A Photo That Touches My Heart

reply to post by KaelemJames


You know the ONLY reason these photos (or animals) like this exist is because people like YOU actually PAY MONEY to go see them?

If nobody went to the zoo to see animals in a pen and pay good money to do so, this stuff wouldn't happen!

I just wanted you to feel more guilty about this, maybe shed another tear for the poor, poor penguin who will never see his family every again or be free.....Because we as a species think it is "cute" to see the cuddly little animals at the zoo.....

Don't really feel bad about what I just said, because I feel bad from typing it in.....

What a cute little penguin though....Huh?

Originally posted by Cuervo
I didn't quite get that. I believe his thinking is more along the line of "I'm glad I'm in here instead of in that urban jungle"

If there were a wild and beautiful tundra out the window, I'd agree with you. The photo is very touching but, for me, it's sad because he's staring at an eyesore of a city.

From the angle i took the photo (i could not move any closer to the window) you cannot see the docks, nor the ocean. The aquarium is right at the shoreline and docks. When in Cape Town you will see that the marine life is everywhere. They lie about on the jetty's, they are everywhere.

But, one need to have been or live in Cape Town to know what i am trying to explain.

Peace & love

reply to post by Chrisfishenstein


Thank you ChrisfishenFrankenstein!

I blame the tourists!

Such a beautiful and moving photo. A scene frozen in time that expresses so much about life.

reply to post by KaelemJames


So the penguin wants to live in one of those shabby highrise apartments? That's what it looks like it's stareing at to me.

Zoo's make me sad. Especially when I go to the primate section.

reply to post by KaelemJames


I bet he is thanking god that he doesn't have to scrape by to survive as those stinking pigeons have to.

Originally posted by Chrisfishenstein
reply to post by KaelemJames

 

You know the ONLY reason these photos (or animals) like this exist is because people like YOU actually PAY MONEY to go see them?

If nobody went to the zoo to see animals in a pen and pay good money to do so, this stuff wouldn't happen!

I just wanted you to feel more guilty about this, maybe shed another tear for the poor, poor penguin who will never see his family every again or be free.....Because we as a species think it is "cute" to see the cuddly little animals at the zoo.....

Don't really feel bad about what I just said, because I feel bad from typing it in.....

What a cute little penguin though....Huh?

Yea, and he'll never have to eat irradiated fish and with no interest we could do away with those pesky animal rescue ops too.

reply to post by KaelemJames


I guess I overlooked the fact that the penguin probably has a better view than what the photo shows. In either case, a picture that hits me in a different way than it hits you just shows how great of a shot it is.

reply to post by KaelemJames

That is heartbreaking to see,and that is the true cost of keeping these poor little things in captivity for our "entertainment",the sooner we realise that keeping other species in an alien environment is so wrong,the better.

Originally posted by Turkenstein
reply to post by KaelemJames

 

I bet he is thanking god that he doesn't have to scrape by to survive as those stinking pigeons have to.

After watching the documentary "March of the Penguins" (which broke my heart) I honestly think I'd rather be in a zoo if I was a penguin. Of course, he doesn't know what it's like on the outside.

Talk about anthropomorphizing!!

Most animals in captivity today are either rescues, or bred.

They don't know that there is anything else out there.

The penguin, could of simply been staring out the window.

reply to post by Cuervo


Thank you But, it is difficult to capture that what is right by the window, as you know.

While i stood there, 1 or 2 penguins were seeking attention, so i was capturing close up pics of them. This guy just stood there there whole time, he did not move no matter the noise of children, or whatsoever. That is when i kind of realized, imo, he does not care for what is inside. I then snapped this photo, and only this one photo of this little guy. I was there for a few minutes and only he was on my mind, but he stood still, in that same spot, gazing outside.

If he was looking at the brick wall, well, he got me. But, i felt different on the inside. This guy wants out.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Talk about anthropomorphizing!!

Most animals in captivity today are either rescues, or bred.

They don't know that there is anything else out there.

The penguin, could of simply been staring out the window.

You know, all i am gonna say, in my opinion, you are wrong. There's something we call instinct.

reply to post by windword


It's tantamount to animal abuse these days to allow a cat to enjoy the outdoors, even if it is fixed. Animal nazis annoy the dickens out of me sometimes. I have an old stray tomcat that took up here nearly a year ago, and he's just as sweet as pudding. He never leaves the front yard area except to go in the backyard to patrol and hunt at night. When we first discovered him at the door, we immediately fed him and gave him water. He took to being petted, picked up and loved on so I knew he was someone's once upon a time. He didn't object to being bathed, groomed and given wormer. He just was not happy inside. He sat by the window looking sad and longing, much like the little penguin. So, we gave the guy his freedom. He keeps our yard and consequently, our home, free of field mice and snakes and in return, we give him all the food he can eat, clean cold water to drink, a cozy enclosed bed and hidey hole on the porch, and routine health care like shots and flea and tick treatments. On the other hand, I have one indoor cat that hates outside. He will poke his nose out to greet Porch Cat, but then it's time to go back and snooze on the sofa.

reply to post by Ben81


First off, zoos, on top of keeping animals, also rehab a lot of animals that were bought on the black market and abused.

Most of the animals were born in captivity, which is why you will see local animals dissapear from a zoo to enter a breeding program.

They also breed endangered animals so they don't go extinct.

There are animals that are kept that the public never sees, they have mental disorders, so they cannot survive in the wild or even handle the viewing public. They are gently taken care of behind the scenes.

In respectable zoos, keepers don't do their jobs for the money. They are not paid a fraction of what they are worth, and they treat the animals like family members if not better. They will call a vet at the first sign of a problem, and many get very good maintenance care.

My local zoo just spent a whopping 4 million dollars on a polar bear exhibit. And it is stunning. They are hardly neglected.

You should actually know how a zoo works before you make such dramatic statements.

AZA accredited zoos go through a grueling and very rigerous inspection in order to get the accredation.

Zoos are important for education people about animals, and letting them actually see a living animal instead of just a picture, and helps conservation.

So that person who fell in love with a giraffe at a zoo, may end up contributing to WWF in order to protect their wild cousins.

Considering the death rates of teeny penguins and those who make it to adulthood and are eaten by predators... Id say this guy has it pretty good. 3 fish and a refrigerated bathing pool. Sort of like Penguin heaven.

reply to post by HoppedUp


It kinda depends on the cat.

Short haired, especially tuxedo cats, and many tabby's, HAVE to be outdoors.

If you feel your neighborhood is safe enough that the can't doesn't run the risk of being eaten by a dog, hit by a car, or taken off by something, I believe they should live a shorter, but happier life.

Some cats you just can't keep indoors.

Just keep them up on their vet visits and their shots, and a chip if they get lost.

Longer haired and more "pedigreed" cats almost make it clear that they prefer to keep indoors.

Cats are tamed, but they are not domesticated.

reply to post by Advantage


Pretty much!

Our city zoo has a keeper that takes care of the ones that an irresponsible human imprinted themselves on a baby penguin.

So he has a penguin that follows him everywhere and he has to take it homes sometimes. It is awfully cute.

reply to post by sad_eyed_lady


There are 17 species of penguins. Only 5 live in the cold.

Originally posted by KaelemJames
reply to post by Cuervo

 

Thank you

But, it is difficult to capture that what is right by the window, as you know.

While i stood there, 1 or 2 penguins were seeking attention, so i was capturing close up pics of them. This guy just stood there there whole time, he did not move no matter the noise of children, or whatsoever. That is when i kind of realized, imo, he does not care for what is inside. I then snapped this photo, and only this one photo of this little guy. I was there for a few minutes and only he was on my mind, but he stood still, in that same spot, gazing outside.

If he was looking at the brick wall, well, he got me. But, i felt different on the inside. This guy wants out.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Talk about anthropomorphizing!!

Most animals in captivity today are either rescues, or bred.

They don't know that there is anything else out there.

The penguin, could of simply been staring out the window.

You know, all i am gonna say, in my opinion, you are wrong. There's something we call instinct.

edit on 09/02/2012 by KaelemJames because: (no reason given)

Instinct of what? To poop? Eat?

That penguin is being visited by ancestral spirits telling it where it should be?

You are trying to tell me that YOU know what a penguin is thinking.

But you don't.

This isn't the movie Madagascar, and it is wistfully thinking of places it has never seen.

If this is the only life they know, they are content with that. Which is why zoos have gone with the breeding programs and rescues.

Do you really think that penguin would surive in whatever place you think it is dreaming of? lol