I’m sorry, you’re the girl who talked about riding her “friend’s horses,” as giving you an appreciation of the natural world, right? Well, then, I hope you grew up in the steppes of Ukraine or central Asia, because otherwise you’re riding a species that was transplanted to a totally alien environment. They’re “half…

I do understand. It’s just that advocating for something that completely cuts out any enjoyment for a lot of people, especially people who don’t have money, isn’t in my opinion the way to go. When it comes to animal welfare, we all have feet of clay. (Honestly, this isn’t an attack, just an example, but suburbs and…

I’m saying, “Oh, gosh no, you don’t have to be *rich* to see wildlife! I help people see wildlife for *free*,” is a dumb thing to say.

I live in the middle of a city and don’t have a car. The nearest “trail walk” at a major park is about 4 to 5 hours away by multiple buses in multiple public transport systems, each of which cost over two dollars—times two, because I have to get back again after my “free” hike. So what you’re proposing as a free…

Honestly, a big reason why Blackfish made such an impact on me is that I grew up with Free Willy and summer trips to SeaWorld. I was able to see these creatures with my own eyes, and so I had a reference point when I thought of them suffering. Take away that contact and that reference point, and it’s unlikely that…

Or it’s the kind of attitude that has allowed strict breeding programs and exchange programs to preserve exotic species that would have gone extinct in the wild and given generations of children an ever-increasing awareness of the natural world and how to both appreciate and conserve animals.

Exactly. It’s easy to have exquisite politics when you’re rich. We should expect nothing less. And undoubtedly there are certain animals that cannot be kept in captivity. Telling poor people that they can’t see anything but a house cat unless they have a car that will get them to a national park and six months to…

There are many zoos and aquariums that do valuable conservation work as well as educating the public that results in better stewardship of wild spaces.

Except not really. Of the tracked pods there are roughly a handful of males older than he was.