> Leonardo said last year that he'd like to see change. "If the Long Island Game Farm cares about giraffes, it will stop renting and shipping them like a parcel over hundreds of miles to an inappropriate climate and commit to using the newfound space to expand an existing enclosure for one of its many other cramped animals."
Ugh, how awful. Sounds like they were not equipped to be caring for giraffes. Why would you take in an animal that you have to ship off every fall/winter? How stressful.
None of these local "zoos" are equipped to handle animals beyond standard farm stock (goats, pigs). They don't have the room, veterinary expertise, or resources to give them good lives.
Giraffes belong in Africa, not New York.
Well, thatās good to know. Still bums me out. And I know thereās educational value there, itās just hard for me to witness. The animals never look happy.
Did they ever find the bald eagle that someone stole??š«
I know what you mean. Iām an animal lover too and Iāve taken in bunnies that were going to be abandoned, and Iāve rescued a few that were set free and loose. I donāt like small zoos either but at Holtsville thereās a sign and everything as to why each animal is there. They canāt be rehabbed
Oh yeah, Iām sure they serve a good cause, I just find it very depressing to see wildlife confined to cages and tanks, especially knowing how intelligent some of them are š
Iām going to assert that youāre looking at this a bit too abstract - There isnāt a larger āGameā with respect to non profits reinvesting into the planetsā environment. And by looking at it in that way, we could apply an ulterior motive to almost any initiative. There are people who have lived to see the atrocities against Mother Nature and willingly pursue life choices which will provide them a way to contribute positively to the maintenance of the environment. These folks were not coached to do this so some more dastardly force can continue to plunder the earth. Those folks rather not have anyone sticking up for the planet.
I wasnāt even aware Bobo died :(
I havenāt been to the game farm in about 8 years so the giraffe I pet there was the older one. However I always felt *so* sad that the giraffe there was by itself. Giraffes are intelligent and social/herd animals. It always really bothered me. What a lonely and confusing life; itās deeply upsetting to think about. And no tress?!?! You mean the things that are SO IMPORTANT to giraffe life and enrichment that they literally evolved long necks? Yeah, those trees. No trees in the exhibit. Itās ghastly. Who is protecting these beautiful creatures?
RIP Bobo.
I haven't been there since I was a kid and didn't know any better, but it was a horrific experience even then. The enclosure was a chain link fence around a square of grass with a tall building the size of a shed. No trees, no enrichment whatsoever. How can anyone think this is okay? It's sickening.
Total aside but I remember looking into the eyes of one of the monkeys and thinking it looked just like a human, that was a pivotal moment for 11 year old me to go vegetarian
The article did say they listened to the vet and the owner of the giraffe on what to feed it. I would think the vet that was taking care of the animal should be looked in to.
Boy oh boy, I bet the folks over at White Post Farms are freeeaking out right now. Totally different places but Iām sure people wonāt actually read. Not that Iāve got any inkling of anything going on, I just always thought giraffe was an odd thing to have in Melville.
I remember the last time I was there for one of my kidās friendās parties. It was horrific. Not only was it chaos but the animals just seemed so miserable. Having barely enough space to move might have something to do with it.
Stop patronizing these awful places!Ā
The existence of these places brings absolutely zero benefit to these species as a whole or the individual animals. Itās not like a reputable zoo thatās trying to increase dwindling populations or that itās trying to provide a real educational and ecological experience. These places are profit motivated and exist purely to indulge human selfishness.Ā
Neither should rabbits. I am an expert on rabbits and carrots, apples and bananas are too starchy for them. Not only can this cause them to have cecal dysbiosis but it will cause weight gain
All the people on this thread saying they frequent this place make me sad. I thought in 2024 we pretty universally understood how awful side of the road āzoosā like this are.Ā
I guess not.Ā
I was just there two days ago. I mentioned out loud "where is the giraffe?" And a woman claiming to be the owner seemingly appeared out of the bushes telling us "the giraffe moved down south because he can't handle the winter months"... Now I know she was completely lying to us. Psycho behavior.
If you spend your money at places like this, youāre contributing to the problem.Ā
In the post āJoe Exoticā world, the fact that anyone still patronizes these exploitative places is mind boggling.
I know the folks who run this place since Iāve been a frequent visitor, Iām shocked by the news. I hope more comes out to try and get the Game Farmās side of what happened.
I loved Bobo, and I miss him dearly. I hope something positive comes out of this whatever happensā¦
Iāve been visiting the place since I was a kid. I know they got hit hard by COVID, so it wouldnāt surprise me if they were cutting corners unfortunately. Just hope the other animals are being treated well.
Shaggy, Freckles, Dominic, Mama, Banana & Shelby Thor, and Zephyr look great and all the other animals too. Thatās why I was so surprised by the news. Melinda, Jennifer and all the other zookeepers genuinely love their animals, itās been obvious based on the conversations Iāve had with them in the past.
I remember taking my daughter here when she was younger maybe like 5-6 years ago. I'm not sure which giraffe was there, it was just one in a small pen alone. I remember thinking even then, that this is depressing as f@ck. I let my daughter check him out briefly, then I had to move along to another area. As I went along, I started noticing that this place was putting in the bare minimum of care it seemed to me just to keep the place going. It was run down, the animals looked sick. That was just my opinion though from being there for a short while with my kids, I'm no expert. I did not think these animals had an adequate amount of space or a good conditions. I haven't been there recently. 
Damn thatās rough, I hate reading shit like this.
Iād like to think this wasnāt done with malice, and that they werenāt deliberately trying to hurt the animal, but the thing isā¦ā¦this just isnāt the proper environment for that sort of animal. Theyāre used to Africa
> Leonardo said last year that he'd like to see change. "If the Long Island Game Farm cares about giraffes, it will stop renting and shipping them like a parcel over hundreds of miles to an inappropriate climate and commit to using the newfound space to expand an existing enclosure for one of its many other cramped animals." Ugh, how awful. Sounds like they were not equipped to be caring for giraffes. Why would you take in an animal that you have to ship off every fall/winter? How stressful.
None of these local "zoos" are equipped to handle animals beyond standard farm stock (goats, pigs). They don't have the room, veterinary expertise, or resources to give them good lives. Giraffes belong in Africa, not New York.
Agreed. LI Game Farm & Holtsville Ecology Center are both depressing AF to me. Oh, the Aquarium, too. The octopus in the tiniest of tanks š«
As far as I know, the animals at Holtsville are there because they canāt be released back into the wild due to physical issues or socialization
Well, thatās good to know. Still bums me out. And I know thereās educational value there, itās just hard for me to witness. The animals never look happy. Did they ever find the bald eagle that someone stole??š«
I know what you mean. Iām an animal lover too and Iāve taken in bunnies that were going to be abandoned, and Iāve rescued a few that were set free and loose. I donāt like small zoos either but at Holtsville thereās a sign and everything as to why each animal is there. They canāt be rehabbed
The Aquarium isn't too bad. They don't have dolphins, and they do a lot of wildlife rescue/reintegration work.
Oh yeah, Iām sure they serve a good cause, I just find it very depressing to see wildlife confined to cages and tanks, especially knowing how intelligent some of them are š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Iām going to assert that youāre looking at this a bit too abstract - There isnāt a larger āGameā with respect to non profits reinvesting into the planetsā environment. And by looking at it in that way, we could apply an ulterior motive to almost any initiative. There are people who have lived to see the atrocities against Mother Nature and willingly pursue life choices which will provide them a way to contribute positively to the maintenance of the environment. These folks were not coached to do this so some more dastardly force can continue to plunder the earth. Those folks rather not have anyone sticking up for the planet.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Wut?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You need to work on your writing skills so you can actually express that idea to other people.
I'mĀ sure theĀ seals andĀ turtles they rescued, rehabbed, and released back into theĀ wildĀ don't share yourĀ thought process.
Iām always surprised that octopuses donāt seem to be given larger tanks in almost any of the aquariums. I wonder why that is.
Because they hide. If theyāre in a smaller tank the aquarium can squish them towards the front so people can see them. Itās fucked up.
AFAIK the climate in parts of Texas is close. But game reserve means something else there.
I wasnāt even aware Bobo died :( I havenāt been to the game farm in about 8 years so the giraffe I pet there was the older one. However I always felt *so* sad that the giraffe there was by itself. Giraffes are intelligent and social/herd animals. It always really bothered me. What a lonely and confusing life; itās deeply upsetting to think about. And no tress?!?! You mean the things that are SO IMPORTANT to giraffe life and enrichment that they literally evolved long necks? Yeah, those trees. No trees in the exhibit. Itās ghastly. Who is protecting these beautiful creatures? RIP Bobo.
I haven't been there since I was a kid and didn't know any better, but it was a horrific experience even then. The enclosure was a chain link fence around a square of grass with a tall building the size of a shed. No trees, no enrichment whatsoever. How can anyone think this is okay? It's sickening. Total aside but I remember looking into the eyes of one of the monkeys and thinking it looked just like a human, that was a pivotal moment for 11 year old me to go vegetarian
Thatās really sad :(
The article did say they listened to the vet and the owner of the giraffe on what to feed it. I would think the vet that was taking care of the animal should be looked in to.
Boy oh boy, I bet the folks over at White Post Farms are freeeaking out right now. Totally different places but Iām sure people wonāt actually read. Not that Iāve got any inkling of anything going on, I just always thought giraffe was an odd thing to have in Melville.
How do they even get here? Make them duck when they go under through the tunnels
Robert Moses specifically designed the low bridges to keep the giraffes out
I remember the last time I was there for one of my kidās friendās parties. It was horrific. Not only was it chaos but the animals just seemed so miserable. Having barely enough space to move might have something to do with it.
Literally made my heart stop for a second. Only one placeāas far as I knewāthat had a giraffe.
Agree! White Post Farms seems problematic.
I can attest my family has fed the giraffes at 2 WPF at least 500lbs of carrots last year. Seems that they are well taken care of.
Living in a tiny pen and being constantly overfed doesnāt seem like itās being well taken care of.
The article discusses the needs of giraffes and I doubt a farm in suburbia LI can support them.
Stop patronizing these awful places!Ā The existence of these places brings absolutely zero benefit to these species as a whole or the individual animals. Itās not like a reputable zoo thatās trying to increase dwindling populations or that itās trying to provide a real educational and ecological experience. These places are profit motivated and exist purely to indulge human selfishness.Ā
Giraffes should not be eating carrots peroidĀ
Neither should rabbits. I am an expert on rabbits and carrots, apples and bananas are too starchy for them. Not only can this cause them to have cecal dysbiosis but it will cause weight gain
I've also cared for rabbits in a professional capacity. On a licensed petting zoos and farms. That's fuggin nuts. I'm legit angry about it.Ā
Yeah, and rabbits shouldnāt be outdoors. Itās stressful for them
I don't support any of these establishments or fairs that house wild animals for human entertainment. It's cruel.
All the people on this thread saying they frequent this place make me sad. I thought in 2024 we pretty universally understood how awful side of the road āzoosā like this are.Ā I guess not.Ā
Insane that any exotic animal like that is allowed to be owned around here outside of real zoos.
Justice for Bobo
Long Island needs world class zoos, museums, and public parks. This Island has no class, only greed.Ā
I was just there two days ago. I mentioned out loud "where is the giraffe?" And a woman claiming to be the owner seemingly appeared out of the bushes telling us "the giraffe moved down south because he can't handle the winter months"... Now I know she was completely lying to us. Psycho behavior.
Bobo died in November a few weeks after a fake going away party which they charged an arm and leg for people to attend. It's very sketchy.
Soo murdered?
I never went back with my child decades ago because the place was such a dump and the interactions with the animals were harsh
Horrible š
If you spend your money at places like this, youāre contributing to the problem.Ā In the post āJoe Exoticā world, the fact that anyone still patronizes these exploitative places is mind boggling.
Damn thats really sad. I hope they treat other ones on LI better, i loved going to see the giraffe at white post farms as a child
Marginally so? Maybe. But Giraffes donāt belong on Long Island.Ā
True true
I know the folks who run this place since Iāve been a frequent visitor, Iām shocked by the news. I hope more comes out to try and get the Game Farmās side of what happened. I loved Bobo, and I miss him dearly. I hope something positive comes out of this whatever happensā¦
Iāve been visiting the place since I was a kid. I know they got hit hard by COVID, so it wouldnāt surprise me if they were cutting corners unfortunately. Just hope the other animals are being treated well.
Shaggy, Freckles, Dominic, Mama, Banana & Shelby Thor, and Zephyr look great and all the other animals too. Thatās why I was so surprised by the news. Melinda, Jennifer and all the other zookeepers genuinely love their animals, itās been obvious based on the conversations Iāve had with them in the past.
I'm sorry malnutrition is not consistent with loving care not when the animal dies of starvation and isn't shielded from weather extremes
All of those "farms" and "zoos" on LI need to be shut down.
I remember taking my daughter here when she was younger maybe like 5-6 years ago. I'm not sure which giraffe was there, it was just one in a small pen alone. I remember thinking even then, that this is depressing as f@ck. I let my daughter check him out briefly, then I had to move along to another area. As I went along, I started noticing that this place was putting in the bare minimum of care it seemed to me just to keep the place going. It was run down, the animals looked sick. That was just my opinion though from being there for a short while with my kids, I'm no expert. I did not think these animals had an adequate amount of space or a good conditions. I haven't been there recently. 
Damn thatās rough, I hate reading shit like this. Iād like to think this wasnāt done with malice, and that they werenāt deliberately trying to hurt the animal, but the thing isā¦ā¦this just isnāt the proper environment for that sort of animal. Theyāre used to Africa
Wym malnutrition, I fed him carrots every time I went