Ive just been reading an article about how noise pollution affects the stress level of Snow leopards in Zoos and it's got me thinking about the Snow leopards at WMZ. You see we currently have a mating pair of adults and until very recently had 2 cubs aswell. Unfortunately these cubs died due to feline small pox and at the moment it is not known how they became infected or why it did not effect the adults.
As perplexing as this is thats not my major concern at the moment as there is little I can do to help only being a volunteer. What is troubling me is one of the major arguments about Zoos are they a help or a hindrance to animal life?
By essentially locking away animals and removing them from their natural environment we undoutedly have an effect on their behaviour be it raising stress levels by noise pollution or increasing dependence upon humans through hand rearing. However since starting work at the zoo I've come to learn some invaluable truths about the work they do in conservation and one example inparticular springs to mind. Chester Zoo has the largest Jaguar enclosure in the world. Whilst this undoubtedly provides great entertainment to the general public (myself included) by showcasing these magnificent creatures it's most important function is as a method of conservation. With the money this enclosure brings in it supports the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Project in Belize. This is probably the biggest and most significant Jaguar conservation project in the world and without Chester Zoo's funding it would'nt exist and the numbers of Jaguars in the wild would have dwindled majorly.
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