Teachers who use captive animals to amuse their students are immoral by teaching that it is moral to be entertained by captive animals instead of using zoos to teach that keeping any creature in captivity is cruel and immoral.

"Teacher Anna Kopec was also at the zoo on a field trip, accompanying a group of elementary school-aged students. That's cruel," said Kopec when told about the deaths of the guinea pigs. She planned to explain it to her students later, after they returned to the school."

[Manager Dean] "Treichel said the animals are used for educational programs...He confirmed that guinea pigs are often fed to other wild animals..."

Why the surprise and horror? Helpless creatures are targets of perverts far more often than the public is aware. Sadistic perverts are attracted to the jobs in zoos and pet stores, just as sexual perverts get jobs where there are children. Why are we, as a society, so lax about protecting the helpless from sexual and sadistic predators?

Treichel, in an interview heard on CBC radio this morning, said that this was a cruel act. The truth is that it is keeping sentient beings in captivity that is cruel. Keeping creatures in captivity, in zoos, marine exhibits, aviaries, etc are jobs for all the captors, including program specialist Robin Pimm.

Program specialist Robin Pimm holds one of the Edmonton Valley Zoo's seven surviving guinea pigs on May 27, 2010. The remaining 65 guinea pigs were poisoned.
Photograph by: Brian Gavriloff, edmontonjournal.com