Report Released; Zoo Director Resigns

[GoddessOfGuinness]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040225/ap_on_re_us/national_zoo

WASHINGTON - The embattled director of the National Zoo will leave her job, officials announced Wednesday after release of a report critical of care in the wake of a host of animal deaths at the 114-year-old, high-visibility capital attraction. <snip>

An interim panel report released Wednesday said many animals are not receiving adequate preventive care, including exams, vaccinations and tests for infectious diseases. It also faulted the zoo for shortcomings in the animal nutrition program, which the report said had contributed to deaths.

At a news conference earlier, panel chairman R. Michael Roberts declined to comment on the leadership of Spelman. He said there were failures at the zoo at all levels, in a number of areas.

"We have not attempted to assign blame, nor will we assign blame, to individuals," said Roberts. "But we believe there has been a pervasive weakness at many levels within the system, ranging from the keeper level through management."

[Faygo Kid]

1. The time had come. She mistreated people, too.

In over her head, like many bosses, she turned to intimidation and cheap bullying (like many bosses). The National Zoo deserves the best. She wasn't it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. I agree...

I never felt she was willing to accept responsibility, and became so absorbed in the blame game that other areas were adversely affected. Her first responsibility was the care of the animals...not saving face for the zoo.

If poor funding was the sole culprit in the animals' mistreatment, she should have made arrangements akin to the Baltimore Zoo, which planned to sell its elephants to ensure quality care for the remaining animals.

Not long after Baltimore Zoo made this decision, funds were suddenly found to help them keep the elephants.

[Ripley]

2. I see, Accountability only refers to Democrats and Liberals.

When the Repukes control everything there is no accoutability, they just pass the buck or cover everyone's butt.

I'm sure somehow this will be Clinton's fault or the poor low-level people at the zoo's fault. Here's how they'll make them more accountable...now on top of cleaning up the elephant poop, you now must have weekly bake sales to raise enough money to pay for a veterinarian.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. I think the funding cuts to the Smithsonian

is a dirty trick to attempt to privatize the museums.

[Ripley]

5. That does not surprise me.

When they get done privatizing everything what will be left? Oh yeah, the military. If it gets to that point, I don't think many Americans will pay their taxes.

Just started Krugman's latest book...he makes a comment like "They say they just want to allow seniors to invest a little of their SS into the stock market. But how do we know that's all they want?" and it applies to everything in the government....energy, education, environment.

Why doesn't Kerry or Edwards come out and say it like Dean did...why do they hate The US form of government and Constitution so much that their actions and plans are to DRASTICALLY ALTER IT INTO SOMETHING ELSE?

[TolstoyAndy]

11. Re: they get done privatizing everything what's left? ... military

No, they're already privatizing the military too.

DynCorp (R-Child Rapists) and Wackenhut (R-Hut of Wacking) are the future.

Recommended quick read: "Jennifer Government" by fiction author whose name escapes me.

[Ripley]

12. Aw damn.

I forgot about that too. Well, I guess our taxes will just go directly into the coffers of Corporate Troughs. Shall I make my check out to GE or Exxon?

[blindpig]

6. what the hell happened up there?

when I was an animal keeper in Baltimore 20-30 years ago NZ was one of the tops in the country, by far the best collection & lots of good breeding work. Sounds like serious funding problems.............
no money for endangered species but plenty for the pentagon........

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Smithsonian funding has been slashed to hell...

ever since the pugs started having their way with Congress. Then Dumbya appointed a dingbat to head the Smithsonian, making matters even worse. Here's an interesting article on him: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/7781266.htm

I volunteered there from 1989-1994; and things seemed to be in good shape when I left.

[blindpig]

8. one more reason to hate the squatter

a scumbag like that heading one of the legs of species recovery.......
ya gotta admit the pos is consistant.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. * ruins everything he touches...

The worst part is, he seems to enjoy it.

[Retrograde]

10. They had animals there?

I visited the National Zoo last October and found it relatively animal-free, for a zoo. Oh, there were the big displays for the pandas and the orangutangs, but for the space it seemed rather empty, much more so than when I had been there 10 years ago. Lots of nice plants, though, even if they were mostly overgrown.

I usually like zoos, since most museums have become so dumbed-down. I particularly like the ones with enough space to give the animals some room: it's interesting to just stand and watch the animals for a while. The National Zoo managed to dumb it down, though, with all their "animal discovery stations" or whatever they're called. That's probably where the budget went.

linda, who was propositioned by a hornbill at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. When I volunteered there,

they were in the process of developing some really nice interactive displays which were primarily designed to educate kids, but not excluding adults. Unfortunately, they were often subject to vandalism.

The studies NZP did on the viewing public in the late 1980s showed that the average person showed little interest in the informative signs that told about the animals' habitats, diets, scientific names, etc. In fact, the study showed that the average person spent less than 10 seconds viewing any one animal.

I worked as an interpreter with the Golden Lion Tamarin reintroduction project (the head of this successful project was recently made a scapegoat in one of the tragic deaths at the zoo).
I found that when an interpreter was there, recording data and actively engaging the public, the average person became curious, and would take time to look for the animals, asking questions about what would happen after their release, etc.

Perhaps having volunteer interpreters at every station within eyesight of the displays is the key to educating the public. I suspect it's difficult to find that many people who are willing to donate their time.