Social media rumours can quickly cause alarm, but not all of them hold up. A recent post claimed Johannesburg Zoo was running out of food for its animals, creating unnecessary concern. The reality? The animals are thriving, and the zoo has plenty of food to keep them well-fed.
Johannesburg, South Africa (06 October 2024) – We all know that social media can spread “news” like wildfire but it’s important to remember that not everything we see or hear is true. Sometimes, a bit of critical thinking goes a long way.
Recently, a post went viral, causing panic among animal lovers, claiming that the Johannesburg Zoo was in “desperate need of food for their wildlife.” The post urged people trimming trees in the Johannesburg area to donate the trimmings to help save animals like elephants, buffalo, and giraffes.
Some mainstream media news sites even picked up on it, amplifying the message and creating an uproar. The narrative that the zoo couldn’t feed its animals raised concerns about the ethics of keeping wildlife in captivity and spurred debates about whether zoos should exist at all if they can’t meet basic animal welfare standards.
The problem, however, is that the post wasn’t true.
Good Things Guy decided to investigate. The original post had three contact numbers listed, so we contacted all of them to verify the story. It turns out that Johannesburg Zoo is not in desperate need of food—far from it. In fact, the zoo confirmed that they have more than enough food for their animals and aren’t sure where or why this false information started circulating.
Speaking to Good Things Guy, a zoo representative pointed out that the social media post was very misleading. They explained that the zoo appreciates leaves and trimming as donations but it is not a necessity.
“We are not desperate for feed. The zoo has food for all the animals; we just need some leaves for our browsers. Unfortunately, someone wrote the wrong information.”
The zoo also issued a media statement clarifying the situation.
“It has come to our attention that a social media post has been circulating, claiming that the zoo is facing a shortage of food to feed its animals. We want to emphasise that there is absolutely no shortage of food for our animals. The zoo regularly calls for tree browse as part of our standard enrichment program. Rest assured, the zoo has an ample supply of food for all its animals.”
It’s encouraging to see how quickly people rally around causes that matter to them but this incident highlights the importance of fact-checking before reacting. The viral post, while well-meaning, caused unnecessary confusion.
The good news here? The animals at the zoo are safe, healthy, and well-fed, thanks to a committed team who ensures their well-being every day, so if you have tree trimmings, please donate them to the Zoo but not because the animals are “starved”, rather because it’s a nice treat for them… and ultimately, even if you hate Zoos, we all want the animals to be “treated” with love and kindness.
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