It's been a long time since I last made a blog posting, as I was and am still rather busy. The school holidays are not much of a respite from the hectic school term, and I have yet to complete my holiday homework.
Straying away from that "unpleasant topic", did you know that the Integrated Resort in Sentosa is not having the whale shark anymore? I know this piece of news was made known to the public some time ago, but I want to express my views about this incident. As many of you know, whale sharks are gigantic creature, being the largest living fish today. They can grow up to about twelve meters in length and weigh up to approximately thirteen tonnes. Fortunately, whale sharks are filter feeders, and feed on microscopic plankton in the water around them with their large mouth. Being gentle giants, they will not harm humans at all, and will allow divers to swim beside them. Despite the relatively slow speed of whale sharks (whale sharks move at 5 km/h whereas blue whales can reach up to over 40km/h), they still require a lot of space.
Due to space constraints and maintenance, it is very difficult for aquariums to house whale sharks. However, several aquariums are keeping whale Sharks in captivity, such as the Georgia Aquarium. Personally, I would be thrilled to see a live whale shark, but if it is kept in a cramped tank and is not given sufficient food, then I would rather it be released into its natural environment. Note that the actual and proper purpose of zoos should not be just to earn money, but to conserve rare animals that face the threat of extinction, as by Gerald Durrell in his policies for zoos. Regarding enclosures, he wanted them to be built keeping the animal's comfort in mind first of all.
Zoos, as I think, should not be only for profitable purposes, but should be even more about educating the public about conservation and helping endangered animals to escape their imminent extinction. If the IR in Sentosa does not fulfill that, then the Whale Shark has every right to be released back into the pelagic zone.
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