The Smart Folks at the Smithsonian Did Something Really, Really Dumb

As an organization
that celebrates education, the Smithsonian Institution should have been
smarter.

To drum up
donations for the Smithsonian’s
National Zoo, the organization threw
a fundraising party complete with wild animals whom partygoers were allowed to touch, hold, and take
pictures with. The cheetah, wallaby,
penguin, armadillo, and baby foxes were from the Columbus Zoo, which—catch this—rents the animals out for fundraisers
and other events. The National Zoo’s mission is to demonstrate leadership in animal care and
to teach and inspire people to protect wildlife. It certainly fell short.

iStockphoto.com/ruvanboshoff

We have written to
the National Zoo and pointed out that wild animals naturally shun contact with
humans and become stressed and panicked when they are transported, thrust into
the midst of a loud party, and handled by strangers.

We also filed a
complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture because the cheetah with whom
people were snapping photos is 3 years old—much older than the age restriction of
3 months to which the Animal Welfare Act limits
dangerous big cats who are allowed to have
contact with the public.

If the Smithsonian
wants to live up to its slogan, “Seriously Amazing,” it
needs to protect animals instead of using them as collection plates.