Discovery wildlife Park is a small zoo of approximately 100 animals. Located near Innisfail Alberta, it is an educational wildlife park featuring daily animal presentations allowing visitors to get up close to the bears, tigers, lions, monkeys, etc. Park has taken in orphaned wildlife from the region. It, like the Guzoo Animal Farm has come under fire from animal rights groups . (Voice for Animals, ZooCheck Canada and WSPA)
Zoocheck Canada is a national animal welfare charity established in 1984 to promote the interests of wildlife in captivity and in the wild. Zoo Check is a charity group with no real power over any zoos, they are not a government agency.
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is an animal welfare charity that works internationally and locally to end cruelty to animals through field work, campaigning, and education. WSPA is a another charity group with no real powers. Both Zoocheck and WSPA can only make suggestions, nothing they say is enforceable.
The Alberta Government announced the new zoo standards in October 2005. The Alberta Government regularly check on the both Alberta Zoos. And provincial officials said both zoos have passed recent inspections. "Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesman Darcy Whiteside said officials will review the two reports even though they visit the zoos regularly and found no violations when they inspected Guzoo three weeks ago and last visited Discovery Wildlife Park in July."
"On the day we went out there, they were complying with the zoo standards," Whiteside said. Guzoo owner Lynn Gustafson and Discovery Wildlife Park owner Doug Bos both denied the violations outlined in the reports. We've been inspected less than a month ago ... and I had no indication there was any problem," Gustafson said. "Certainly it's safe, you're in more danger driving here than you are when you get here."
So where is the problem?? The Alberta Government claims that both Guzoo and Discovery have been checked out and they are following the rules set forth. Zoocheck and WSPA say their not. Could it be that Zoocheck and WSPA have different zoo standards?? I have no idea!!
"Since 1995, WSPA has been calling for tougher provincial legislation that would force all zoos to operate at a higher standard."
As always I warn everyone...make sure you understand where your donations are going. Look carefully into the animal rights organizations that you might want to support. You just may be in for a surprise.
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3 comments:
I disagree. Zoocheck and WSPA have nothing to do with animal welfare, they are animal rights organisations.
These organisations have no desire to help zoos improve their facilities or help individual animals. Their sole aim is to harrass zoo owners to the point where they give up and go out of business. No matter how much zoos strive to meet their demands they will never succeed because these self proclaimed experts will continue to set the bar higher and higher. Not until every zoo in the world is closed will they be happy. Then when all the zoos are gone (heaven forbid that it will ever happen) they'll start on the animal sanctuaries.
It is unfortunate that governments bow to these idiots. It's time someone stood up to them.
Hello Alberta Boy!
Just a note to ask a favour of you! We have set up a blog for Discovery Wildife Park, but were unable to use our name. We found that discoverywildlifepark.blogspot.com is tied to your blog. Would it be possible for you to release that name so we could use it for our blogspot? Our readers have a hard time finding us as they go to your blog and can't find ours.
I know we can't make you change it, but it would certainly be appreciated!
We also would like to extend our appreciation for the comments on your site. Our park strives to provide a quality home for our animals and a great place for people to learn about the animals and Zoocheck/WSPA certainly make life more difficult with their unprofessional, vindictive and false accusations.
Keep up the good work!
I agree with this, and now the have shut down the guzoo through a petition that started with an animal activist group that posted manipulated pics of the guzoo. Its sick and the reality is they did all this to gain more donations for thier activist group. They tell us that they can re home the animals but the truth is that because of zoo standards and regulations many animals will be euthanized. It is a sad day for Albertans when a rights group has the power to shut down a mans business with no appeal.
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