A naturalist's defense of the modern zoo
Zoos are often associated with animal cruelty, or at the very least a general animal unhappiness. But on everything from research to education to biodiversity, there is a case to be made for the modern zoo, writes Fran Sánchez Becerril in Spanish online media Ethic.
Zoos — or at least something resembling the traditional idea of a zoo — date back to ancient Mesopotamia. It was around 3,500 BC when Babylonian kings housed wild animals such as lions and birds of prey in beautiful structures known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Ancient China also played a significant role in the history of zoos when the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) created several parks which hosted an assortment of animals.
In Europe, it wouldn't be until 1664 when Louis XIV inaugurated the royal menagerie at Versailles. All these spaces shared the mission of showcasing the wealth and power of the ruler, or simply served as decorations. Furthermore, none of them were open to the general public; only a few fortunate individuals, usually the upper classes, had access.
The first modern zoo, conceived for educational purposes in Vienna, opened in 1765. Over time, the educational mission has become more prominent, as the exhibition of exotic animals has been complemented with scientific studies, conservation and the protection of threatened species.
For decades, zoos have been places of leisure, wonder, and discovery for both the young and the old. Despite their past success, in recent years, society's view of zoos has been changing due to increased awareness of animal welfare, shifting sensibilities and the possibility of learning about wild animals through screens. So, many people wonder: What is the purpose of a zoo in the 21st century?
First of all, it's important to remember that in Europe, it has been decades since wild animals have been captured for zoos. Today, most animals come through European breeding projects from other parks, with the intention of preserving the species. The other specimens are animals that had been on the brink of death, abandoned or had ended up in parks after being rescued from illegal trafficking. [...]
— Read the full Ethic by Fran Sánchez Becerril, translated into English by Worldcrunch.
• U.S. Speaker Kevin McCarthy ousted: Kevin McCarthy was toppled as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after a 216 to 210 vote, marking the first time in history that the institution removed its leader. The 58-year-old Republican from California, who said he would not make another run for speaker, had angered far-right party members when he passed a bipartisan stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown. More about the “shutdown melodrama” here.
• Italy bus crash kills 21 near Venice: Italian authorities are investigating the cause of the tourist bus crash near the city of Venice, in which 21 people died. The electric vehicle, which was carrying foreign tourists, fell from an elevated street and burst into flames in the district of Mestre on Tuesday evening.
• Thai teenager faces murder charge for mall shooting: A 14-year-old Thai teenager suspected of killing two people in a Bangkok mall shooting will be sent to a juvenile court on Wednesday to be charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder and illegal firearms possession, among other offenses. Police said the suspected gunman appears to suffer from psychological issues and had not taken his prescribed medication on the day of the shooting.
• Russian anti-war TV journalist sentenced in absentia: Marina Ovsyannikova, a former Russian TV journalist who had protested live on air against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was sentenced in absentia on Wednesday to 8.5 years in jail by Moscow’s court. The 45-year-old, who fled Russia with her daughter last year after escaping from house arrest, was found guilty of “spreading knowingly false information about the Russian Armed Forces.” Last year, Worldcrunch published Ovsyannikova’s column in German daily Die Welt: "You Need More Russians Like Me To Beat Putin" — A Response To My Ukrainian Critics.
• Pakistan orders Afghan asylum seekers to leave by November: Pakistan’s government has ordered all unauthorized Afghan asylum seekers — an estimated 1.7 million people — to voluntarily leave the country by Nov. 1 or face deportations. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated following a spike in militant attacks along the two countries’ border, including last week’s blast at a mosque in Mastung, which killed at least 50 people.
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Venice-based daily Il Gazzettino dedicates its front page to the "bus disaster" that killed at least 21 people, including two children and a baby, on Tuesday evening near the lagoon city. The coach, which was carrying 39 tourists from various nationalities, careened through an overpass guardrail in the district of Mestre and plunged almost 15 meters (50ft) near railway tracks before exploding. Fifteen people are reportedly injured, five of them seriously. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the tragedy.
6/4
A photograph showing two Chinese hurdlers hugging after a race at the Asian Games in Hangzhou has been censored on Chinese social media because the women’s lane numbers, “six” and “four,” formed an accidental reference to the Tiananmen massacre on June 4, 1989. The country tightly controls references to the event and routinely scrubs all mention of it from the internet.
Why Poland's draconian anti-abortion laws may get even crueler
Poland has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe. Several parties vying in national elections on Oct. 15 are competing for conservative Catholic voters by promising new laws that could put women's lives at risk.
✊ In 2020, Poland was rocked by mass protests when the country’s Constitutional Tribunal declared abortions in the case of severe fetal illness or deformity illegal. This was one of only three exceptions to Poland’s ban on abortions, which now only applies in cases of sexual assault or when the life of the mother is at risk. Since the 2020 ruling, several women have filed complaints to the European Court of Human Rights after giving birth to children with severe fetal abnormalities, many of whom do not survive long after birth.
🚫 While the ruling party continues to hold tight to its anti-abortion commitments, a far-right challenger, Konfederacja, is pushing for them to be even more restrictive, by removing the abortion exception for fetuses conceived as a result of sexual assault. “We are in favor of removing the exception for rape”, Konfederacja candidate Kielce Michał Wawer said in a debate on TVN 24. “A child who is the result of rape, which is a terrible crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent, is not guilty of anything.”
🗳️ Members of the Polish opposition have noted a shift in the last four years when it comes to women’s rights in Poland. “In small steps, PiS is simply taking away Polish women's dignity”, Agata Kobylińska, a second-time Polish opposition candidate, told Wysokie Obcasy magazine. To her, this is a primary motivation she is running for reelection. “I cannot come to terms with the fact that someone thinks that we, women, are not able to make decisions for ourselves”, she said.
➡️ Read more on Worldcrunch.com
“Not yet.”
— Local residents of Lahaina, which has been extensively affected by the Hawaiian fires, delivered a petition on Tuesday to delay the partial re-opening of West Maui to tourism, which is set to happen this weekend. The petition was signed by 3,517 people, agreeing that the grieving community cannot yet face the strain of visitors, only two months after the deadly fires. Others, however, argue that without tourism many locals will lose their jobs and be forced to relocate.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, pictured here at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, was ousted as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in a 216-210 vote. It is the first time the institution has removed its leader. — Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/ZUMA
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