NationStates Jolt Archive

That's sad. I don't recall hearing at the time that Howard, the last surviving dolphin from West Edmonton Mall, had passed away. After he left Edmonton, perhaps he became no more than a footnote on the nightly news (though the locals from Global might have given him a bigger mention).

Or maybe I just missed it, too inobservant.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/05/07/howard_dolphin050507.html

I was never a big supporter of captive animal shows. I hated the circus as a child, especially the poor tigers. Though they frightened me, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, escorted around on the end of a chain. 'Dumbo' made me cry for days.

Now for the leading questions: How do you feel about captive animal shows? Should they be eliminated as a heartless exploitation of animals for the entertainment of us higher life-forms? Or are there benefits to exposing ourselves and our children to live animals jumping through loops and spitting water on humans?

As a side note, how many enjoyed the stuffed human exhibit at the museum on Planet of the Apes?

Dolphins aren't jumping through hoops because we trained them too. We simply don't understand the complex messages contained within their acrobatics.











So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this..........

Don't recall hearing anything about it either. As for animal shows, I'm on the fence. I can see it being quite purposeful, provinding an educational experience and all that jazz, but at the same time keeping live dolphins in a small tank like at WestEd seems pretty cruel, especially seeing as it was more or less another novelty at the mall.

How I'm going to have the song 'Poor Howard' stuck in my head all night.

Go eat a can of dolphin-safe tuna in his memory.

I was hoping you meant John Howard, our Prime Minister. I know he's currently up & about arse licking in Washington, but a zombie John Howard would explain a few things.

That's sad. I don't recall hearing at the time that Howard, the last surviving dolphin from West Edmonton Mall, had passed away. After he left Edmonton, perhaps he became no more than a footnote on the nightly news (though the locals from Global might have given him a bigger mention).

Or maybe I just missed it, too inobservant.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/05/07/howard_dolphin050507.html

I was never a big supporter of captive animal shows. I hated the circus as a child, especially the poor tigers. Though they frightened me, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, escorted around on the end of a chain. 'Dumbo' made me cry for days.

Now for the leading questions: How do you feel about captive animal shows? Should they be eliminated as a heartless exploitation of animals for the entertainment of us higher life-forms? Or are there benefits to exposing ourselves and our children to live animals jumping through loops and spitting water on humans?

As a side note, how many enjoyed the stuffed human exhibit at the museum on Planet of the Apes?depends on the show. for a couple of years, our 50th state fair had a Bengal Tigre show. people would come by and watch the cubs romp around and the show consists of the tigers and their trainers performing simple tricks.

the audiences enjoyed them... as for the tigers... apparently, they loved to spray the audience with their musk. :D

one year they had an endangered species show. different types of raptors, Tortoses, black bears... but the great one was the Sloth.

it bit the trainer. and did it in it's own speed. the poor trainer... who was holding the sloth, thus could not put the sloth down nor move away, just had to grit his teeth and watch the head as it turned... and slowly moved down to bite his upper arm.

I was hoping you meant John Howard, our Prime Minister. I know he's currently up & about arse licking in Washington, but a zombie John Howard would explain a few things.
Indeed.