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We asked the director of an Irish wildlife park what he did with the controversial Netflix series. Not surprisingly, he had some strong opinions, he writes Des O’Driscoll
EAN MCKEOWN is the director of the Fota Wildlife Park in Cork. Originally from Co Monaghan and now living in Midleton with his family, McKeown was one of the millions of people who have seen Netflix’s Tiger King sensation: murder, mayhem and insanity in recent weeks.
While many of us were distracted by the gripping human subplots unfolding in the documentary series, McKeown says he was appalled at much of what he saw on the show. Words like “disturbing” and “disgusting” dot his conversation as he talks about the program and the treatment of animals at Joe Exotic’s facility.
Overcrowding, small enclosures and the exploitation of animals and staff were some of the most prominent problems for him. He was also afraid of what we didn’t see, from proper veterinary care to other practices to subdue animals.
McKeown is well qualified to speak on such matters. He has the European Study Book for the Northern Cheetah Breeding Program of which Fota has been a very successful part, and in recent years has brought Asia lions and Sumatran tigers to Cork facilities as part of international programs.
Eliminate puppies
At the Joe Exotic Zoo, the photo opportunities with the cubs were a huge money transfer, and to facilitate this, the young tigers were removed from their mother at a very young age.
McKeown says that tigers and other carnivores may have trouble with the first litter, and intervention may be necessary, but overall European zoos would try to provide the mother with the experience.
“Sometimes animals go through a difficult time, but it is better that the mother has the opportunity to raise them. And then, the next time she has cubs, she will have a better chance of succeeding. But here, where they showed that they were taken away as soon as they were born, to help them become very tame as pets, and then they were sold … the European Association of Zoos is totally against that. “
Breeding practices
One of the owners of the zoo at Tiger King claims that tiger farming is beneficial in a world where such animals are declining in the wild. McKeown discounts this, and says they had little or no conservation value for what he saw on the show.
Raising unrelated animals is crucial to keeping the general population healthy, but he says many of the animals in Tiger King were “obviously inbred.”
“We have breeding programs where it is recommended that certain animals breed, because they are genetically more important in the population and not as closely related to the rest of the population as others would be.
“The parents of some animals raised very well, so their offspring would not be recommended for breeding, as they would be related to many others.” But an animal that was not widely bred would be recommended.
“For example, with some of the Sumatran tigers, they have entered[alcautiverio}duetotheconflictwiththepeopleTheycouldhaveresultedinwoundsinatrap[tocaptivity}becauseofconflictwithpeopleTheymighthavebeeninjuredinatrapSothere’sapossibilityofusingtheminabreedingprogrammetohelpensureamoregeneticallydiversepopulation”[alcautiverio}debidoalconflictoconlaspersonasPodríanhaberresultadoheridasenunatrampaPorlotantoexistelaposibilidaddeusarlosenunprogramadereproducciónparaayudaragarantizarunapoblaciónmásdiversagenéticamente”[tocaptivity}becauseofconflictwithpeopleTheymighthavebeeninjuredinatrapSothere’sapossibilityofusingtheminabreedingprogrammetohelpensureamoregeneticallydiversepopulation”
McKeown also disapproves of the reproduction of selected genetic mutations for exhibition purposes. For example, white tigers come from a very small genetic group and develop crossed eyes, spinal scoliosis, and other problems. The crossing of lions and tigers in the huge “flirts” that we also saw in the program can create similar health problems.
Meat waste
The limited food budget at the Joe Exotic Zoo meant that the animals relied on waste meat from supermarkets. As the facility got into trouble, we also saw a large group of hungry animals waiting to be fed. It is obviously far from an ideal situation for big cats.
“All of our cats get meat on the bone,” explains Fota’s McKeown and the meat they buy from approved slaughterhouses. “It is more natural: they lick the bone, they get calcium from it. The animal also takes longer to eat, making it more enriching for them.”
Not only animals
One of the other weird scenes regarding the fed animals was a photo of some of the underpaid employees checking the discarded meat so they could find cuts to feed. McKeown is appalled at the treatment of the staff he witnessed throughout the show.
“They were being exploited. Joe Exotic was choosing people who had problems, and using it to take advantage of them and make them work with animals. And many of them would have had no experience. ”
Compare that to Fota, where much of the staff comes from a zoological setting, or you would have received a two-year training program through a university in the UK.
Security issues were also a major concern. In Tiger King, we see how a staff member lost part of his arm to a tiger, and we also see Joe Exotic narrowly escaping when dragged by the foot.
At Fota, strict security procedures, such as multiple doors, keep staff separate from lions and tigers.
“People who go to the enclosure with animals are an absolute no-no. No way would you enter with an animal like that. Their instinct is to kill you. Even in Fota, animals associate it with food, and that is a very dangerous link. If anyone entered the compound here, they would be killed. That natural instinct is still there. “
America v Europe
In Ireland and other parts of Europe, the type of facility managed by Joe Exotic would not be allowed, and regulations are much stricter about keeping exotic animals as pets.
The United States has a similar association of zoo facilities as the European organization, but a low proportion of zoos are affiliated with it, and the state does not apply the legislation as strongly. McKeown says installations like Joe Exotic’s are very common.
“They feel that their individual rights mean they can do these things: it’s like the right to bear arms. And it’s that kind of person who is attracted to him. It’s about the exploitation of animals for his pleasure and nothing else.”
The Monaghan man also points to the fact that exotic animals are still allowed in American circuses, and addresses broader issues with current political leadership. United States President Donald Trump and his family have a bad reputation for conservation and the environment.
“For a country that is so well developed, it is very strange to have such regressive ideas, concepts and policies. It could have happened [in Europe] in the 1930s, ‘40 and ‘50, but not now. We are supposed to be more aware of nature and the environment, but that doesn’t seem to have happened in the United States.
“And even look at the current US government’s policies towards wildlife and nature. They have backtracked on a plethora of legislation designed to protect nature. They have allowed many areas to be mined and exploited. For me, it shows a sad lack of leadership. ”
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