In Reply to: Re: How can you possibly know if they're happier in the wild? posted by Katie on June 06, 2000 at 20:25:58:

Katie,

You raise an imporant point. But may I gently urge you to examine your assumptions here?

: Think about it. They're made to soar at great heights and distances, none of which they ever get to do in captivity. In rainforests no less. How cool is that?

First, be careful not to romanticize the rainforests too much. Yes, they are beautiful and magnificent, but they are also hostile and wild. Imagine being surrounded by huge birds of prey and snakes that want to snatch you and your loved ones up and eat them. Imagine not knowing if or when you're going to get your next meal. Imagine being left behind to die when you get injured or sick because there's no one to take care of you or take you to the vet.

But second, STOP imagining because you're anthropomorphizing these animals! Just because something seems cool to you or me doesn't necessarily mean it's what the gliders need or want.

The question you raise is very important: _are_ these animals happy in captivity? Everyone here would do well to think about it once in awhile. But the way to answer it is not to imagine and guess, but to look at the captive animals. I have heard, for example, that pet wolves (i.e. undomesticated dogs) are never quite satisfied with a restricted range. Their territory is 25-40 sq. miles in the wild, and whenever they get a chance to escape a small yard they take it. This is a sign that they are unhappy in that setting.

Similarly, it's important to ask, "Can sugar gliders be happy if they don't get to go on 50 meter glides, live in their natural family units, explore a large range, ..." It's good that you're making us face this question. I had some reservations about this when I first started thinking about getting a glider. But, unlike wolves, the answer for sugar gliders, at least captive bred ones, appears to be, "Yes, they can!" The evidence has been provided to you by the owners here.

One last thought: It's good that you read scientific journals, but never underestimate the knowledge of amateurs. Yes, you have to be _somewhat_ more careful about weeding out misinformation on the web, but that doesn't mean it's all "babble". Amateurs often know more in some respects than the professionals because by definition they're learning out of love. (Analogy: it's almost always the amateur astronomers who discover new comets, because they're the ones watching the skies!) The folks here may not be doing systematic scientific research, but there's no question that they (the veterans anyway) ARE the experts, and if the scientists were to dismiss their expertise they would be making a BIG mistake.

It's clear you are interested in the happiness of these animals. So is everyone here.

Dr. Paul W. Fontana
Department of Physics
Lawrence University
Appleton, WI 54912

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