Save Wild Animals. You know, the ones in our cages!

The BBQ Pit
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I actually started posting this in MPSIMS, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it should go here! I’m not really mad or pissed or anything-- mainly because I don’t really give a shit. But there’s just something wrong with this, and some of you might agree.

I came across a Pennsylvania plate today. It was one of those specialty plates where people pay extra for a “prettier” plate that shows they care about something or that they’re proud of something, and some of the money is donated to that particular organization. Don’t know about your state, but Florida has hundreds of 'em.

Anyway, this was a “Save Wild Animals plate”. It first drew my attention because it was one I hadn’t seen before. Right away I knew something wasn’t quite right. As I passed the car, I made sure to get a better look at it. It was a Pennsylvania plate with the words “Save Wild Animals” scrolled across the top of it.

But did it have a picture of some wild animal? Was it a picture of one of the hundreds (thousands?) of endangered wild animal species in the US? Maybe even one specific to PA?
Nope. It was a freakin Tiger!! A tiger! …

but ok. Tigers are endangered. And they do need protecting…

But was it a wild tiger? One that was out running around being wild? Maybe doing something that a wild tiger does, or maybe even just hanging out in his wild Natural habitat? Or on a natural wild tiger preserve in India somewhere?
Nope. He was just laying there. Hanging out at some zoo, presumably the Philadelphia Zoo!!!

What do I find wrong with this?
Well for one, it’s idiotic. I don’t think ironic is the right word. This is idiotic. You have a plate that’s preaching, “Save [the] Wild Animals”, but you display an animal in captivity! So what exactly is your goal? Do you mean you wish to save the exotic, non-native, non-wild, caged animals? You want to protect these animals that you have caged up so as to guaruntee their survival and the financial interests of your Zoo??
So which is it exactly? You want to save wild animals? Or you want to protect the exotic animals in captivity? There’s a big difference.

Also, I really think the plate may be taking advantage of ignorant people. Many people will buy this plate simply because they agree with the generic message and they’ll think the animal on it is pretty. But when they are getting it because they think their money is being used to help Save Wild Animals, that’s wrong!! Because it isn’t.
This plate says, “Save Wild Animals”, and has a picture of a damn tiger on it! If that doesn’t imply the donations are going to help Save Wild Tigers, then I don’t know what does! But is the money helping any wild tigers? Are any funds being sent over to the Sunderbans in Bangladesh – you know, a place that might actually have wild tigers in need of protecting!!

So where does the funding go? Where would you guess that funding from a Save Wild Animals plate with a tiger on it goes?
According to the Philly Zoo, “$15 of each purchase will directly support education and conservation programs of zoos and aviaries in Pennsylvania.”
(emphasis added of course)

Well if nothing else, I kinda get a chuckle from the fact that the money donated to Save Wild Animals, is going to all the organizations that keep animals in cages. No preserve, refuge, national park. Nothing like that. Nothing too WILD.

PA could learn a bit from FL here. We have a “Save Wild Dolphins” plate. And guess what-- It’s not a picture of some dolphin at Sea World!!! It’s a picture of a WILD dolphin. In the ocean. You know, it’s natural “wild” habitat…
Oh and the money raised by sales of these plates goes to help fund organizations that are interested in actually “Saving Wild Dolphins”. They’re into programs and studies, and education that promote dolphin safe boating and research that is beneficial to dolphins.
They take-in sick and injured dolphins who beach themselves. They nurse them back to health and RELEASE them. And guess where they’re released? Back to the freakin wild!! Why’s that such a hard concept for PA zoos to grasp?

Anyway… what do you guys think? If nothing else, the idea is pretty silly:
Save Wild Animals (like this one here in one of our cages!!)

Why not just change the slogan to “Support Your Local Zoo” or something…

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Maybe they mean “wild” as in angry. I know I’d be pretty ticked off locked up in a cage all the time.

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The Philly Zoo supports conservation efforts, through grants and research projects, of animals in the wild. Lots of major zoos do this. The Amur (Siberian) Tiger (the one on the plate) is one of those projects. Here’s their blurb. And another one on grants they give out. The zoo also has a breeding program. I remember when the Siberian triplets Martha, Abigail and Dolly were born (1981?). They were adorable.

Now, Pennsylvania did produce (at least they did a couple of years ago) a license plate worthy of a curse or two. It was of some ships, brown ships with white sails. The lettering was damn-near invisible. You had to practically press your nose against the plate to read it. I haven’t seen them in a while, so maybe someone wised up and stopped issuing them. Blecch.
gives the plate a Jersey salute

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The Save Wild Animals tag:

Cite: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/license_plates/special_fund.shtml

Is supporting local zoo’s so that children and adults alike can enjoy rare & spectacular animals that they would otherwise not see in nature a Pittable offense? I think not. By the way this is the tag I have on my vehicle. Why? Because I like taking my children to a nice zoo. Also the tiger is a figure that represents strength in many cultures specifically Chinese, which I’m proud to say is one my family is a part of. And not least of all it looks kick ass on my black truck.

I agree though that the plates with the ships on it are difficult to read, but they aren’t available any more. There might be a few people who still have them though. I think there is one where I work.

More than you ever wanted to know about PA tags.

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I suppose if the tiger’s not wearing any clothing, they can bill it as “Tigers Gone Wild.” Were they offering special videos of “grooming scenes too hot for TV!”?

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Primus, the Philadelphia Zoo (at least…don’t know for sure about the others) is hugely active in the captive breeding field. A lot of these species are being preserved in zoos because their habitat is gone, or close to it. The species are being bred very carefully to keep inbreeding to a minimum in the hopes that at some future time, their habitat can be restored and they can be released to the wild.

Secundus, even semantically these are still wild animals. They’re not tame. They’re not domesticated. They’re wild. Their state of captivity has nothing to do with their classification.

Tertius, there are PA license plates for native species conservation, with a couple of different funds. I know there’s one for the Wild Resources Conservation Fund, and another of an owl.

Here’s the one that brachyrhynchos was talking about, for the Flagship Niagara.

Incidentally, here is the plate in question in the OP.

And, for any license plate enthusiasts out there, the source page that I took all of these images from is, if not an exhaustive, then at least a comprehensive visual overview of Pennsylvania license plates through time.

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PFFFT! And of course, I submit that last post and THEN see that Madd Maxx was already there… :smack:

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Well that’s up for debate. I personally don’t like zoos or Sea World or the Circus (especially the damn circus) or any of those things. I’m not very passionately against them (except maybe the circus. Oh, and Sea World), but I much prefer reserves, sanctuaries, refuges, national parks, etc.

The fact that the habitats of many of these animals are almost gone is a great point. A very great point.
But to cage up other animals-- especially marine mamals-- simply so people can “enjoy rare and spectacular animals” is totally wrong. That is a terrible reason to catch and cage animals! Also, the fact that a tiger represents strength and military prowess to the Chinese culture is also a terrible reason to catch and cage them. In fact, I think that kind of negates the symbolism of the tiger in the first place. It’s not very dominating or powerful in a cage.

Anyway, thanks for the links and info everyone. Like I said, I originally was posting this in MPSIMS because I found it pretty silly and amusing. But when I was done it came out like a rant. So I switched it to the Pit. It’s not that I think this is a “pittable offense” or anything. Not everything in the Pit has to be drastic, life altering fuck-overs from society.

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You’d be singing a different tune if you were locked in that cage with the tiger. :wink: