a dp friday

I finally went to Dorothy Perkins on Friday and ... and... AND was quite disappointed.
The window display looked pretty enough but once inside, I didn't exactly see anything I'd like.
Sigh.

The only time I felt very strongly about a high-street brand was Vivo's Zara. So many truly lovely things but I didn't bear to splurge. I went to the one at 313 and they didn't carry the same things!! Tragedy.

- - -

On a much more serious note, what's your take on oceanariums?
The Marine Life Park is gonna open this year but animal rights groups have been up in arms over keeping dolphins and whale sharks in captivity since those plans were announced.
On their part, RWS has claimed that oceanariums are part of conservation efforts not to mention educational. It has also invested in a Marine Life Fund which focuses on research, conservation and education projects. See HERE. Even students can apply for funding!

Personally, I agree that wildlife are meant to roam free. However, before we condemn zoos, aquariums and other wildlife parks for putting animals in captivity, we also need to assess whether the animals are better off in captivity or in the wild.
The controversy over the introduction of dolphins and whale sharks is not without cause. From what I read, the dolphins are 'imported' from their natural habitat i.e. they are wild dolphins. If they had been doing well in the wild, is there a reason to move them? Not to mention, if such 'exports' were not monitored, how do we track the wild dolphin population?
I'm not too familiar with wildlife conservation efforts however, if the oceanarium is able to provide a humane environment for the dolphins and RWS had done its due diligence in moving the dolphins, the public could try to view the park in a positive light.

That said, shunning the park would not make RWS change their minds to go ahead right? Neither would it stop visitors from visiting.

Whale sharks, on the other hand, are a different story. I read that the species is listed as "Vulnerable" (I assume this is close to being endangered) and do not thrive in captivity. Being so huge and used to diving to great depths, they need tremendous space! Which an oceanarium can't possibly give.
Touted as the draw of the oceanarium, I can clearly see why. Despite feeling apprehensive that the animal might not survive long in captivity, I wonder how it thrives in its natural habitat. Perhaps if the oceanarium is able to assemble a credible effort to breed the animal in captivity, it will be more convincing as a conservation effort.

Didn't manage to find any artist's impression of the oceanarium :(