Scales Zoo
01-24-05, 05:23 AM
Well, I have found out from a few people that there are rumours floating around about the future of Scales Zoo. This is unfortunate, as only a few good friends and family members of ours know about our plans for the future (which is not a secret), so obviously either these things are coming through one of them, or being distorted after the fact. Normally I wouldn’t air my private business on a forum like this, but wanted to clear the air for the people who have heard the rumours.
Rumour – We are selling the zoo and getting out of reptiles, and getting into horses
Fact – we may sell our zoo building, as it is very expensive to maintain. We would rather rent a spot for a while. We are parting with a few boas and pythons we can only keep with our zoo permit, to facilitate the move and free up time – but we have not advertised any of these, and all are going to other zoo’s, new zoo’s nearby where I’ll be able to see my reptilian friends, or friends collections where I know they will have a good home.
This way, we can move some of the animals that we keep at home, but that should be on public display somewhere, to a place where they can be. We are also going to make admission to the new place $0.00 – to promote education, which is was our goal when we started.
I am sad to part with some reptiles I really love, but it is something I should have done years ago, to be responsible, looking back on things. Also selling some high end boa’s and things, because, even though I’ve worked really hard to attain and grow them up, I do not want to get into the high end morph game and the politics it can bring with it – as it takes the fun out of my “hobby”. Income tax and business laws also takes the fun out of my hobby, so we may incorporate all of our businesses under one roof, including the reptiles, and run things like smooth running corporate machine with as much tax sheltering that incorporation can provide.
We had 100 baby snakes this year, and to keep doing that every year, would burn me out. I want to avoid burn out; I’ve seen it happen to friends. I don’t know how so many people like Mark, Henry and Jeff have avoided burn out over the years – but they are some of the good exceptions to the burn out rule.
We do have horses, we like horses, Sheila raised horses long before we raises snakes, and plan to do a few more things in the future, maybe even buy a piece of land or get an eyeball piercing – so stay tuned for that news, or gossip J
I did not get into reptiles when I was 9 to make money, but caring for all of our reptiles currently is preventing me from making my own money. I never wanted the snakes to buy me food, and have been happy to spend a stupid amount of money on my reptiles when I had a job that I could afford to have a 20 k / year hobby. Sheila used to look after the fort while I was away, but now she is working, and I could not go back to work with the amount of reptiles we have, without something suffering for it. And I hate bosses and large corporations – so time to try making a good living on my own.
I want to have fewer snakes, so I can dote over the ones I’ve always really liked, and make it feel like a fun hobby again. If I tried to make the snakes my source of income, all my eggs would be in one basket, and I don’t like feeling trapped like that.
Like I said, a post like this is something I normally wouldn’t do, but since there are rumours floating around, I figured I owed the community a straight up answer about the future of Scales Zoo.
Stay tuned!
Ryan
Rumour – We are selling the zoo and getting out of reptiles, and getting into horses
Fact – we may sell our zoo building, as it is very expensive to maintain. We would rather rent a spot for a while. We are parting with a few boas and pythons we can only keep with our zoo permit, to facilitate the move and free up time – but we have not advertised any of these, and all are going to other zoo’s, new zoo’s nearby where I’ll be able to see my reptilian friends, or friends collections where I know they will have a good home.
This way, we can move some of the animals that we keep at home, but that should be on public display somewhere, to a place where they can be. We are also going to make admission to the new place $0.00 – to promote education, which is was our goal when we started.
I am sad to part with some reptiles I really love, but it is something I should have done years ago, to be responsible, looking back on things. Also selling some high end boa’s and things, because, even though I’ve worked really hard to attain and grow them up, I do not want to get into the high end morph game and the politics it can bring with it – as it takes the fun out of my “hobby”. Income tax and business laws also takes the fun out of my hobby, so we may incorporate all of our businesses under one roof, including the reptiles, and run things like smooth running corporate machine with as much tax sheltering that incorporation can provide.
We had 100 baby snakes this year, and to keep doing that every year, would burn me out. I want to avoid burn out; I’ve seen it happen to friends. I don’t know how so many people like Mark, Henry and Jeff have avoided burn out over the years – but they are some of the good exceptions to the burn out rule.
We do have horses, we like horses, Sheila raised horses long before we raises snakes, and plan to do a few more things in the future, maybe even buy a piece of land or get an eyeball piercing – so stay tuned for that news, or gossip J
I did not get into reptiles when I was 9 to make money, but caring for all of our reptiles currently is preventing me from making my own money. I never wanted the snakes to buy me food, and have been happy to spend a stupid amount of money on my reptiles when I had a job that I could afford to have a 20 k / year hobby. Sheila used to look after the fort while I was away, but now she is working, and I could not go back to work with the amount of reptiles we have, without something suffering for it. And I hate bosses and large corporations – so time to try making a good living on my own.
I want to have fewer snakes, so I can dote over the ones I’ve always really liked, and make it feel like a fun hobby again. If I tried to make the snakes my source of income, all my eggs would be in one basket, and I don’t like feeling trapped like that.
Like I said, a post like this is something I normally wouldn’t do, but since there are rumours floating around, I figured I owed the community a straight up answer about the future of Scales Zoo.
Stay tuned!
Ryan