Sea lions and penguins at Edinburgh zoo are changing diet to help save threatened fish stocks…Do they know this?
They are in the vanguard of a push by the Marine Stewardship Council encouraging zoos to follow retailers and restaurants in using only sources it has certified as sustainable.Providing there's no animal welfare issues - and I'd hope the zoo staff wouldn't do anything stupid like join up to this scheme if that was the case, but you never know - you might ask, 'Why not?'...
Uncertified herring are no longer disappearing down the throats of Sofus and Miranda, the zoo's sea lions. They have been replaced by MSC-approved stocks from Scottish waters. The zoo's 200 penguins will be soon guzzling certified South African hake instead of blue whiting from the Pacific if trials prove them a suitable substitute.And when that starts to run out? Tofu?
Darren McGarry, animal collection manager for the zoo, said: "We're really pleased that the Patagonian sea lions have taken to their new feed. Zoo animals can be very picky about what they eat but they've taken to the MSC-certified feeds straight away."They don't care. They're animals. They'll eat whatever tastes good or soothes their hunger.
Only people worry about this sort of thing.
But they did stop the penguins from having a quiet fag behind the aquarium. I know, I've seen them begging for a ciggy.
ReplyDeleteIt was pathetic but it was the penguin's choice to have a drag now and then.
Just as well Polar bears are equal opportunities carnivores. If they can't get the fish they like they'll quite happily scoff down greenie morons. The more the better...
ReplyDeleteI'm all in favour of polar bears having access to their traditional diet. Anyone who can't run fast enough... ;)
ReplyDeleteAnimals are quite capable of being picky with their food. My python has quite the taste for white rats, but isn't so impressed with brown ones. Silly bugger.
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