Patreon Exclusive Bonus: Should Zoos Exist?

PODCAST 261 PATREON EXCLUSIVE: THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN

DEBATE:  SHOULD ZOOS EXIST?

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2024

D:  WELCOME TO THE FIRST EVER BONUS EPISODE OF THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN.  AFTER THIS ONE, THE BONUS EPISODES ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE AS A PATREON EXCLUSIVE ONLY.  IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST ON PATREON, JUST CLICK ON THE LINK TO OUR PATREON PAGE IN THE EPISODE NOTES.  NEW BONUS EPISODES WILL COME OUT EVERY OTHER WEEK, SO CHECK US OUT ON PATREON SO YOU DON’T MISS A SINGLE MINUTE OF OUR BONUS EPISODES.

O:  JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES, WHEN WE WRITE OUR EPISODES OF THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN, WE RANDOMLY SELECT WHICH SIDE I WILL ARGUE AND WHICH SIDE NOAH WILL ARGUE.  FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE FIRST EPISODE THAT CAME OUT LAST WEEK, WE DEBATED WHETHER ZOOS SHOULD EXIST.  I ARGUED THAT THEY SHOULD AND NOAH ARGUED THAT THEY SHOULDN’T.

N:  EVEN THOUGH WE ARGUED THAT WAY, IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT’S HOW WE TRULY FEEL.  WE WANT TO KEEP THE PODCAST FAIR AND BALANCED, SO OLIVIA AND I TOOK SIDES AND MADE GREAT ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT OUR SIDE.  WE DO IT THIS WAY BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO INFLUENCE HOW OUR LISTENERS VOTE.  NOW THAT ALL THE VOTES ARE IN, WE ARE GOING TO TELL YOU HOW WE REALLY FEEL.  

D:  IN THESE SPECIAL BONUS EPISODES, WE ARE GOING TO SHARE OUR TRUE FEELINGS ABOUT WHETHER ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT IN AN INTERVIEW FORMAT.  IN OTHER WORDS, I’M GOING TO ASK OLIVIA AND NOAH A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, AND I’M GOING TO SHARE MY FEELINGS TOO.  OKAY, LET’S KICK THINGS OFF WITH OLIVIA.  IN THE EPISODE ON WHETHER ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, YOU ARGUED THAT THEY SHOULD.  IS THAT HOW YOU REALLY FEEL?

O:  NO, IT’S NOT.  I FEEL LIKE ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, BUT THEY SHOULD EXPAND THE HABITATS OF SOME ANIMALS.  

D:  IN OTHER WORDS, YOU THINK ZOOS SHOULD EXIST AS LONG AS THEY GIVE ENOUGH SPACE TO THE ANIMALS?

O:  YES, THAT’S RIGHT.

D:  OKAY, SO WHAT IF I WERE TO ASK YOU HOW STRONGLY YOU FEEL ABOUT ZOOS EXISTING ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10.  IF YOU SAY 10, YOU FEEL THAT ZOOS SHOULD TOTALLY EXIST AND YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUSS IS ABOUT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT DON’T AGREE.  IF YOU SAY 1, THAT MEANS THAT YOU FEEL THAT ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, BUT YOU AREN’T CONVINCED AT ALL THAT YOU’RE RIGHT.  HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR CONFIDENCE ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10?

O:  I WOULD SAY 7, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ZOOS SHOULD EXIST AS LONG AS THEY CAN PROVIDE THE ANIMALS WITH EVERYTHING NEEDED TO LIVE HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIVES.  

D:  THAT MAKES SENSE.  LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING ELSE.  WE HAVE A FEW ANIMALS THAT LIVE WITH US HERE AT CURIOUS KID PODCAST HEADQUARTERS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS OUR HOUSE.  WE’VE GOT A BIRD, FRANCESCA, AND SHE LIVES IN A CAGE.  WE HAVE A DOG, KHLOE, WHO PRETTY MUCH GETS TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE HOUSE SHE WANTS, EXCEPT FOR MAYBE THE PANTRY.  WE ALSO HAVE 19 FISH IN A 20 GALLON FISH TANK, WHICH WE WERE TOLD WASN’T TOO MANY BY THE EXPERTS AT THE WONDERFUL PET STORE WE PURCHASED THE FISH FROM.  THEY ARE ALSO VERY SMALL FISH, SO IT SURELY DOESN’T SEEM LIKE THEY’RE TOO CRAMPED IN THE FISH TANK.  DO YOU THINK THAT OUR BIRD, DOG, AND FISH HAVE GREAT LIVING CONDITIONS OR DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF IN THE WILD?

O:  I THINK KHLOE IS LIVING THE DREAM.  I CAN’T IMAGINE SHE WOULD BE BETTER OFF ANYWHERE ELSE.  FOR FRANCESCA, WE COULD PROBABLY DO A BETTER JOB GIVING HER TIME OUT OF THE CAGE SO SHE CAN GET TO FLY AROUND A BIT.  FOR THE FISH, I FEEL LIKE THEY’RE DEFINITELY BETTER OFF IN OUR HOUSE THAN IN THE WILD.  THEY ARE TINY FISH THAT WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM BIGGER PREDATORS IN THE OCEAN.

D:  OKAY OLIVIA, ANY LAST THOUGHTS ABOUT ZOOS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO NOAH?

O:  I THINK ZOOS ARE GREAT FOR SMALL ANIMALS THAT NEED THE PROTECTION FROM BIGGER ANIMALS, AND THE ZOOS PROVIDE THAT PROTECTION.  AS FAR AS THE BIGGER ANIMALS, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE SPACE NEEDED TO ROAM AROUND AND GET EXERCISE, I WOULD BET THAT THEY’RE BETTER OFF AT THE ZOO TOO.  

D:  AWESOME JOB, OLIVIA.  YOU MADE SOME REALLY GREAT POINTS.  NOW, IT’S TIME TO HEAR FROM NOAH.  LAST WEEK, YOU ARGUED THAT ZOOS SHOULD NOT EXIST, AND YOU GAVE A LOT OF VERY CONVINCING REASONS WHY YOU FEEL THAT WAY.  OF COURSE, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU TRULY FEEL THAT ZOOS SHOULDN’T EXIST, BECAUSE YOUR SIDE OF THE DEBATE WAS RANDOMLY SELECTED BEFORE THE EPISODE.  SO, HERE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL ABOUT THE DEBATE:  SHOULD ZOOS EXIST?

N:  I DON’T THINK ZOOS SHOULD EXIST.  ANIMALS SHOULD BE FREE AND ABLE TO ROAM AROUND JUST LIKE HUMANS CAN.  

D:  VERY INTERESTING.  EVEN THOUGH YOUR SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED BEFORE WE RECORDED THE EPISODE THAT CAME OUT LAST WEEK, YOU AND OLIVIA ACTUALLY AGREE WITH THE SIDES THAT WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR YOU.  THAT BRINGS ME TO AN INTERESTING QUESTION.  YOU FEEL LIKE ZOOS SHOULDN’T EXIST.  IS THAT HOW YOU FELT A MONTH AGO BEFORE WE STARTED PREPARING FOR THE PODCAST, OR DID YOU START TO BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULDN’T EXIST AFTER HEARING THE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES?  

N:  I ONLY STARTED TO BELIEVE THAT ZOOS SHOULDN’T EXIST AFTER PREPARING FOR THE PODCAST.  UNTIL WE STARTED WORKING ON THE EPISODE, I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT THERE WERE REASONS TO THINK THAT ZOOS SHOULDN’T EXIST, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT THE REASONS ARE PRETTY GOOD ONES.

D:  OKAY, SO LET ME ASK YOU A SIMILAR QUESTION TO THE ONE I ASKED OLIVIA.  HOW STRONGLY DO YOU FEEL THAT ZOOS SHOULD NOT EXIST?  IF YOU SAY 10, THAT MEANS THAT YOU DON’T THINK ZOOS ARE GOOD AT ALL AND YOU WOULDN’T EVEN WANT TO GO TO THE ZOO ANYMORE.  IF YOU SAY 1, THAT MEANS THAT YOU DON’T THINK ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, BUT YOU MIGHT FEEL DIFFERENTLY IF THEY MAKE A FEW CHANGES TO GIVE THE ANIMALS MORE FREEDOM?  

N:  I WOULD SAY 3, BECAUSE I LOVE GOING TO THE ZOO, BUT I ALSO FEEL BAD FOR SOME OF THE ANIMALS THAT DON’T GET TO ROAM AROUND FREELY.

D:  DO YOU THINK OUR PETS AT HOME HAVE ENOUGH SPACE?

N:  THEY DO, AND WE GIVE THEM LOTS OF ATTENTION.  THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED HERE AT HOME, AND I DON’T THINK THEY WOULD BE HAPPIER ANYWHERE ELSE. 

D:  GREAT JOB, NOAH.  I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TWO OF YOU SHARING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT ZOOS.  I KNOW IT’S HARD TO EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS SOMETIMES, BUT YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB.  PERSONALLY, I THINK ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, BUT I DON’T FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT.  I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WOULD FEEL THAT THEY SHOULDN’T EXIST.  FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXIST AS LONG AS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS FOR PROVIDING THE BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ANIMALS.  

WHEN DECIDING WHETHER I THINK ZOOS SHOULD EXIST, THERE WERE A FEW THINGS I CONSIDERED.  FIRST, JUST BECAUSE ZOOS EXIST TODAY, THAT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY SHOULD.  IT’S EASY TO ASSUME THAT ANYTHING THAT EXISTS MUST HAVE A PURPOSE AND MUST BE GOOD, BUT THAT’S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.  THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME, SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT USED TO BE DONE THAT ARE NO LONGER DONE BECAUSE HUMANS EVOLVE AND TRY TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS OVER TIME.  FOR THAT REASON, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND NOT JUST ASSUME THAT ZOOS SHOULD EXIST JUST BECAUSE THEY DO EXIST.  SECOND, NOT ALL ZOOS ARE THE SAME.  THERE ARE SOME ZOOS, AND AQUARIUMS, THAT DO A BETTER JOB AT CARING FOR THEIR ANIMALS THAN OTHERS.  EVEN IF I THINK THAT ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB AT CARING FOR THEIR ANIMALS, THERE ARE CERTAIN ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING GREAT WORK, AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT NEED TO DO BETTER.  THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS.  THEY GIVE ACCREDITATION TO ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES.  IF A ZOO OR AQUARIUM IS ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE AZA, YOU CAN BE MORE CONFIDENT THAT THAT ZOO OR AQUARIUM IS TAKING THE STEPS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A GREAT HOME FOR THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE THERE.  A TOTAL OF 237 ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS ARE AZA ACCREDITED, AND THAT NUMBER MIGHT SOUND LIKE A BIG ONE, BUT IT ONLY REPRESENTS LESS THAN 10% OF THE APPROXIMATELY 2,800 ANIMAL EXHIBITORS IN THE UNITED STATES.  IF YOU WANT TO SEE IF A CERTAIN ZOO OR AQUARIUM IS AZA ACCREDITED, WE’VE PROVIDED A LINK TO THE AZA WEBSITE IN THE EPISODE NOTES.  WELL, THAT’S WRAP FOR THE PATREON EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE OF: SHOULD ZOOS EXIST?  TUNE IN TO OUR EPISODE NEXT WEEK WHEN WE WILL DEBATE WHETHER JUNK FOOD SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN SCHOOL CAFETERIAS, AND WE WILL FIND OUT HOW OUR LISTENERS VOTED WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER OR NOT ZOOS SHOULD EXIST ON THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN!