Wolves Culled At Highland Wildlife Reserve Aviemore

[GSDOWNER]

The story was printed in the daily mail and the article was written by Steve Smith.

From the tail wagging playfullness of its cubs to the primal cries of the dominant mail, the wolf pack has delighted visitors to the wildlife park for years

But despite the animals popularity it has emerged that the pack has been destroyed - to make way for a slightly more endangered breed of wolves
Last night bosses at the highland wildlife park near Kingussie were facing the fury of animal rights campaigners and even members members of the trust that own the attraction over the controversial slaughter.
Staff at the popular Inverness - shire park apparently told one visitor last year were"too old and inbred" and were being replaced.
The six Mackenzie river wolves, aged between six and eight , were destroyed by vets in january and replaced with seven Scandinavian wolves.

One source at the park, who was outraged by the slaughter, said; " I think visitors at the park would be horrified to know that the wolves were simply killed to make way for a slightly more endangered species.
The wolves have been the biggest attraction at the park for years and it seems like the bosses are putting business ahead of anything else.
Were supposed to be looking after animals and promoting them, but this was an appalling decision."

Some members of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland [RZSS] which runs the park along with Edinburgh zoo are threatening to remove there support over the cull.

One member said; Ivbe been with the society for years and I have never heard anything so shocking and cruel.
"I fully intend to raise this approach to wildlife by the parks management at the forthcoming AGM.
"I will also not be renewing my membership if this is the cruel way the society intends to run its attractions"
Advocates for animals director Ross Minnet said; "We are disgusted, yet sadly not surprised, to learn that the RZSS has killed the pack of wolves previously imprisoned at the Highland wildlife park.
"One must question what other healthy animals this visitor attraction has secretly killed over the years.
"This totally unnecessary slaughter yet again confirms that the RZSS puts profit befoer animal welfare. and shows no respect for the the animals which it exploits."
The RZSS said it had been a "difficult decision" to kill the wolves as part of a long - term animal management plan.
A spokesman said; " It had come to our attention within the past five years that this sub - species had very limited genetic diversity throughout the U.K.
"The pack at the Highland park has not been portraying their natural behavioural imperative for this intelligent species.
"This lack of a strong pack dynamic has meant that the animals has not worked together as a social group."
RZSS chief executive David Windmill added; "Animal management is a complex,difficult but rewarding work.
"With any kind of management, at times difficult decisions need to be taken and this was one of those times.
"The welfare of the animal is always paramount in our minds and no decision is made until a full investigation has been carried out."
A spokesman for the born Free foundation said; "Destroying healthy animals as part of a zoos animal management plan is a side of "zoo conservation" that the public very rarely sees.
"However, by the very nature of a zoo - its confined and limited spaces and with very few, if any, reintroduction programmes for carnivores - the destruction of healthy "surplus" animals is set to continue as long as zoos continue to breed animals into captivity.

[GSDOWNER]

How could anyone possibly justify this

What that article overlooked somewhat is that one of the pack's alphas had died previously. This led to a deterioration of pack dynamics and the wolves stopped displaying natural behaviour. Obviously this means they would be incapable of being reintroduced into the wild, as would their offspring (as about 80% of what a wolf knows is learned from other pack members). On the other hand though I don't think this is any justification for killing them all. Firstly, if those wolves were wild and the same thing happened they would disperse. Obviously this can't happen normally within a captive environment however it has been shown on several occasions that, by using recorded howls of rival wolf packs, you can induce a pack to accept additional members (this is how humans have become 'part of the pack' for research purposes in the past and has also been proven effective for introducing non-related wolves into the same pack). Thus, splitting at least some of the pack members and sending them to other zoos would be one solution as they would soon re-learn the lost behaviours due to necessity and the input from other pack members who still have them. Additionally it strikes me that it is the fault of the zoo if those behaviours were lost in the first place. Logically, unless some major changes are implemented, the problem will happen again and again. My guess is that it was a highly controlled kind of environment so they didn’t have to think on their feet or work as a team to achieve anything. Finally as a zookeeper myself it has always seemed that we have something of a responsibility to the animals. Even if we do mess up we can't just kill them and have another shot, besides what's wrong with letting them simply live out their lives without any potential to breed? That would at least be a better option, even if it’s not perfect. It’s even possible for people to teach wolves all those behaviours again through enrichment exercises, which I believe would be a wonderful opportunity for research as well. At least they had a good enclosure at the park, while it lasted.

[GSDOWNER]

omg for some reason just opened this post, does anyone know the outcome of these wolfs................wooooooooooooolveman

[twinclaire]

omg i have just read this, that is just awful
mel xx

[LOVEGSD]

It's so awful isn't it!!!

[kelpiemad]

This is so sad once again its the poor animals that suffer this time for not being endangered enough they are still entitled to a life lets hope the other wolves don't meet the same end if a more endangered wolf is found
run free sweet souls

[MissyEllie]

I have just read this read and have been left stunned and disgusted by the news that the so-called zoo has done this. Me and Alex visited the RZSS last year and were shocked to find the condition some of these animals were kept in, especially the wolves who were clearly not happy but i am utterley speachless that it would stoop to this low. Things like this shouldnt be allowed to continue.

helen

[iron mum]

I don't live far from the park and have visited several time, now I know what they have done I won't be going again.
It's disgusting.

[liverbird]

according to the daily mail news this happened in 2006 ?? so is it still happening ? are they still being destroyed/