Animal Planet’s new TV program, Yankee Jungle, promotes bad attitudes with respect to keeping exotic animals and supports the discredited private zoos.
Kristina Snyder is petitioning the producers and directors of Animal Planet to drop a new television program called “Yankee Jungle” which features what Kristina describes as a roadside zoo where they breed animals for profit but which is described as a non-profit sanctuary by the zoo itself. It is scheduled to be aired on November 29, which is tomorrow.
I’m talking about the DEW Animal Kingdom & Sanctuary. It is based in Mount Vernon, Maine, USA. It has a wholesome, farm feel about it. This is what may have attracted Animal Planet.
I suppose the owners would argue that their “sanctuary” breeds and sells desirable animals such as a white tiger cub for profit so that they can keep the place going and that there is no net profit in it for them (if what they say on their website is correct). They request donations amongst other contributions such as volunteering and visiting to buy items from the gift shop.
It is argued by the petitioner that the zoo is not a sanctuary because true sanctuaries never breed for profit. I agree with that argument because when you breed desirable tiger cubs and sell them you are perpetuating something that is inherently incorrect, which is treating the animal as a consumer item. You are also having a negative impact upon conservation and quietly promoting an incorrect attitude towards animals while promoting more private zoos – there should be less.
Apparently, one of the Tigers at DEW Animal Kingdom & Sanctuary gave birth to three cubs last summer, one of which was a white tiger cub. The cubs were taken from their mother the day they were born and allegedly handled by people and four weeks later they were placed in other homes out of the state of Maine. The petitioner verifies that this is true.
White tiger cubs are probably quite valuable but they are inherently inbred which can impact health. Health appears to be a low priority for exotic animal breeders.
She also verifies that the captive animals of this private zoo are kept in unacceptable conditions. We are told that there are numerous “baby exotic animals” indicating that there is an extensive breeding and selling program.
I have visited the Animal Planet website and they have a introductory video about Yankee Jungle. I presume this video reflects what we can expect to see when the program airs.
The bottom line of Kristina’s argument is that this sort of television supports private zoos of which there are already far too many in America. There is an “exotic animal problem” in America in that too many American citizens like to own exotic animals to the detriment of the animals generally although often they argue they are supporting conservation which is dishonest. They do the opposite.
It is time to do away with all zoos, especially private zoos and focus all that energy on real conservation which means finding ways to let our wild animals live freely in their own habitat and not in cages as prisoners, stressed up.
Hi Michael,
I just wanted to update you that we were successfully able to get his show canceled. Also, this article was done by Mother Jones about the whole affair.
http://www.motherjones.com/media/2016/03/animal-planet-yankee-jungle-reality-canceled
Thanks for the update Kristina and great news. I am very pleased. I’ll check out the link soon and see if I can do a follow up article. This article has proved to be very successful. The debate interests people. There are still many people who “don’t get it”.
Who is Michael Broad??? He posted the article, but is he an conservationist? A zoologist? What are his credentials??? People skills?? Misses the mark almost every time, unless he agrees with you.
Now, as for Yankee Zoo, can’t you give Animal Planet a tiny bit of credit? Aren’t they obligated to report certain signs?? Pens knee deep with manure, animals who cannot turn around, wet, sloppy pasture, horrid smells, etc. They could call in a vet, health inspector, etc. shut down the show???
No, I am not happy to see out exotic and wildlife in any kind of zoo. Where do you start? With the bulldozer that takes down that first tree, the men who capture baby exotics to sell on the black market all over the world, the people who set up “fairs” to sell, the ones who buy, the ones who didn’t know they were going to get that big, bite, destroy, kill pets, etc. Or the sanctuaries who are trying to help, good, and sadly the bad. Of which I am not declaring Yankee Jungle as there are too many conflicting stories.
And no, I have not confused my facts, I have stuck to the story, because it is a much bigger picture than just one place.
Michael Broad is the owner of this website. I am presenting my opinion, no more, no less as I have a right to do. You can disagree with me. That’s fine. I don’t miss the mark. The mark I hit is very subtle and you obviously don’t understand it. I take an enlightened, very long term viewpoint that is solely in the interests of wild animals. You are thinking very narrowly. Who are you?