Not Everyone Loves Marine Land -- Duh?!

So, I'm reading this headline/article today, thinking to myself:

Are you serious?

Marineland Animals Suffering

NIAGARA FALLS, ONT.—Larry lies behind bars in a pen, his eyes red and swollen. The harbour seal with “an amazing little personality” who arrived at Marineland about eight years ago is now a shadow of his former self. After repeated exposure to unhealthy water, he has gone blind.

Larry isn’t the only sea mammal living in distress at Marineland, the sprawling attraction in Niagara Falls.

In extensive interviews with the Star, eight former Marineland staffers describe a pattern of neglect that has repeatedly resulted in animal suffering.

Well Duh!

Let me be clear. ALL Animals in captivity are suffering. They are wild animals, that should be in the wild. Yet humans think it's a great idea to put them in cages so that we can stare and poke and prod them on a daily basis for our 'entertainment'.

Zoos and animal parks in general are so despicable and I don't undertand why we still allow them?

Sure, research, endangered species dwindling habitat etc, are all reasons to have these animals in captivity according to some. According to me you should let nature take it's course.

Furthermore, if we are the ones who are destroying their natural environment, then why are we then imprisoning them to further compound the problem?

Anyway, the story of how these particular animals are treated is quite disgusting.

~Tenth

I think we should let all of the aminals go, and then put ourselves in cages.

We humans are more animals than the animals are.

Let the monkeys and elephants point and laugh at us while we suffer from lack of freedom.

I strongly believe animals in zoos and parks have their place and purpose which benefits the far greater animal population in the wild. It's entertainment, yes, but education is what matters...not the amusement of guests. If they go away with an appreciation and respect for the animals as more than a target in a video game or a bloody gib scene in a movie (I think it's getting that bad in some cases today) then whatever discomfort the animals have in well run facilities is more than made up for.


Having said that, I sure wouldn't mind seeing an industry based form of policing the places which are permitted to have animals outside the traditional house pets. Staff it with your Animal rights people with the basic understanding that closing a place like Sea World or Disney Animal Kingdom is not within their power and never ever will be......then they can be Nazi's about keeping the places honest and we'll all be happy.

Places like Marine Land sound like they need closed, the owners sitting in a cell for while to consider animal cruelty and an educational moment had in an entirely new direction than first intended.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I enjoy zoos, and absolutely loved taking my 2 year old to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa last January... he had the best time. It filled me with joy to see him laughing and pointing so excitedly at the animals there.

HOWEVER... I understand where you are coming from. While zoos are enjoyable for us, they are much less so for the creatures that must stay there.
I am all for housing wounded/endangered species to help them rehabilitate in a safe environment to be released back into the wild when they are healthy.
It is probably time for us to consider shutting down 'attraction' parks such as SeaWorld, etc., that really only exist to make a profit. As much as I enjoy seeing the animals up close, that is supposed to be done in nature, not the way we do it now.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

I strongly believe animals in zoos and parks have their place and purpose which benefits the far greater animal population in the wild. It's entertainment, yes, but education is what matters...not the amusement of guests. If they go away with an appreciation and respect for the animals as more than a target in a video game or a bloody gib scene in a movie (I think it's getting that bad in some cases today) then whatever discomfort the animals have in well run facilities is more than made up for.

There's my problem right there wrabbit.

We think we are more important than the animals, and so they can be caged and kept hostage for the sake of our 'education'. And if one single person gains appreciation for them, then it was all worth it. I just not a mentality I can agree with.

Having said that, I sure wouldn't mind seeing an industry based form of policing the places which are permitted to have animals outside the traditional house pets. Staff it with your Animal rights people with the basic understanding that closing a place like Sea World or Disney Animal Kingdom is not within their power and never ever will be......then they can be Nazi's about keeping the places honest and we'll all be happy.

Places like Marine Land sound like they need closed, the owners sitting in a cell for while to consider animal cruelty and an educational moment had in an entirely new direction than first intended.

All of this I agree with, my only fear is that we end up having zealous groups like PITA policing the places and that's not going to do anybody any good.

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower

To stay honest to my personal principles here I can't argue with your premise that confining animals is fundamentally wrong. However, I am realistic about human nature in saying that without the effect zoos do manage to have, the human animals would do even more harm to the animal population in the wild then they already do.

If you ever get to Springfield sometime, go to Bass Pro and see their Museum. Among the many displays are some that took my breath away and changed my outlook considerably. They are the mountains ..and I mean literal mountains..of skulls they took pictures of. Buffalo and other animals, but these were the bounties of single or just a few hunts. 2 stories high in some pictures. 10's of thousands of them...and then just a few men posing who did all that killing....and exterminated whole herds and near species.

That's the kind of thing I think the education at least helps to keep society as a whole from tolerating again. I'll concede it may well be the lesser of evils and I hate that argument in most cases..but in this one, the lesser is comes with some tangible benefit.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Stop it with your common sense, would it kill you to just agree with me?!

I jest..

But Yes, I understand where you are coming from and like the above poster stated, I have no problem with short term, rehabilitation centers for animals that are endangered or in need of healing, with programs that allow for them to be re-introduced into the wild.

It just feels like a factory farm to me when I got to the zoo and hardly to I ever see any 'happy' animals.

~Tenth

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
I strongly believe animals in zoos and parks have their place and purpose which benefits the far greater animal population in the wild. It's entertainment, yes, but education is what matters...not the amusement of guests. If they go away with an appreciation and respect for the animals as more than a target in a video game or a bloody gib scene in a movie (I think it's getting that bad in some cases today) then whatever discomfort the animals have in well run facilities is more than made up for.


Having said that, I sure wouldn't mind seeing an industry based form of policing the places which are permitted to have animals outside the traditional house pets. Staff it with your Animal rights people with the basic understanding that closing a place like Sea World or Disney Animal Kingdom is not within their power and never ever will be......then they can be Nazi's about keeping the places honest and we'll all be happy.

Places like Marine Land sound like they need closed, the owners sitting in a cell for while to consider animal cruelty and an educational moment had in an entirely new direction than first intended.

There are clearly better ways to educate then to torture and imprison! So maybe we should have a zoo with a person from each country that is not our ow so we can learn of their lives and maybe appreciate them more?

I think what you would not want to happen to yourself nor your children should not be done to other creatures who have the desire to be free and to build their homes and families as much as we do!

reply to post by Char-Lee

So maybe we should have a zoo with a person from each country that is not our ow so we can learn of their lives and maybe appreciate them more?

They do. It's called Epcot, down the road from the Animal Kingdom.

I'll certainly say that there is a world of difference between Bubba's Pettin' Zo0 out at Dogpatch (I'm not entirely kidding..and there is a place named that south of here..) and the World Class care for animals at a place like the L.A. Zoo or Animal Kingdom. This story shows one that looks, by all rights, to be on the Bubba side of the scale and should absolutely be padlocked with prosecutions.....by how the video depicts it. I hate the unnecessary inflicting of ANY pain on any living thing. Even liber....Err.. nvm.

Seriously.. I'd be happy if we all worked together to get the countless nightmare places shut down and then everyone could come together on standards for places like Disney when they are all that remain to regulate.

* My comment about Epcot isn't sarcasm, it's literally factual. The International section of Epcot is a little 'land' for each major nation chosen and everyone working IN that land is on a temp work Visa from the nation the land represents...So I couldn't help the context since Disney already comes up here.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I don't think there is any enclosure that can let an animal feel freedom. The big cats and bears that travel many miles a day in the wild, pace their enclosures. Look at the pacing trails.

Tell me that prisoners being well cared for makes them ok with being in prison?

Birds that people decide should be their pets, that mate for life in the wild, and like...most humans...choose their mate carefully, pluck their beautiful feathers out from stress and sometimes treat a owner like a mate since they have never had the luxury of a mate of their own

Can you even contemplate what it would be to be able to FLY and spend your life in a cage or with a wing tip cut in a house so that you can never fly away?

If anyone looks they will see the unhappiness, but most humans do not attribute the animal with the ability to feel fear, frustration, and loss.

We are a cruel species and we think not of the feelings of others but only what we like and enjoy!

reply to post by Char-Lee

You're speaking in pure philosophy now though and I've really been trying to stick with being pragmatic. If we actually had the power to change the things you talk about, then we'd have a very different discussion of course and perhaps, changes. The world isn't that way and sure won't be in our lifetimes....so my opinions are based on dealing with that in mind.

The tough thing is I hear your points too..and can relate in one area. I feel as strongly about Whaling and the execution of what strike me as sentient and very intelligent creatures. That's killing outright and on sight though. That is definitely a bit different. (and if anyone out there can't distinguish between those...I don't know what to say)..

There is a vast difference between zoo's and amusement attractions like Sea World, and the circus. And given that the fact is humanity is fast destroying many natural habitats and hunting animals to extinction they have their place. One of the key differences is that well funded modern zoo's having been and constantly are upgrading their exhibits to foster more natural environments for their residents.

Places like Sea World and Marine Land bother me because they are not specifically trying to protect these creatures. There is just something fundamentally wrong with putting a whale in a fish tank and expecting it to be happy. Their goal is about making a profit through entertainment with literally no interest in trying to foster as many natural habitats and behaviors as possible.