And you know as well as I, that OFFICIAL zoo protocal does not let excess animals into private hands. PERIOD. Which in fact is the center of the discussion "conservation" Zoos do not have the power to house animals in sufficent numbers to actually perform conservation. They only have the power to acquire and house a gene holder. And zoos refuse to use their biggist resource, the public. The public will have to be the base or you will fail. As you are powerless to perform.



- THAT IS MOSTLY TRUE, ALL BE IT, SURPLUSING HERPS IS USUALLY AN INST. CHOICE (BE IT THE DIRECTOR OR CURATOR, WHOMEVER)NOT AN AZA RULE. I HAVE ACTUALLY LOOKED THAT ONE UP...NO RULE SAYS THEY CANNOT BE SURPLUSED.



- AND AS FAR AS PROGRAMS LIKE SSP'S THAT DO EXCLUDE MOST PRIVATES I KNOW A TON OF FOLKS WHO THINK THIS WAS A CRAZY MOVE...I TOO AGREE, BAD MOVE AND LIKELY TO CHANGE ONCE IT BECOMES PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO SOME STUBORN FOLKS THAT IT JUST DOESN'T WORK.



That practice came back to bite zoos square on the bum. Now the private sector is running circles around zoos in the actual understanding of reptile reproductive biology. As you say, the good ones left and became the private sector. If zoos were progressive and up to date, THEY WOULD HAVE STAYED.



Any bets you will leave soon too?????????? As you appear progressive. You will soon tire of lack of progress. Cheers



-I HOPE THAT IS NOT THE CASE. I HOPE TO STICK IT OUT AND HELP FROM WITHIN, MAYBE WAY TO OPTIMISTIC BUT LIKE I SAID @ CONSERVATION, THIS IS A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING IN MY OPINION AS I THINK ZOOS DO HAVE SOME GREAT RESOURCES THAT COULD BE GALVANIZED TO DO GREAT WORK. AT THE VERY LEAST, I HOPE MY DEPT MAKES IT'S OWN SMALL CONTRIBUTION BE IT CONSERVATION, SIMPLE RESEARCH, HUSBANDRY, EDUCATION OR SIMPLY GETTING SOME YOUNG KID TO SO WOW AND APPRECIATE A SPITTING COBRA OR BLACK TREE MONITOR!

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