Having a little break in Florida

I got a chance to get away last week and spend some time with animals in parks and in the wild, which I’ve always enjoyed.

7 thoughts on “Having a little break in Florida”

Freddy says:

February 13, 2022 at 11:41 AM

It is sad and cruel to imprison wild animals in such a manner.

Father Carrozza says:

February 13, 2022 at 4:37 PM

How sad that you think that. They are well cared for, have no natural predators, receive regular medical attention, and live longer in captivity than they do in the wild. I assure you they look very comfortable in their large natural habitat

Reply
- Freddy says:
  
  February 14, 2022 at 8:59 AM
  
  I must disagree with you on this, the very fact that they are not allowed in their natural habitat is cruel. Animals have rights, too.
- Father Carrozza says:
  
  February 14, 2022 at 6:46 PM
  
  What is your evidence to say that this is cruel to animals? Yes, there are some places that don’t treat animals properly, and as an animal lover, I would be the first person to decry the abuse. But not these parks. The animals here are interacting with each other in a normal manner, are getting medical care, and have no predators. There is no indication at all that they sense anything is “wrong” with their habitat. Some of them are actually rescue animals that were found injured in the wild. If they were left alone and not rescued, they’d be easy prey for predators or die of starvation. If they can be rehabilitated, they are released in the wild. Others who cannot be released into the wild are used as ambassadors to help people appreciate these beautiful creatures up close and personal. As ambassadors, they are used to draw people’s attention to the abuse of poaching and the illegal hunt of wild animals, as well as the danger caused by loss of habitat. A portion of the proceeds from these parks is donated to conservation efforts to protect the species in the wild, so these parks are in fact the best friends that wild animals have. Additionally, many of the animals in these parks were born in captivity and have no experience of life in the wild. If they were to be released into the wild, they could never survive and would soon starve to death. That would be the truly cruel thing to do: to release them into the wild just because we think their situation is cruel, only to let them become easy prey or die of starvation. Other species that are critically endangered in the wild are bred in captivity and reintroduced into the wild to rejuvenate the wild population. Others are completely extinct in the wild and only survive for us to appreciate thanks to the work of these wildlife parks.