The Off Topic Topic

[liz.wis]

"THEY NEED TO BE REHABILITATED AND SET FREE."

See what happens when you set a "rehabilitated" dolphin free?

You just totally made my evening by illustrating a point with The Simpsons.

Edited February 28, 2014 by liz.wis

[zacsta_1997]

Seriously!! A petition to close seaworld. WTF is wrong with people today. Freaking hippies!! Seaworld is not just a theme park, it is a marine hospital too. Looking after aquatic animals. You don't see people complaining about Australia Zoo or Taronga Zoo, they have animal shows, and they also take in sick and injured animals. Seaworld is no different. If the dolphins don't want to jump they won't jump, they won't force them, they won't hurt them if they disobey their trainers, they only do shows around the animals natural behaviors, dolphins jump, fish swim. I don't see a problem. Just imagine if they shut down seaworld, all the injured sealife they bring into seaworld, they won't survive. All those f*****g hippies and animal protection people out there, SHUTTING DOWN SEAWORLD WILL DO MORE DAMAGE TO THE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM IN QUEENSLAND THAN 'aparently' (to the hippies) KEEPING IT OPEN. think things through before making a petition.

[AllegroCrab]

It must really pain the passionate people who give all of the animals in the marine park a safe place to live, where they would die in the wild otherwise. I think you'll find though that most of the people signing this petition aren't true animal activists,they're just your regular blow-ins who always want to take the moral high ground to make them feel like a better person. Surely anyone who truly cared about animals would know that Sea World are doing nothing detrimental to any animal's life, and also don't break down any natural ecosystem flows/cycles etc. They don't force the animals to do anything they don't want to either. It is probably even better for the animal if it works for its food. They take the animals who would otherwise not survive and allow them to live, helping us to learn more about them as a species. This will ultimately assist in management of animals in the wild. I don't see where the animals are disadvantaged here (further than their already existing disabilities).

Edited February 28, 2014 by AllegroCrab

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I'd suggest creating a 'keep it open' petition and accompanying facebook page, but the apathy of most would mean it wouldn't go far. What has been said above is pretty much spot on.

As most of you know, I have a close friend who has been VERY involved with the dolphins for a long time, and they are the first person to call one of the dolphins 'lazy' - but with every word spoken you can see how much love and compassion and care he has for those animals.

Nobody can say these animals are kept in 'pools'. Nobody can say any of the animals have food withheld as punishment. And although it may not always have been the way, Sea World's current program only sees animals bred in captivity, or those injured and unable to re-enter the wild within the park.

I just wish we could find whoever was behind this petition, and slap them upside the head with a 2Kg frozen trout... repeatedly.

[AllegroCrab]

I love their propaganda.

Let's show images of the slaughtering in Denmark and shots from Blackfish from SW Orlando. No evidence of anything of the sort happening in Australia, yet they insist on closing Gold Coast SW?

[jjuttp]

Also in their propaganda;

They have to close the park but keep open the hospital. But its not allowed to be funded by anyone.

[BigKev]

I find myself a little torn on these matters.

I'm not entirely comfortable with animals in captivity and animals performing, but I also recognise the positive aspects in terms of generating money for research and conservation.

The part I am least comfortable with is breeding the animals in captivity as opposed to housing animals that are rescued and unable to be returned to the wild.

[AllegroCrab]

The part I am least comfortable with is breeding the animals in captivity as opposed to housing animals that are rescued and unable to be returned to the wild.

Yeah I think the same thing about breeding. Once the animal is born in captivity, it is pretty much stuck in captivity for life.

Edited March 1, 2014 by AllegroCrab

[Brad2912]

So do you have the same stance on Tigers at DW?

Edited March 2, 2014 by Gazza

[themagician]

And other animals at Dreamworld, paradise country, australian outback spectacular, Australia zoo. I hardly see people complain about these. What's the difference?

[BigKev]

So do u have the same stance on Tigers at DW?

And other animals at Dreamworld, paradise country, australian outback spectacular, Australia zoo. I hardly see people complain about these. What's the difference?

I feel the same way about all animals in captivity, slightly uncomfortable but not enough to stop me going along for a look.

Animals performing makes me more uncomfortable again but again not enough for me not to enjoy it. Not claiming to be a moral beacon here but I do have mixed feelings.

I'm more comfortable with the Tigers being bred because they are endangered, and an animal in captivity is better than none at all I guess.

[jjuttp]

I like how they deleted my comment because i proved them wrong........

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

The part I am least comfortable with is breeding the animals in captivity as opposed to housing animals that are rescued and unable to be returned to the wild.

Yeah I think the same thing about breeding. Once the animal is born in captivity, it is pretty much stuck in captivity for life.

Some animals NEED to breed in order to keep them healthy. An elephant for instance MUST have a mate, and together, they're going to try breeding naturally, whether you like it or not. So captive breeding be-damned. An animal bred in captivity doesn't know any different to what it means to be in the wild - like a dog or a cat - this is the only reality they know...

The point of blackfish is all of the Whales were captured from the wild. Few of them (None of the ones with problems)were bred in captivity... An animal that is rescued, and is able to swim, interact, play in the water with guests, but is unable to defend itself in the wild means it's better at Sea World in a safe environment where it has the best food and veterinary care, protection from predators, and all the while at the same time raising funds (through ticket and merchandise and animal encounters) to support more rescue and rehab at the animal hospital.

Nobody is crying over Alma Park or Australia Zoo... why are marine animals different?

I'm more comfortable with the Tigers being bred because they are endangered, and an animal in captivity is better than none at all I guess.

So it's ok to lock them up if they're the last ones? You can't have your cake and eat it too - if the animal is land or water, endangered or plentiful, beautiful or ugly - why do any of these factors matter as to whether you're 'comfortable' with it. You're either ok with captivity for wild animals or not....

Edited March 2, 2014 by AlexB

[BigKev]

Some animals NEED to breed in order to keep them healthy. An elephant for instance MUST have a mate, and together, they're going to try breeding naturally, whether you like it or not. So captive breeding be-damned. An animal bred in captivity doesn't know any different to what it means to be in the wild - like a dog or a cat - this is the only reality they know...

The point of blackfish is all of the Whales were captured from the wild. Few of them (None of the ones with problems)were bred in captivity... An animal that is rescued, and is able to swim, interact, play in the water with guests, but is unable to defend itself in the wild means it's better at Sea World in a safe environment where it has the best food and veterinary care, protection from predators, and all the while at the same time raising funds (through ticket and merchandise and animal encounters) to support more rescue and rehab at the animal hospital.

Nobody is crying over Alma Park or Australia Zoo... why are marine animals different?

So it's ok to lock them up if they're the last ones? You can't have your cake and eat it too - if the animal is land or water, endangered or plentiful, beautiful or ugly - why do any of these factors matter as to whether you're 'comfortable' with it. You're either ok with captivity for wild animals or not....

Just to be clear I'm not just talking about SeaWorld I have mixed feelings about any zoo, circus, etc….

I certainly agree with the rescued animals part and I see the benefits of having captive animals perform natural behaviours to generate revenue to aide conservation.

Where we differ though is the breeding in captivity issue. I see housing rescued animals as perfectly fine if they are unable to be returned but I see breeding them to sustain the captive population (if that is what happens) as being a different proposition altogether.

I do think captive breeding is a better option than extinction though but I must admit I don't know where Dreamworld's tigers came from in the first place.

As I said though I'm certainly not taking the high moral ground here, I'll be at SeaWorld in a couple of weeks taking in the shows and loving them, same as many times before, but I do have some sympathy for the view that some aspects of captive animal management require more scrutiny.

[themagician]

I don't mind zoo and sea world Gold Coast, but I'm not a fan of circus'. Especially lions and monkeys

[AllegroCrab]

I like how they deleted my comment because i proved them wrong........

They blocked me faster than Robb Alvey did for voicing my opinion.

[jjuttp]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/18-wonderful-and-rare-color-photos-of-disneyland-in-1955

[liz.wis]

Great pictures. The old character costumes were a bit terrifying!

[jjuttp]

Donald takes the cake.

[strop]

The photos are fantastic, thanks for posting jjuttp, and incase you or anyone else didn't see the related link at the bottom, there is a terrific video compiling various home movies all shot at the park in 1955. Great viewing...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/incredible-rare-color-footage-of-disneyland-in-1955

[Reanimated35]

A Disney restaurant in Florida sprung a leak as diners were enjoying their meals.

A fish tank in the dinosaur-themed T-Rex Cafe’s aquatic-themed area suddenly sent water spewing toward guests.

Restaurant patron Kate Wallace, who caught the incident on video, told CNN affiliateBay News 9 that restaurant workers rushed in to get people out of the way and to save the fish in the tank.

“A seal failed on the tank causing water to leak,” said Keith Beitler, a senior vice president of Landry’s specialty restaurants division, which owns and operates T-Rex Cafe.

“Employees took action and did a great job rescuing all of the marine life, caring for our guests and managing the situation. The marine life has been moved to holding tanks and the restaurant is open for business as usual.”

Landry’s confirms that all of the marine life were rescued alive.

T-Rex is in the Downtown Disney complex, which includes restaurants, entertainment and shops. Downtown Disney sits outside Disney’s theme parks in Orlando, and there aren’t any entrance or parking fees to enter.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/disney-world-guests-flee-as-aquarium-bursts/story-e6frfq80-1226858901295

[Richard]

Anyone else expect a Mission: Impossible style fish tank explosion from that?

That's mildly more spectacular than when an aquarium I had sprung a leak...

[Reanimated35]

It's news.com.au, just be impressed they got the name of the park right.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

"fish tank explodes"....

Could the media get any more sensationalist?

[iwerks]

jjuttp

Posted 05 March 2014 - 06:05 AM

http://www.buzzfeed....neyland-in-1955

Movie World should get some mini-cars like the ones in the autopia back in 1955 - especially with that kid driving - ouch!