As a kid, I can clearly remember the days where my mom would drive me to the zoo. Truly, it was always so exciting to see all the different animals, how they were divided between the various exhibits and how active they would be that day. For many kids, going to the zoo and learning about the animals and their various patterns of living is fascinating and a time that many adults can still look back on and cherish.
Unfortunately, as I grew older, I became much more conscious about the rising likelihood that many of the animals in the zoo do not strive to be confined in a cage away from their natural habitat. Of course, in some instances including health related issues and physical deformities in which a creature is unable to survive in the wild, I recognize that it is healthy for these animals to remain at the zoo. Without someone daily taking care of the basic needs of an animal that is unable to live through its own abilities, the chance of survival out in the wild is drastically low.
Nonetheless, why upset the balance of nature and take away the freedom of the perfectly healthy and free-living creatures that could survive perfectly fine out in the wild? It is kind of bizarre when considering the extreme enjoyment many people maintain from walking around an area of space to observe certain animals they are unlikely to encounter in their normal, daily lives.
How would you like to be taken from your home, put into a confined space in which there is no way to escape and stripped of nearly all the freedoms you maintain in your normal routine? Indeed, this is certainly not that far-fetched of a question due to the actuality that we, as humans, are additionally classified as animals. When considering the implications of putting a human in a cage and people coming around to observe its behavior and actions, the thought becomes rather twisted and demeaning.
Moreover, I am not stating that all zoos are horrible, corrupt, animal abusing venues. I simply desire for your next zoo visit to include some moral questions regarding whether it is acceptable or not for animals to be put in exhibits. Your decision not only questions the reason for zoos but also what you can do about it.
