoo.
People like American grandma, who will continue to lead an eclectic family’s annual visit to the Oregon Zoo. People who will enjoy one of the nation’s top zoos. People whose appreciation for cougars, elephants, sea lions, African lions, polar bears and penguins in the wild, even bats, will grow because they experienced those same animals at our zoo. And people who can feel good because they are supporting an institution that contributes to the health and preservation of animals around our world.
Banner Photos: Asian Elephants at the Oregon Zoo
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