I really liked Saito's chapter on "Unscenic Nature". I thought she brought up an important concept, which involves questioning that everything in nature is aesthetically appreciable. Furthermore, I really like when she speaks about Zoos because sometimes I also have a duality for the idea.
When I was a child I used to absolutely HATE Zoos because I saw these animals in small pitiful cages and viewed them as Saito does on Pg. 246: "The same sound expressing the majestic dignity of a lion's roar heard in the wild may be transformed into a pitiful cry when heard from a lion in captivity". Now that I'm older, I recognize that Zoos protect and save animals and serve an important function. However, I still become a little angry when I see small cages. It's been a long time since I've been to the Cincinnati Zoo, 3ish years, but last time I was there I was completely frustrated by a Wild Cat exhibition...I saw a leopard with barely enough room to walk and I kept thinking, "Hopefully, they are moving her". It's so sad that some endangered animals can't be wild in their natural environments and be a part of the ecosystem. That being said, most of the habitats at the Cincy Zoo are quite large and seem to accommodate the animals and zoos do give us a unique opportunity to observe animals.
Also, I found the broadcast I talked about in class where Chris Packham discusses if Giant Pandas are worth saving...I see both arguments discussed in this. Link it below if anyone is interested, but I will warn it is 10 minutes long:
http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/21/16964074-are-giant-pandas-worth-saving?lite
I apologize for ranting, I'm just a passionate animal lover :p
I'm with you on the whole idea of keeping animals in tiny cages, I can't stand it either. I remember once walking though the Newport Aquarium I saw this tortoise in such tight confinement it didn't even look like he had enough space to even make a 180 degree turn. It broke my heart. I appreciate the thought of zoos and such saving animals and being a place for people to see those you wouldn't normally see in your own backyard but at the very least they should all be given a decently large space to be kept.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I'm glad someone else is passionate about this :0)
ReplyDelete