Can’t win..Also, the letters in the cartoon show a sort of deterioration that indicates maybe someone at GoComics put up a preview of the cartoon (possibly meant for the “Get This Collectible…” graphic) instead of the regular-resolution one. .Kudos to Joel Pett for lettering the newspaper so cleanly that it is still readable. Professionalism is always nice to run into.
If wars don’t slaughter them. If they aren’t poached. They’ll be brought to a zoo and shot anyway. We have so little regard for this planet and all of its abundance. We’ll blame each other and the president and go on with our lives. Another species will die out, and who will even care?
Without zoos several species would now be extinct. The California Condor is a good example. One subspecies of black rhino (Western Black) was recently declared to be extinct outside of zoos. Overall, the major zoos and refuges do a very good job at species conservation. The Cincinnati zoo has been cited several times for excellence in gorilla breeding. However, it is hard to make anything human-proof. Even Alcatraz had escapees and people have wandered onto Area 51 by accident.
Zoos have to be open to the public as without public support they are doomed. Not only do public gifts and admissions produce money but the public’s support is necessary for the awarding of state and federal funds.
Before you criticize the zoo, remember, they had to make a snap decision with the life of a human child at stake. A male silverback can flip over an SUV with one hand. Even without intent, he could have “played” the child to death. Gorillas play rough, rougher than humans can stand. If darted, he may have taken out his anger on the child, who was handy. Since the dart takes about ten minutes (according to Jack Hanna) and makes the gorilla drunk in the mean time – releasing inhibitions, the potential for the child was dire.
While I mourn the loss of this magnificent animals, given the choice between the gorilla and the human child, I take the child every time.
hawgowarJack Hanna was an administrator, not a zoologist. There have been many times on his self-promoting TV appearances in which he could not identify an animal that many people could identify down to species, if not sub-species. Yet, these were painted over with more softball questions as though it were in his contract.
He’s not a degreed zoologist, but he knows more about wildlife than many who are. He does know about darting great apes. He’s also seen them in the wild, as have I. I saw a dominant male silverback reach up and pull a banana tree 2 feet in diameter down with one hand for the troop. I’ve also seen a family patriarch roll over a rock five feet in diameter to look for goodies, such as grubs and fat caterpillars, underneath.
Jack Hanna is a tracker of wild animals of some reputation. When an idiot loosed his lions and other predators from his private menagerie in Ohio then committed suicide, the local sheriff called in Jack to help them track and find the leopards, tigers and lions released. Unfortunately the animals had to be shot as they were released into woods and farmland in rural Ohio and some of the animals threatened several neighboring farmers. One stupid human cost us over a dozen magnificent wild beasts.
I live in Ohio and I remember what the Columbus Zoo was like before he took over. Pretty sad back then. When he left it was a very good zoo. I’d stop in and see the zoo during my military career whenever I was home on leave. There is a day/night difference in the zoo he left over the zoo he was handed when he took over.
hawgowarAs I said, an administrator, and apparently a good one. Do you really think he personally and alone tracked down and captured those animals? Compare that with the number of times on Carson and similar shows, when asked a simple question about animals in the wild (ecology), he would mumble “don’t know” and quickly change the subject. Zoos should be educational institutions or better served by parks and wildlife preserves. I’ll take Joan Embry in preference. At least I learned something from her appearances.
Kip W almost 8 years ago
Can’t win..Also, the letters in the cartoon show a sort of deterioration that indicates maybe someone at GoComics put up a preview of the cartoon (possibly meant for the “Get This Collectible…” graphic) instead of the regular-resolution one. .Kudos to Joel Pett for lettering the newspaper so cleanly that it is still readable. Professionalism is always nice to run into.
lonecat almost 8 years ago
The best cartoon by far on this topic.
Dtroutma almost 8 years ago
Look up “bush meat” and consider the threat to not just gorillas but other species. The zoo case was one more case of stupid human tricks.
Mr. Blawt almost 8 years ago
If wars don’t slaughter them. If they aren’t poached. They’ll be brought to a zoo and shot anyway. We have so little regard for this planet and all of its abundance. We’ll blame each other and the president and go on with our lives. Another species will die out, and who will even care?
hawgowar almost 8 years ago
Without zoos several species would now be extinct. The California Condor is a good example. One subspecies of black rhino (Western Black) was recently declared to be extinct outside of zoos. Overall, the major zoos and refuges do a very good job at species conservation. The Cincinnati zoo has been cited several times for excellence in gorilla breeding. However, it is hard to make anything human-proof. Even Alcatraz had escapees and people have wandered onto Area 51 by accident.
Zoos have to be open to the public as without public support they are doomed. Not only do public gifts and admissions produce money but the public’s support is necessary for the awarding of state and federal funds.
Before you criticize the zoo, remember, they had to make a snap decision with the life of a human child at stake. A male silverback can flip over an SUV with one hand. Even without intent, he could have “played” the child to death. Gorillas play rough, rougher than humans can stand. If darted, he may have taken out his anger on the child, who was handy. Since the dart takes about ten minutes (according to Jack Hanna) and makes the gorilla drunk in the mean time – releasing inhibitions, the potential for the child was dire.
While I mourn the loss of this magnificent animals, given the choice between the gorilla and the human child, I take the child every time.
hippogriff almost 8 years ago
hawgowarJack Hanna was an administrator, not a zoologist. There have been many times on his self-promoting TV appearances in which he could not identify an animal that many people could identify down to species, if not sub-species. Yet, these were painted over with more softball questions as though it were in his contract.
hawgowar almost 8 years ago
He’s not a degreed zoologist, but he knows more about wildlife than many who are. He does know about darting great apes. He’s also seen them in the wild, as have I. I saw a dominant male silverback reach up and pull a banana tree 2 feet in diameter down with one hand for the troop. I’ve also seen a family patriarch roll over a rock five feet in diameter to look for goodies, such as grubs and fat caterpillars, underneath.
Jack Hanna is a tracker of wild animals of some reputation. When an idiot loosed his lions and other predators from his private menagerie in Ohio then committed suicide, the local sheriff called in Jack to help them track and find the leopards, tigers and lions released. Unfortunately the animals had to be shot as they were released into woods and farmland in rural Ohio and some of the animals threatened several neighboring farmers. One stupid human cost us over a dozen magnificent wild beasts.
I live in Ohio and I remember what the Columbus Zoo was like before he took over. Pretty sad back then. When he left it was a very good zoo. I’d stop in and see the zoo during my military career whenever I was home on leave. There is a day/night difference in the zoo he left over the zoo he was handed when he took over.
hippogriff almost 8 years ago
hawgowarAs I said, an administrator, and apparently a good one. Do you really think he personally and alone tracked down and captured those animals? Compare that with the number of times on Carson and similar shows, when asked a simple question about animals in the wild (ecology), he would mumble “don’t know” and quickly change the subject. Zoos should be educational institutions or better served by parks and wildlife preserves. I’ll take Joan Embry in preference. At least I learned something from her appearances.