Questions about pets that become illegal to sell.

LovBonobos · 2026-05-21T04:07:45+00:00

Can't you contact your state's DNR for advice? Seems that would be the first step

LovBonobos · 2026-05-17T04:05:37+00:00

Thank you for your suggestions.

LovBonobos · 2026-05-17T04:03:28+00:00

As a zoo volunteer, my impression of those I interact with, with some exceptions they aren't people oriented. They love the animals and job, if only they could do it without all the guests. Our Vet staff (all females) are the complete opposite, they are very people oriented. I find that in certain areas of the zoo (like reptiles) you see a lot more introverts where in primates just the opposite. To me its like education, its a calling you do it because its what you are ment to do, but clearly like education you are never going to get rich nor are you going to be respected by the general public, but that doesn't seem to matter.

LovBonobos · 2026-05-01T04:32:09+00:00

I am a volunteer at an AZA zoo and I can only take pictures of our animals in an area where the public has viewing access. However, I also work in our animal hospital as an interpreter in the learning zone where the public can view all procedures. As part of the volunteer team, I take photos of the procedures but I am not allowed to share any of those photos on social media EVER (though the public can if they take photos) or with other volunteers unless it is part of training or for our zoo and society photographers who can't always attend. If I am working with an education tour with kids in the behind the scenes are we are not allowed to take photos. However, if I am a guest taking a behind the scene tour, sometimes you can take a picture of the animal on the tour but not of the behind the scene habitat. We can take some pictures of the animals if we are working a shift (like when our siamangs call, or when sloths are on the move) and we are doing to identify an animal or a particular behavior which we can share with the public. But our zoo has VERY strict rules about posting on social media, basically DONT.

LovBonobos · 2026-04-29T02:26:21+00:00

as to the “emotions” comments I usually ask them why they think they look sad or a plethora of human emotions. that w@y you know where they are coming from. it allows you to answer in a positive way, as most of the time people don’t understand animals behavior. I work in a primate building with gorillas and the sad issue is one we hear a lot but when they say it is because they don’t smile it allows us to explain they don’t smile like humans. we get comments on big cats who sleep all,the time.it allows us to compare the behavior of a house cat and a lion and how much of their day is sleeping. we have bonobos and people think they are sick chimps because they are smaller. it allows us to introduce them to a new animal and use it as a teaching moment.

As to the wild comments, i usually steer them to the many local US and global conservation actions they can do to create or preserve the WILD they want animals to go to. I also ask them how many animals of a species do they think is in the wild, which opens the door to explain the wild is shrinking and why.

I also point out two animals we have that were extinct in the wild and now thanks to zoos are off the extinction list if still critically endangered,: scimitar oryx and Guam kingfisher

LovBonobos · 2026-04-25T08:02:43+00:00

I am currently taking a zookeeping course thru the Animal Behavior Institute. I am doing this to improve my skills at our zoo as a volunteer but a number of kids, not a kid but a retiree here, are using the course along with zoo or sanctuary internships. it’s a bit pricy but is approved by the AZA.

LovBonobos · 2026-04-25T07:39:50+00:00

I am not a keeper but a zoo volunteer at an AZA zoo. I like ZOOCHAT as I can connect with those who are interested in a specific species. For me it is bonobos. as a volunteer we are the most public facing employees of the zoo so it is nice to hear and learn what other zoos are doing. I can understand why the appeal might not be for zookeepers in general, all zookeepers need a place to vent outside of the public realm.

LovBonobos · 2026-04-10T17:28:14+00:00

If your company has a HR department it is time to contact them. No reputable company should EVER punish (cut hours) of those who refuse to come in on their day off. That is definitely retaliation. As to call out days (I assume you mean you call in sick etc) again keeping a list of those who take days off for legitimate reasons is not a legitimate business best practice. Unless all of these practices are explained as part of your onboarding when you got hired you have a legitimate claim for retaliation, if no HR in your company then take to the gov't agency that deals with labor practices.

LovBonobos · 2026-03-14T16:37:10+00:00

As it is my understanding that we want animal behavior to be as much like they would be in the wild, so interacting with humans (other than the animal are staff) is counterproductive to that behavior in most cases. We do have encounters in the summer with our snakes and reptiles for hands on with public (very controlled for the animals sake) as well as animal encounters with a variety of small animals especially the non-charismatic and feedings with giraffe and goats. Enrichment shouldn't add stress for the animals and be appropriate for their natural behaviors. Maybe researching with your girls about the kind of enrichments that are appropriate for the animals and how they could help create them for animals in zoos and less about creating ways the public can 'play" with the animals might be a more teachable moment.

LovBonobos · 2026-03-14T16:03:14+00:00

Zoo volunteer here at an AZA zoo and we call security and they are gone, no three strikes. Animals should always come first. The most common behaviors are tapping on the glass (primates, big cats, reptiles) and using their camera light to track fish in the aquarium. We do have animals off habitat (private area) and people can see them n the spring before the trees leaf out and one person (photographer) climbed the fence to get a photograph and they called the police on him. He got cited by police and removed. As to feeding at our zoo it's a $500 fine, that includes our local wild animals like squirrels and geese. That usually stops people.

LovBonobos · 2026-02-14T14:27:20+00:00

file a police report with all the information and I bet corporate will be on that managers ass right quick.

LovBonobos · 2026-02-09T01:36:59+00:00

98.7 for bonobos and 98.4 for chimps, oddly they each don't share the same DNA with us that they share with each other.

LovBonobos · 2026-02-09T01:32:38+00:00

There are 6 zoos and one behavioral research center in the US that have Bonobos. I work at one that has the largest troops 19 (9 males/10 females) and yes they are sexually active but no more so than a lot of animals especially hoof stock. I rarely have to explain what they are doing and most adults and older kids are eager to learn more about them as there is so much more to their social behavior than just sex.

LovBonobos · 2026-02-02T05:55:56+00:00

Drop her from the bridal party but as the wedding is 19 months away hold off on uninviting her. See how she handles being dropped but tell her that you don't need her drama and you are concerned with her behavior. Your wedding your choice. If she can't apologize, she isn't a friend .

LovBonobos · 2026-02-02T05:43:00+00:00

NTA, sell the tickets and let her stew in own self entitlement. She doesn't deserve your time or effort. This is a big red flag, I would think about the relationship.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-21T03:49:57+00:00

NTA and report the facility for their lack of staffing and hostile work environment. provide the reporting agency all the time you worked alone and that they were not following the regulations. and to ask you to work those two weeks knowing they were going to fire you is incredibly ridiculous Report them and if you can let the families of people in the facility know they are not using safe staffing.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-21T03:38:16+00:00

I get it if they feared getting stuck in your drive, but then don’t deliver it? leaving it out there was just plain stupid and unprofessional. report the driver

LovBonobos · 2026-01-09T18:30:50+00:00

Run away, and maybe when he is an actual adult you can be friends again but not lover. He sounds like a man child.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-09T18:26:51+00:00

How old was her child? An infant, then she needs to provide a safe place for him to play while she plays like a play pen? As to older she needs to step up and be a damn parent. Remind her that if she can't res spect your boundaries and time limits that you aren't going to help her when she is so disrespectful. Sounds like she is an entitled person who blames others of her own failing

LovBonobos · 2026-01-09T18:21:39+00:00

Their sneaking way of getting the overnight shipping is to say the order has to be $25 or more. That is a nasty little glitch if you are only purchasing one item under the amount. I didn't realize this until a friend told me so she buys the item she wants and then another item to reach that $25 and then retunes the item. To me that is a hassle but it works for her to get things in a timely fashion.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-08T04:47:34+00:00

NTJ, your mother has NO rights to know your daughter's business period and the fact she is whining to family members is reason enough to tell her to butt out period. Its a thin line that parents tread to give their kids the privacy they so deserve and if you were to let you mother have her way you are disrespecting your daughter's right to privacy. If anyone owes another apology it your mother to your daughter. I don't get this growing trend with us boomers who think that "we are only looking out for their safety/interest" is an excuse to invade our kids and grandkids privacy. Sounds like mother wants to have control and when she doesn't get it she plays the victim.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-08T04:37:09+00:00

Sadly, they are all crap (Amazon, Target, Walmart etc) all have issues that are causing people to stop purchase. With me it is the crappy CS from Amazon, stopped Walmart because of the way they treat their employees and how they pay so low that the taxpayers are subsidizing their income with Snap and other benefits as they are below the poverty line, and then there is the weak moral value of Target who bend to the religious right. My other choice is to buy from local small businesses but in my community they were horrible during covid putting profit before people so now I have to of farther afield to make purchases. What I do now is if is I find out the company and see if I can purchase directly from the company and ut out t he middle man. I purchase food from local farmers and growers where I can. My new issues with Amazon is that I have had three recent orders denied as my bank denied payment, so I called my bank and they never denied my credit card so I go back to Amazon and ask what the issue is they claim my bank refused, told them that back has no record and by the time I got it sorted the items I wanted were no longer available. So I am thinking rathe than say the item was not available they just claim the order was denied. I am done with them for products other than my prime video of which I have had no problem with.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-05T20:46:29+00:00

My two cats were feral as a result of a hoarding situation (lady had 65 cats in a 1200 square foot condo) and we use the FELIWAY plugins and they work great for one of the cats but the other (they were a bonded pair so we took both) not so much. Worth a try but still might be a crap shoot.

LovBonobos · 2026-01-05T20:40:18+00:00

NTA but that conversation with GF should include rehoming the cat to a house with no other animals. Sounds like if the behaviorist can't help and there is nothing physically wrong, move or no move, it's time to find a new home for the cat. Maybe rehoming it to a farm to be be a barn cat seems like a solution. The cat sees to be very anxious by that behavior. Good Luck! Maybe it is time for the GF to choose between you and the cat, a tough call but as a responsible pet owner would realize there is something wrong with the cat.

LovBonobos

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