Chins on TV and a year later

[NOLA Chins]

The education director of the Audobon zoo in N.O. was on local TV last Jan with an extremely placid chin that had not the best coat. The aftermath of the video was the director vs a large number of pet owners whio happily expressed their opinions to her.
http://www.wwltv.com/archive/65598527.html

This morning she was back with a different chin. She was a lot more careful: http://www.wwltv.com/video?id=80071222&sec=554827

I've seen worse. I doubt my talks with her taught her anything about better care (my wife and I talked our way inside and saw how they lived as opposed to how they were displayed: it was pretty sad) but I guess a few dozen people calling her to voice their opinion taught her to be more careful what she said in public. But keeping a chin outside in LA even in winter? The humidity is 100% right now, even though the temps are 60's. Eating seeds? Well, kind of, sort of.

I give her points for showing up with a chin again.

 

[mistywaterwoman]

Yeah, she still said a lot of questionable stuff, but it was overall a big improvement over last time. And I give her points for stressing the RESEARCH issue, that was a great thing to say.

 

[Carol~Anne]

She was on the low end of okay but still needs much more education on chinchillas and their care, and no I still don't like how she nonchalantly says that chins can be kept outside in LA winter. She needs to do even more research imo.

 

[shubbles]

I've never seen any of these videos. The first chinchilla looked in pretty bad condition. The first video probably made inexperienced people want to buy some cute furballs, and i bet some did go out and buy some.

 

[Aimee & The Chinette's]

I love how much she thought before answered each question this time, it was almost like I could hear her saying to herself "last time I said this all wrong and those crazy chinnie people came after me so I will pause & stutter a bit this time" LOL!!! I still hate that they are keeping chins in conditions that we would kill an owner for... Sad...

 

[Parkerspetchins]

It was interesting to hear the difference in the interview, life span changed, diet changed, looks like she did a little more research lol! Thanks for sharing and educating.

 

[Luci]

ahhh i cant see the videos! im at my parents house and we have...get this...DIAL UP internet. ahhhhh.

but i'll watch the videos when i can.

i find it funny how someone from a zoo can promote keeping exotics as pets. 2 summers ago, i worked with the education animals at our zoo and we would tell our visitors that we didnt advise keeping chinchillas as pets because they require more care than other rodents. i have yet to tell my old supervisors that i now own a chin, but i dont really think zoo's should be promoting them. i met a lot of people who still wanted to go out and own one because it was so cute and fluffy. in my eyes, zoo's are a place to properly educate people on animals that we dont usually have access to, not encourage people to own them.

i'll post more thoughts once i get off this dial up internet.

 

[3CsMommy]

I'd be ashamed to take an animal out in public looking like that for just a vet trip, let alone trying to pretend I'm an expert about them on television. What a waste of air time.

 

[Kawaii_Hedgie_Chin_Love]

There were so many changes in the first video to the second, it was almost funny. Looks like she did a bit more reasearch and learned a bit more about these pets that she claims to be an expert on.