Sad news: baby elephant has died.

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by muck

Bev,
If this is how you feel how is keeping fish in a glass box any different?
I don't think they choose to live there either...

Yes, you are completely correct that the animals in my tanks are not there because of their choice. Personally, I have conflicting attitudes when it comes to the animals I keep that are not in their native habitat.

One is that I feel guilt by keeping them in an environment not natural to them, even though I try my best to give them as non stressful a place to live as possible. But who knows, according to fish/invert standards, if I am hitting anywhere near the mark.

The other is that I'm as selfish a human being as the rest of us and justify my keeping these animals in that I don't expend a lot of energy on vacations, drive a small car when I drive at all, and try not to be a grand consumer of much of anything else.

I realize the choices we make in life are not black and white, but many shades of grey. I am also fully aware of the dichotomy of my own feelings when it comes to reefkeeping and the keeping of other animals in our care.