People are being moved by a nursing mother's experience at Vienna's
Schoenbrunn Zoo, but not without some controversy.
Gemma Copeland posted her experience on Facebook, where it was picked up by
the Boobie Babies Facebook group. A female orangutan is shown sitting near
to the glass of the orangutan habitat window, staring at the mother and
infant while she nurses her young.
The most strange event of my life had me in tears today when I received
feeding support from the unlikeliest of places, Copeland wrote.
"When my partner, kid, and I had a short vacation to Vienna, we went to the
Schoenbrunn Zoo. At the conclusion of our day, we stopped by to visit the
orangutans, who were joyously playing in their cage. I walked to the window
for a closer look and squatted down so my kids could see the orangutan, who
was just 5 or 6 feet away. She then stood up, went to the window with a
piece of cloth, and sat down next to me. She raised her hand in an apparent
attempt to touch my son after looking directly into my eyes. I was
immediately in awe of this stunning creature."
"Since it was calm, I fed my baby while I was sitting there since he was
hungry. The orangutan's reaction left me speechless; she kept turning her
gaze between my kid and me "She went on. " She sat next to me for perhaps 30
minutes, continued to stroke the glass, and then laid down as if to support
and shield me.
This has really blown my mind, so I had to share it. Although we may be of
different species, today's nursing connection was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience that I will never forget. I'm also really lucky that my boyfriend
managed to record everything."
A post describing a gorilla being trained to nurse by members of the La
Leche League, a group that supports breastfeeding mothers, was published to
the Facebook page:
"Did you know that La Leche League members actually taught a gorilla mother
how to breastfeed? The mother gorilla lost her firstborn child since she
didn't know what to deal with him or her because she was born and reared in
captivity. Breastfeeding mothers agreed to sit beside the gorilla's
enclosure when she next became pregnant so they could demonstrate how to do
it to the gorilla. A volunteer visited the gorilla after she gave birth and
nursed the infant while demonstrating to Mamma gorilla how to do it
properly. Mamma gorilla observed, imitated, and successfully fed her young
after watching."
More than 37,000 people have shared the tale, and many commentators have
praised how lovely and emotional it was. While some marveled at the beauty
of the animal encounter, many also expressed regret at the thought of such a
creature being kept in confinement. Debate erupted about whether zoos are
good or bad for the animals they house, as it does with almost every post on
animals in zoos.
And just as in other disputes, there is a wide range of viewpoints. Some
believe that visiting zoos is the best method for people to get to know
animals up up and personal, which makes them more concerned with their
protection in the wild. Some people agree that keeping animals in captivity
isn't ideal, yet without their labor, many animals would perish as
individuals or go extinct as species. Some people believe that keeping an
animal in captivity is always bad. On this issue, even animal specialists
are divided.
Moreover, not every zoo is made equally. There is little doubt that many
animals grown in captivity would not survive if they were suddenly released
into the wild, which is why many zoos have shifted more toward a
rehabilitation and conservation approach.
Additionally, as breeding is an instinctual behavior for animals, it is
debatable whether attempting to restrict natural breeding in captivity falls
within the ethical treatment of animals. What about creatures that are now
only present in zoos since they are extinct in the wild? When it comes to
zoos, there are a million questions and a million uncertain answers.
However, there is one point on which everyone can agree. Whether you
believe zoos are beneficial or detrimental, essential or not, they are
mostly still around because of how humans have interfered with nature. This
creature's connection with a human mother is driven by the same nature that
makes her feel out of place.
The same environment that people are destroying to obtain palm oil for our
soaps and cookies, putting orangutans in danger of going extinct. the same
environment that we are all tasked with preserving.
Tags:
animals