My kids were invited to a birthday party at Zoo to You, a little "indoor zoo" out in the middle of nowhere. This is our second birthday party there and Shannon, the owner and presenter, is great. She delivers a high-energy, fast-paced show-and-tell of exotic animals for kids (and adults) of all ages.
I first experienced Shannon and her animals last summer at an outdoor fair. She was wonderful but I was a little bothered when she described her animals as "exotic", typically "found in the rain forest", etc. I wouldn't consider myself a serious animal lover but I have always believed that animals should live in their native surroundings whenever possible. Keeping a pet snake in an aquarium that's half his size or raising a doberman in a tiny apartment or packing pigs in wire cages stacked to the ceiling on factory farms makes me ill.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of Shannon's 50+ animals are rescued from people who have purchased exotic animals illegally or on impulse - boa constrictors are often dumped when they get over 5 feet long and graduate to eating large rats and frozen rabbits.
According to her
Web site, Shannon's mission is:
To instill a desire in each person to conserve and protect not only the wildlife, but the balance of nature needed for our Earth to flourish for years to come.
At the party yesterday, Shannon showed this really cool raccoon-like animal that would "typically be found in the rain forest". She explained that these animals give birth to one baby once a year, if that, and that because of the depletion of the rain forest, their numbers are becoming fewer and fewer. She then told the room of 15 or so kindergarteners and their parents that, to help save the rainforest, they should do their part: recycle plastics and paper, properly dispose of batteries and other nasty stuff, etc. I looked around and, as far as I could tell, not one person listening. (Besides me, of course.)
3 Comments:
Hi Wendy,
Despite Shannon's good intentions, I am troubled by the fact that she uses the animals in the same way a zoo would - making money off them as entertainment / educational. Some qualities that make a sanctuary legit can be found at http://www.taosanctuaries.org/index07.htm - a great organization that helps people sort the quality rescue groups versus the money making roadside facilities.
A red flags to look for in a questionable rescue facility -
1) They take on many types of species, and do not specialize
2) They take animals on location, to schools or parties
3) They are open to the public
4) They do not provide for the species behavioral and physical needs (with appropriate space, privacy, diet, etc.)
I always suggest the Association of Sanctuaries for more information.
The animal you are referring to is a coatimundi. They are very cool, I agree.
Cheers,
Aleah
By Aleah, at 8:51 AM
Just happened to come across this while online. I can tell you that I have seen Shannon's shows, and you will never see someone more passionate about every last thing she does with animals. My son follows her like the plague - everywhere she does a public show he wants to attend. See one program of hers and it is so apparent that she genuinely loves each and every creature, and loves to get the kids to light up, and make the connection that this live animal that they are seeing is something humans are responsible for protecting. Just because she is funny and entertaining while doing it doesn't mean she is exploitive.
By Anonymous, at 4:45 PM
hey i seem to see that she is not as good as she is made out to be. all of the sudden u swich ova to her "side" saying how she is so great. but before u told us stuff about it , and she sounds okay. i cant trust this site. it confusing my brain. i need to go to my thearpist. right now!!!!!! :p good bye and i am not trying to joke about the thearpist thing
By Anonymous, at 12:24 AM
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