Meet me at the Mating Dance!
Organizers of the 2015 Mating Dance will be offering members of The Park’s endangered species a pre-registration package that includes free genetic and psychological counselling services, it was announced today.[pullquote]These Animals experience tremendous psychological barriers that they must overcome in order to procreate. I think this is the least we can do to help them in this endeavour. — Dr. Berthilidis Strix, Extinction Anxiety Clinic[/pullquote]
In a communiqué issued to all media this morning, the organizers of the event said that the unusual move comes as a response to the results of a number of population and attendance studies conducted at the University of West Terrier over the past five years:
“Based on the results of these studies and after a series of consultations with the Department of Well-Being and Safety, we have taken the decision to offer these special services to members of The Park’s endangered species.”
A spokesAnimal for the Dance said that all eligible Animals will have the opportunity to pre-register for the dance as of April 20.
“Let us be clear: this is not a pre-selection service that we are offering,” the spokesAnimal said.
“The pre-registration is meant to enable these Animals to make early contact with those who may be interested in meeting them at the Dance. We hope that this will raise the attendance level of our endangered species.”
Studies indicate that members of The Park’s endangered species have the lowest level of attendance at the Mating Dance.
According to Dr. Berthilidis Strix, head of The Park’s Extinction Anxiety Clinic, many Animals in the endangered community have “psychological and other problems” that lead to difficulties in relating to other Animals.
“This may seem ironic, since they are the ones who most need to reproduce, but there is a good reason for these low attendance levels. These Animals experience tremendous psychological barriers that they must overcome in order to procreate. I think this [pre-registration package] is the least we can do to help them in this endeavour,” she says.
Pre-registration for the Mating Dance will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 20 at the offices of the Department of Well-Being and Safety. All Animals must bring proof of their eligibility in the form of their membership in The Park’s Endangered Species Benefits Programme (ESBP).
