The “Sea-lebrities” Are Supporting Captain Paul Watson

Brigitte Bardot

Updated at 11:58 PM AK Time Zone — May 19, 2012; and at 12:59 PM on May 21, 2012

The Sea-lebrities (a term coined by the Barbi Twins) are saying, “Free the Captain!”

I support this campaign even though the Captain works with a rival network — Animal Planet — and is opposed to the work of marine parks. (This is my sentiment and not necessarily that of Nat Geo’s. I clearly failed to bring a bit of levity to a serious subject by mentioning the name of another network)

I do condone the work of SeaWorld and similar oceanariums in North America because of the exposure and education they offer to patrons regarding life under the sea. I have worked with these zoological facilities and entirely support their efforts to share a glimpse of the marine world with visitors, particularly those living in inland regions, who don’t have the resources to travel to wild places that support estuarine and marine life. Just because SeaWorld may be an entertainment venue, does not mean that it can’t meet educational objectives. I mention this as a former trainer of marine mammals, as someone who has conducted field studies on cetaceans and pinnipeds and because a recent, and related post on the topic generated much controversy. But I digress….

I do like Paul Watson and wish him well. We agree to disagree, but I fully support him in this fight — a fight for his life.

Here’s the update:

Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), was released from jail in Germany and may now be extradited to Costa Rica to face charges relating to a confrontation he had with shark fin poachers back in 2002.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is concerned that he won’t even make it to a courthouse in Costa Rica before someone takes his life. The organization has implored celebrities and other followers to observe Save Our Skipper Day—A Global Day of Action—on May 23rd and have asked supporters to write the German Ministers on behalf of Paul Watson.

Joanna Krupa

The iconic pin-ups, the Barbi Twins, are avid supporters of SSCS and Watson, and have been recruiting celebrities like Joanna Krupa, Ken Wahl, Simone Reyes, Russell Simmons and Willie Nelson’s daughters, Raelyn and Amy to support the Captain and bring him home safely. You can learn more about the Barbi Twins three steps to help save Captain Paul Watson on Russell Simmon’s Global Grind blog: http://globalgrind.com/news/help-save-captain-paul-watson-barbi-twins.

Here is evidence of other “Sea-lebrities” supporting Captain Paul Watson:

Bridget Bardot http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/9267388/Brigitte-Bardot-offers-to-take-Sea-Shepherd-founders-place-in-prison.html

Red Hot Chili Peppers http://loudwire.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-rally-fans-to-support-arrested-sea-shepherd-captain-paul-watson/

Jordan Schaul

Alicia Silverstone http://www.thekindlife.com/post/urgent-show-your-support-for-captain-paul-watson

Elissa Sursara (in the running for PETA’s Celebrity of the Year) http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/05/17/free-sea-shepherd-captain-paul-watson; http://www.petaasiapacific.com/featureSexiestVegCeleb2012-Eng.asp

The views expressed in this article are those of Jordan Schaul or the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Society and not necessarily those of the National Geographic Society. Read more blog posts by Jordan Schaul.

www.zoopeeps.info · newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/author/jschaul/

Contributing Editor Jordan Schaul is the Director of Conservation and Science and former animal curator with the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Anchorage, Alaska. He is also a former zoo keeper and animal trainer.

Jordan received his PhD in conservation medicine from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in zoology. He is a council member (ex officio) of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), a member of the coordinator committee for the Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and an advisor to the Bear Taxon Advisory Group of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Jordan also serves as the Captive News correspondent for International Bear News and was formerly the Correspondent Editor for the IBA/IUCN-BSG publication. He is a member of the advisory council of the National Wildlife Humane Society, which promotes high standards for wild carnivore care and welfare among private sanctuaries in North America. Jordan is the creator of the Zoo Peeps brand which hosts a blog for the global zoo and aquarium community and a wildlife conservation focused radio program sponsored by the Zoological Association of America.

Jordan is an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage (Health Sciences) and a Research Scientist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (Institute of Arctic Biology). He is also a Professional Member of the Zoological Association of America. He can be reached at jordan@alaskawildlife.org or at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4721849/.

Comments

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Sea Shepherd Fan
France
May 21, 2012, 5:07 pm

Paul Watson is the best, he’s a true hero of Planet Earth. In 1000 years people will remember him as one of those who tried to prevent the rape of nature by the dirty and greedy humans of our time !
James Duff
Sonora California
May 21, 2012, 3:36 pm

I find it sad that National Geographic has abstained from the debate about Sea Shepherd Organization. The negative spin in this article is biased I believe. I think Captain Watson would have a much different viewpoint. I wish he was writing for National Geographic.com.
The debate about Marine Mammal Parks, consider this, why do Orca kill their trainers in captivity and never in the oceans of the world?
Sea Shepherd under the leadership of Captain Watson has pioneered the salvation of marine life worldwide. National Geographic shows widespread devastation and loss of natural habitats and wildlife. Captain Watson should figure prominently in any discussion about marine life conservation.
In time he will be honored and revered as a world leader that stood up to injustice and profiteers of the seas and oceans.
Countries that continue killing and supporting killing whales, dolphins, sharks, seals and turtles will be held in low esteem and will be held accountable for their selfish actions.
This goes beyond borders with the oceans connecting all of us to the web of life. Captain Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd Organization are fighting the good fight. Go to seashepherd.org to find ways to support marine life just like the celebrities do.
Rhonda
U.S.A.
May 21, 2012, 9:30 am

I find it unbelievable that someone would call Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherds TERRIORISTS!!! TERRIORISTS are barbarians and killers. Paul Watson has not killed anyone or any living sea creature. He has dedicated his life trying to make the rest of us realize that killing whales, sharks or anything else in the sea is killing plain and simple. The fisherman, poachers are the TERRIORISTS, they are the ones that kill and should be inprisioned. I support Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherds now and will continue to do so until the killing STOPS!!
MickNY
USA
May 21, 2012, 8:55 am

Watson and his ship of fools are glory terrorists; they do it for the high and some kind of personal fame. It is only a matter of time before they manage to kill themselves or worse, somebody else but I am sure Animal Planet will love the ratings.
James Robson
May 21, 2012, 6:03 am

Oh, and Gregory, groups like Humane Society International, Greenpeace and the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) all campaign against the same atrocities as Sea Shepherd. Why not mention them and how stupid they all are? Or is your argument completely based on a dislike of Sea Shepherd and therefore void of any real fact, just a bunch of babble tailored to discredit Sea Shepherd and Paul Watson’s crew because you quite simply don’t like them?
James Robson
London, England
May 21, 2012, 6:00 am

Gregory, I don’t appreciate you calling these people celebridummies, particularly not Elissa Sursara who has proven herself time again to be highly educated and thoughtful on many topics. Your knowledge of Sea Shepherd is sensationally poor. Sea Shepherd doesn’t just “ram” people, and by the way, the Japanese aren’t researching whales, they’re killing whales to “scientific research”. This is something Gillard, Obama and several others have critized. Just because you read sensational headlines and think that because they play rock music in the background of whale wars, that makes the entire crew terrorists and any celebrity who supports them a “dummy”, doesn’t mean you can come here and present your antisentiments as fact. Sea Shepherd cuts the number of whales killed in the SO significantly each year, not to mention the attention they being toward ethical conflict toward animals in areas like Namibia and Taiji. What do you do my friend? Besides complain.
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May 21, 2012, 4:38 am

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Mauricio Munoz
East Bay, California
May 20, 2012, 2:46 pm

While a few people in the “special interest” groups try desperately to describe Paul as a terrorist – despite the fact he has never killed anyone- nobody is talking about the real criminals in the Watson case: the Costa Rican fishermen who:
1. were caught finning sharks, a practice that is illegal in their own country.
2. were caught fishing on international waters -not in Costa Rica – without a permit.
3. have never, not for one day, been jailed for breaking that same legal system that is coming down so hard against Paul.
Did anyone notice the above are just facts and not opinions?

Some people have asked, if Paul is innocent why then doesn’t he just show up to the Costa Rican court and accepts to be trialed?
Let me tell you why.
Costa Rica is a country where just within the past twenty years, three former presidents of such nation (Rodriguez, Calderon, and Figueres) have been involved with corruption scandals, where two of the three have been trialed and found guilty. The third one fled the country and did not return until the charges against him could not be held in a court of law -because they were too old.
Now, let me ask you, if corruption in Costa Rica can reach the highest level of goverment, what makes you think Paul will receive a fair trial?
The real challenge here is to convince the people of Costa Rica to stop advertising themselves as an eco-friendly country while they turn around at the same time and try to jail one of the most valuable enviromentalists who protect our oceans.
Free Paul Watson AND dennounce Costa Riica’s anti-ecological policies.
cetaceanproject
May 20, 2012, 2:31 pm

Ya know. I love it when captivity is given the okay by playing the kid card. If they didn’t learn they wouldn’t care. Blah Blah Blah. I have never seen a cetacean in a caged facility, it is through reading, independent research and videos I learned where they belonged.

Secondly, if you’re going to educate kids, then educate them FULLY, show them the studies alongside your education packet that explain the intelligence of these animals. Share all scientist reports on effects to captive marine mammals. Tell them how even though these cetaceans are highly social animals, with families like ours, some are separated and kept segregated.

Show them the number of trainers who have been injured/died because of interactions with these wild animals. Be honest and admit that tooth flushing is a necessity because orcas have broken teeth on gates and have to endure them being drilled to the pulp. Tell them that this is why teeth flushing is necessary and that it isn’t really “superior oral care.”

Explain how many dolphins, belugas, pilot whales and orcas etc. have actually died in captivity. Share that Shamu isn’t the original Shamu. Explain why orcas endure dorsal fin collapse, ulcers and sometimes clash in captivity killing themselves in the process.

Finally, show them all the necropsy reports pre 1994 (Of course, we can’t get them now, so for animals in captivity, there is truly no oversight, other than APHIS which is useless).

Then ask those kids: do you still want to go and see captive cetaceans? I think you’ll find Kids are smarter than you think, IF you give them the whole picture.

As for SW who yes, was once considered the expert in all things cetacean, they’re arrogance and refusal to acknowledge other expert scientific POVs, kills animals, or results in BIG boo-boos just as a mother and son orca that mated. This would never happen in the wild.

Ask yourself why if SW has nothing to hide, is nobody allowed to view their records?? And seeing as this is Nat Geo portal endorsing captivity (yes Nat Geo is a SW partner), I shall be canceling my membership forthwith.
Debbie Mahew
Toronto
May 20, 2012, 1:08 pm

It is very unfortunate in this day and age that anyone can place captivity and education in one sentence. Studying Marine Mammals or any animal forced into captivity is akin to studying children locked in small closets. Absolutely ridiculous. Captive animals in general have been deprived of anything that is natural in their lives. Many have been literally starved into submission. The only one who benefits are the corporations that hold them against their will for the ransom of deep pockets. Captivity is nothing more than man’s show of superiority over any other living form.
I am very confused how you associate PETA with Sea Shepherd, completely different entities with no affiliation whatsoever. Captain Paul Watson, has dedicated his life to saving Marine Life which is being pillaged worldwide. His campaigns are focused on creatures that are at risk, such as the sharks, Whales, Bluefin Tuna, and Dolphins. Because of Sea Shepherd, many quota’s of Whales have not been captured and killed for supposed scientific research by Japan and other Countries. He is on the front lines defending the defenseless. If this is terrorism, then sign me up. I would prefer to actually be doing something to save species at risk then hiding behind a keyboard slewing insults and doing absolutely nothing to stop the carnage (directed to Gregory). Jordan, You are an educated person, who really needs to seek out the truth’s behind captivity. I will look forward to reading an unbiased report from you after you actually study the issues at hand.
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Gregory
May 20, 2012, 9:30 am

It makes me sad that no matter where I turn, people are afraid to call the Sea Shepherd’s captain and crew what they are – glory seeking terrorists that do nothing to actually improve the lives of animals.

My view on animals in captivity is largely one based on how the animals are kept captive. Equating animals to people and then pretending it is some form of incarceration is obnoxious and I don’t see a reason to delve into any philosophy inspired by insipid PETA nonsense akin to “animals are just as much people as you or me” or more accurately “animals deserve more rights than humans”.

But that same line of thought goes into why the Sea Shepherd is so despicable. They endanger the lives of humans all the time in their “war” against primarily legal activities. The Faroese Islands can legally hunt whales. The Japanese can legally research whales. If you dislike either of these things, the thing you should be doing is trying to change the law or working with the people on a cultural level.

All throwing stink bombs at people, threatening to ram their boats, and publicizing it does is make for very bad television. The celebridummies that decided to side with Watson did so out of the same fad chasing fervor that made you write their names down. In essence, the Sea Shepherd changes nothing because it doesn’t want to change anything.

To actually effect change would take away from Paul Watson’s terrorist activities and diminish his viewer base.

You’re an educated person, so I’m fairly certain you should be able to see the absurdity of how he expects to “change” the world through violent struggle. The best way to emphasize the lunacy in his latest charge would be:

You see someone texting as they drive. You decide to ram them with your car because that is illegal!

It’s -also- illegal to endanger a fellow human’s life. More importantly, what if the person wasn’t texting but changing their car radio? I hope there’s a “Keep Terrorists in Prison Day”, because I’d like to write in on that one.

The lies and hypocrisy of the Sea Shepherd have gone far enough. It’s time that people were held accountable for their actions.
Mo Brock
USA
May 20, 2012, 7:06 am

Not a terribly surprising post. I do think, however, that it is time that Nat Geo consider ending its relationship with an author whose passion is to capture wild animals and justify it because he would never have known about certain species if not for SeaWorld.

This is not about you, Mr. Shaul. That fact you and the other pro-caps consistently miss.
bkh
May 20, 2012, 5:41 am

By the way the dolphine in Japan is a small area. Not every japanese ppl eat them. I do agree it needs to be stopped but how about the animals Usa kills too like deer or cow or even horses… dislike the way this organization are attacking Japan.
bkh
May 20, 2012, 5:37 am

Karma is a bitch. Paul Watson you need to go to Costa Rica period. For the past action he did he needs to face it.
Jordan Schaul
May 20, 2012, 4:33 am

I don’t delete comments. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Unfortunately, this post was drafted in haste, and was intended to follow a previous post on marine mammal training. The piece was quite controversial and included interviews with the Barbi Twins and Dr. Grey Stafford. I had no idea that my comments would be taken out of context.

When I addressed longevity issues in captivity I was referring to animals in general and not just marine mammals.
Lynne
Central Square.NY
May 20, 2012, 3:47 am

We need to all band together in such world to help a good guy……we all came together….in killing binladen ….justifiably so and now one of our good guys needs some help….he doesn’t belong there….
The “Sea-lebrities” are supporting Captain Paul Watson – National Geographic « Costa Rica Vacation
May 20, 2012, 3:42 am

[...] are supporting Captain Paul Watson – National Geographic Environment News ServiceThe “Sea-lebrities” are supporting Captain Paul WatsonNational GeographicNevertheless, Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society [...]
Morlan Carr
United Kingdom
May 20, 2012, 3:11 am

Thankyou Jordan for writing this article.
I understand that you support programme of Marine Parks, which many of us oppose however this should be a separate debate, I appreciate the disclosure.
Captain Watson should never had been arrested in the first place, and now, whilst the German Ministry of Justice have the power to decide his fate.
If he is extradited to Costa Rica, he will not be treated fairly, have a fair trial or even make it to trial. I am sure you are aware there are several billon dollar industries that would benefit from the removal of Captain Watson from our oceans.
Your views o some things may be different, however I am sure you can appreciate the need we have to keep Captain Watson at the helm of Sea Shepherd, for the 100 Million Sharks that are mamed and killed for their fins every year, for the whales, for the live captured dolphins, for the seals and sea lons. Unfortunately we cannot rely on Politicians, they do not seem to care or take action. I am truly grateful for all the celebrities that lend their support, thet are the news makers, when celebrities talk, sing or film, people listen, and that is what Captain Watson needs.
Can I ask you to continue to support our community to promote the safe release of captain Watson to the oceans and look forward to many more controversial articles and debates. Thank you.
Chasity
Dallas Texas
May 20, 2012, 3:02 am

Jordan, going off your self proclaimed credits, you seem like a smart guy. A PhD in conservation medicine and Masters in Zoology… pretty impressive! You are “Pro Captive”. And you clearly do not like Sea Shepherd.

First, this article, from a journalistic stand point, makes little sense to me. I am not trying to be rude, I just do not get your point. Many Celebrities support Sea Shepherd… what’s the point? Its no secret, I am not understanding why you felt you needed to “prove” this? It all kinda lost me. I understand this is an editorial news forum, but I still do not see the link between Celebrates supporting SSCS, you not liking SSCS, and your love for captivity…and PETA… where did that come from? You do not like SSCS because they are on a different channel then you…kinda odd, don’t you think? Is that really a reason to not like someone?
Ok, moving on to my real reason here. Jordan, you are pro-captivity and I am Anti-captivity. More then likely neither of us will ever agree on everything. You say that animals live in captivity longer then in the wild. Being a smart guy… do you have the numbers to back this up? Have you went page by page of MMIRs (Marine Mammal Inventory Reports) for different parks and looked at the ages Marine Mammals live on average? Have you ever added up the ages of dolphins or whales at the time of death and got the average age of life? I think this would make a fantastic article, if you do it truthfully. Sir we both know that that statement is false. We both know that marine mammals do not live longer in Captivity then in the wild. Look at the ocras in Wa. look at their life spans. The ONLY reason they became endangered in the first place was BECAUSE of captivity! The pods were almost wiped clean because the captive industry and the people that support it! Sure, things have come a long way since then… but they are still dying at vastly higher rates in captivity then the wild. I have another one for you Jordan… what about this. How many humans have been killed by orcas in the wild Jordan? None! There has not been a single report EVER of an orca killing a person in the wild. What about those in Captivity? Its clear that Captivity truly does kill!

I know by now you have probably deleted my comment. But I will go on. Jordan, Captain Paul Watson changed my life. Because of him I have learned all about conservation; the reasons why we need to protect the Oceans and all that live in it. Have you ever been to Japan, Jordan? Yes, I am taking it there. Have you ever watched a pod of dolphins being murdered? I have, its not pretty. No, I do not mean… I watched The Cove… I mean I was there. I witnessed, before my eyes dolphins being murdered… and those not murdered… went into tiny sea pens, to be sold into captivity. And wait… before you say, “The US does not import dolphins from Japan! We are not talking about the same thing!” Captivity is captivity. Many noted marine parks around the world, end up with dolphins from Taiji, or other places were wild dolphins are still taken from the wild. Jordan, you want a real article. Go to Taiji, Japan. Watch dolphins being murdered in front of you. Watch them being dragged away from their families and crammed into small sea pens. Do all this… and THEN come back and write an article about what you think of Captivity and Paul Watson! If you still feel the same… then be it.

Captain Watson is a hero. Those people who Crew, volunteer, and support Sea Shepherd, are heros! Our oceans and its inhabitants need to be saved. Not only because its the right thing to do. Not only because they are simply amazing creatures, but because our lives DEPEND on the oceans…. I would think any conservationist would know this!

Best of luck to you!
alain brousse
australia
May 20, 2012, 1:54 am

do not seat on the dock of the bay watching the time roll away
do something to protect our planet
Kerry O'Brien
New Zealand
May 20, 2012, 1:06 am

Thank you for writing about the plight of Captain Paul Watson, wrongfully imprisoned. Captivity of Marine Mammals is also exploitative and wrong. Why do humans need to see, touch and experience a beautiful marine mammal to appreciate it? That again is for human gratification, not considering an intelligent being,forced to live in a swimming pool. I don’t need science to know this. Again, thank you.
Holise E Cleveland III
Ocala, Florida
May 20, 2012, 12:18 am

Regarding $eaWorld Supporters:
No matter what they say, what it all comes down to is whether or not a person actually cares about the feelings of the animal or their own gratification in watching it do unnatural circus tricks in an unnatural environment. Period. Bottom line!
Holise E Cleveland III
http://CyberWhaleWarrior.com
May 20, 2012, 12:13 am

As we are all learning, mainstream media is for the computer illiterate. The headlines are now shared by the populace via social media. What the 6-o’clock news feeds us is no longer relevant to the worldwide web surfers. We, the people, decide the popularity of an issue by what we trend via various online platforms.

The German government now understands that Captain Paul Watson is a celebrity of the highest caliber. We, the people, have demonstrated this to them. We, the people, represent the majority of the planet. We have deemed Captain Watson to be a leader and an asset to the well-being of Earth’s future.

We outnumber those who oppose us. We outnumber the whalers and the shark finners. We outnumber those who care more for money than the state of our world for future generations. Whether it be out of greed or ignorance, they are contributing to the demise of our oceans.

One cannot save his own soul and leave a path of destruction in his wake.

Captain Paul Watson is more than a leader. He is the embodiment of what we all need aspire to if we are to be saviors to the inhabitants of our seas. He is the ultimate example of altruism and compassion. He is a role model.

The celebrities who have stepped up for Paul Watson are more than stars in my eyes. They are angels. They too are role models and I have complete confidence in them as guides for our children and our children’s children.

Sia Barbi, Shane Barbi, Joanna Krupa, Ken Wahl, Simone Reyes, Russell Simmons, Raelyn Nelson, Amy Nelson, Bridget Bardot, Alicia Silverstone, The Red Hot Chili Peppers: I salute you! Your names shall go down in history as saviors of the world. We, the people, will see to it.
Jordan Schaul
May 20, 2012, 12:07 am

You guys have figured me out. I support marine parks and zoos because they inspired me to work with animals and my aspirations were to improve the welfare of these animal ambassadors in captivity. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and would never have laid eyes on dolphins or captured the essence of these sentient beings had I not visited SeaWorld of Ohio. These facilities expose young people to marine life. These kids would never come across a marine animal in the wild. The wild can be an unforgiving place, and yet no one ever mentions the brutality of life in the jungle. If you want to look at science, most organism don’t even survive to adulthood; they live longer in captivity than in the wild.

I share my own experiences and opinions. And I should add that this forum is for opinion/editorial news. Not all of the articles are based on science. BTW, where is the science in activism? I assure you that PETA does not rely on science of any kind.
Free Captain Watson
Los Angeles
May 19, 2012, 11:14 pm

Jordan… I think you could write an article about peanut butter and still find a way to talk about captivity and how much you support it. Know this: constantly throwing in your two cents about captivity on totally unrelated articles is not going to help. What does the fact Whale Wars airs on Animal Planet have to do with Watson’s arrest? Why did you feel the need to refer to Sea Shepherd’s dislike of SeaWorld (a dislike based on their involvement in the capturing of healthy wild marine mammals for revenue at their parks, mind you) in an article about an arrest warrant from Costa Rica in relation to illegal shark poachers? This website is not your platform to relate everything back to captivity. You don’t allow readers to make an informed decision about that topic. Everything you post from another person, you undermine by adding “but I love captivity.” No one cares. And why did you feel it was necessary to add a picture of yourself to this post? You clearly do not support marine conservation outside of SeaWorld and you are definitely not a Sea Shepherd supporter, but you still felt compelled to promote yourself in an article unrelated to you or anything you support. I hope that your unnecessary comments about captivity did not distract from the nature of this post: inspiring people to support a man who is being held on politically motivated charges for protecting marine. In future, why not try to talk about captivity only when necessary? And even better, why not try providing facts and scientific information to support your stance? You never do. It’s as though you are personally offended by anti-captivity sentiment because you were a marine mammal trainer. News flash: no one is protesting YOU. Its not about you.
Frances
U.S.A
May 19, 2012, 11:10 pm

Thanks for the article, Jordan. I must say, why do you support marine parks? I oppose wild animals in captivity, it is very unhealthy for the animals and their psychological state. Unless it is a rehabilitation center where they are properly cared for and released, or if there are only a couple of the animals left in an area where poachers exist and they need to be protected. Wildlife can be viewed in the wild, safely and without causing destruction to the environment, when done properly.

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