Nearly all zoos provide animals with a natural environment, plenty of space, great medical care and a varied, healthy diet. Without zoos, many species we know and love would be extinct.

I agree, poorer zoos with Victorian bars and cages should be outlawed, and that polar bears should not be in captivity (polar bears are so adapted to being in the cold, and they have such a wide range, that they can never be kept in zoos successfully), but so many zoos nowadays have even better environments than the wild (less pollution, no hunting, no logging, etc). There are standards for zoos, and if a zoo is seen as unfit, it is shut down,and the animals given to deserving zoos.

I’m very sensitive about animal rights; I’m a vegan, and I’m a member of PETA; but I support zoos. My local zoo is incredibly good. There are no bars, vets on-site, and it’s one of the world’s leading zoos in the breeding of endangered animals.

Also, very, very few animals are actually taken out of the wild now, and even then, it’s mostly to protect them from environmental pressures. Zoos breed animals in captivity, and lots of these are released back into the wild, if it’s safe.

With the photos of the ‘sad’ lemur and monkey, you are personifying the animals. People often do that with apes; they assume that because we are related we use the same expressions. Most ‘smiles’ performed by apes are grimaces of fear or pain, so if an ape is sitting with a blank expression, it is not nessesarily depressed.
That lemur may well have just been peering curiously into the camera lens; apes are naturally inquisitive animals.
You’d think it stupid if I personified a deer or pig, and deduced that just because it wasn’t doing things we interpret as happiness in HUMANS, it was depressed.

Please, rethink your ridiculous theory of all zoos being cruel, and think of the huge benefits of zoos.

Thanks.

Being locked up behind bars is a punishment for criminals and should not be applied with innocent creatures.

Thank you for the article and the fotos!

Not all zoos are bad and frankly, without zoos, some species would be extinct. Not all animals have shorter life-spans in these places, in fact it is quite the opposite.

No to horrible people keeping animals in horrid conditions. Yes to reputable not-for-profit organizations trying to protect animals from the shameful things humans are capable of.

this is the worst article I have ever read. sure, “many” zoos take poor care of their animals, but any accredited zoo (which most in the US are) is required to provide ample nutrition and enrichment for their animals. and why?

zoos raise millions of dollars for endangered wildlife preservation, reproduction, and rehabilitation

they raise awareness in the general public of animal needs and educate people that otherwise wouldn’t give a damn about animals’ plights in the wild.

they are also QUITE effective at breeding many, many different endangered animals. did you know that the repopulation of bald eagles in ohio is due mainly to the efforts of the cincinnati zoo’s breeding program?

I could go on and on. do some research. go talk to some zookeepers at an AZA accredited zoo. or, don’t. they’ll probably kick your ignorant ass out.