[Thanks to my friend Nina who shared this vid on her FB Wall!]
I'm hoping to start a tradition of finding something to warm my heart every Friday morning ... apologies in advance if this idea, like so many, gets swept away in the headlong rush of life.
Free Flow of Information for whom?
10 years ago
TIGERS is part of a notorious private animal breeding network that both the AZA and PETA-- normally not the best of friends-- would like to see shut down. The orangutan babies such as Surya are often inbred and immediately pulled from their mothers to be raised for the entertainment industry. "Doc" Antle is no real doctor. He is a showman who makes a lot of money by letting tourists sit and cuddle his orangutans & big cats for a nominal fee. Unfortunately, he managed to get on Oprah, Ellen and NatGeo-- and has probably raked in millions of dollars as a result. Shame on them for not doing their homework in their desperation to attract and entertain viewers! Here's a little more info about him: http://www.911animalabuse.com/00abusers/bhagavandocantle.htm
ReplyDeleteTIGERS' videos and photos are everywhere... and it's really sad that this is what gets all the attention--especially when the situation in the wild is so desperate. All of TIGERS' vapid platitudes about conservation were literally tacked onto their video clips and promo materials after the fact in order to try to whitewash their sordid reputation. They do nothing for conservation in Borneo. We've checked....
Surya and Roscoe will not be together very long-- unless Roscoe doesn't mind having his legs and neck broken by an over-exuberant pre-adolescent orangutan who doesn't know his own strength!
Orangutans are not here for our entertainment!
They need to be helped-- not exploited!
http://redapes.org
Thank you Dr. Zaius for your informative comment! And especially for raising my consciousness regarding the need to check out the nature of any seeming animal advocacy org to make sure they are not the sort of exploiter-described-as-advocate you describe. I simply found that video in a random World Wide Meandering sort of way while browsing around, and as someone who is typing while reclining on my daybed with my two dogs and two cats, all of whom love each other, I just fell for The Peaceable Kingdom aspect without practicing conscientous blogging.
ReplyDeleteI toyed with the idea of taking my post down but decided to leave it as an example of what you are talking about. Your comment has become the key point of this page, then!
I was wondering about what would happen to that cuddly friendship with Roscoe when Surya grows up, having watched Julia Roberts' "In the Wild" episode. It was clear that orangutans are formidable animals, and loners, which is what attracted Roberts to choose the animal for her episode.
For anyone reading this, please visit http://redapes.org and getcherself ejjacated :-)
thanks again.