By Eric Stock

NORMAL – A zoology expert at Illinois State University said he backs the practice of clipping flamingo wings which has angered some activists who are upset the birds are being brought to Miller Park Zoo next year.

Assistant professor Angelo Capparella told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin it’s important that flamingos be held captive in a zoo – for their safety and for our education.

“Zoos are incredibly important educational facilities, because left’s face it people are not going to protect animals if they don’t care about them and it’s hard to care about things you don’t experience,” Capparella said.

Capparella said the clipping of a newborn flamingo’s wings,  a practice known as pinioning, is an industry standard practice.

“I don’t see any problems with it myself,” Capparella said. “It’s for the protection of the birds to keep them within the enclosure, if you are going to believe that the exhibition itself is good.”

Miller Park Zoo director Jay Tetzloff defended the practice in an interview on WJBC on Thursday.

More than 360 people have signed an online petition at www.change.org which calls the clipping of a flamingos wings ‘mutilation’ and wants Bloomington to ban the practice before the exhibit opens next spring.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].