ZOOS: ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN OR ANIMAL JAIL?

I recently read yet another article suggesting that zoos are acceptable provided they are modern, clean & comfortable – PLEASE: when are we going to start calling zoos what they really are namely ‘ANIMAL JAILS’!?

‘Zoological Gardens’ has such a ‘sexy, comforting’ tone to it – if only animals could speak! A JAIL is a JAIL no matter how comfortable you make it – try limiting your movements in your house/flat/apartment to one room only for one week-end …. I’d be surprised if you don’t go insane in the process.

Times have changed – when zoos started out none/very few of the following existed:

• Knowledge of the animals’ state of mind/impact of captivity
• National geographic
• TV with fully illustrated & informative programs
• Game reserves/parks ‘by the dozen’ in close proximity of most towns & cities

Zoos should only be there to resuscitate endangered species & then ONLY until they have been successfully reintroduced into nature – why must people to be able to see in Johannesburg a polar bear or someone in Zurich an elephant???!! They look, throw peanuts & then go home to the comfort of their house mostly without any compassion and empathy for the animals’ confines and none the wiser/ZERO education.

Captivity of ANY nature is abhorrent, from a bird in cage, to a silk worm in a box to an elephant in a zoo – let’s move on & at least show signs of our supposedly superior intelligence!