  Well, bad news guys. I wrote to the guy from the St. Augustine zoo 
yesterday. First of all, I'd like to share my letter with you:
  
Mr. Kledzik,
  I have read your response to my e-mail and I have a few comments of 
my own I would like to share with you.
  First of all, there is absolutely nothing "misleading" or "ill-
informed" about my petition. I DO NOT state in my petition that your 
zoo is "feeding out someones pet". I said that guinea pigs ARE 
CONSIDERED pets, NOT that you are feeding people's pets to your 
crocodiles.
  Also, you are misinformed about the domestication of guinea pigs. 
They were originally brought to Europe and presented as pets, not as 
food. Actually at first only royalty were permitted to keep them as 
pets, before regular people eventually became allowed to own them too.
  Guinea pigs are very intelligent and social animals that are 
affectionate, trainable and bond very closely with their owners and 
others of their species. They also are the only rodent with a variety 
of vocalizations, and can live up to eight years or more. 
  You comment on guinea pigs being raised as food in other countries. 
That is another subject altogether. This is not about what people in 
other countries are doing, this about the practices at your zoo.  
Just because something is a commonly accepted practice does not make 
it right. There are other places in the world where they eat dogs and 
cats. Just because another culture uses an animal as food does not 
make it acceptable in our culture. I'm quite sure your zoo would never 
think about using dogs and cats as crocodile food, so I'm not quite 
sure what makes you think using a guinea pig as food is ok. 
  My suggestions for alternative foods would be to consider feeding 
roadkill, or the parts from butcher shops that cannot be used. Guinea 
pigs are not even part of the diet of crocodiles in the wild anyway. 
  I and the other 1,130 people (and counting!) that have signed my 
petition value the lives of these sweet, gentle creatures, and would 
like to see a more practical food source be used. Thank you.

                                             -Jaime Zimmerman
  I hope the letter is ok, & would like to thank the following people 
for giving me some ideas to put in my letter: Carla, Kay & Susi. I 
would also like to thank Ann & Gary Sadoian, & Whitney Potsus for 
their support & helping get people to sign my petition. Now for the 
bad news. I got a response from him today & it's not good. It follows:

  Jaime,

The exact wording of your petition is "Guinea pigs are pets, not 
food".  The
point I was making is that this statement is simply not true.  The 
fact that
"Royalty" kept them as pets does not change the fact that they were, 
and
continue to be, primarily livestock.     

Your suggestions for alternative foods is simply not realistic.  Your
suggestion of road kill and butcher shop scraps gives me the 
impression you
have no understanding of captive wildlife dietary requirements.  A 
varied
diet including whole prey animals is vital in order to maintain healthy
carnivorous animals in captivity. 

It should also be noted that in the wild, guinea pigs are eaten not 
just by
crocodilians but by most every species of carnivore found throughout 
their
range.  Rodents in general are prey, guinea pigs are no exception.

I am well aware that these facts will not change your mind, all that I 
was
asking is that you present your petition in an accurate manner.  If you
"feel" guinea pigs should not be fed out because you have a personal
attachment to them than that is fine.  But in no way can guinea pigs, 
as a
species, not be considered food.


David Kledzik
Curator of Reptiles
St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Zoological Park
(904) 824-3337 ext. 15
www.alligatorfarm.com 
 
  I'm afraid I've failed you guys. I don't know what else to do. It's 
quite obvious he has little knowledge of guinea pigs & does not want 
to gain any either. If anyone else wants to e-mail him here's his 
address:
  dkledzik@alligatorfarm.com 

  I don't think I'll bother anymore. I feel pretty deflated right now. 
Sorry guys.



  
     
 
    
    



~Jaime, Molly, Radar, Grumpy Carl, & Albert always in our hearts~
http://www.piggiepages1.blinkz.com/



