To wonder why older kids never go to the zoo?

I’m fully aware, but a part of conservation is repopulation for release, so it’s not really an alternative to a not so ideal world?

They’re doing really important breeding on their Sumatran tigers and Asiatic lions, which are nearly extinct in the wild

But is it so noble to be breeding these magnificent creatures only to be keeping them in zoos - I don't think they're introduced back into the wild are they?

I don't know if being in a zoo is better than becoming extinct, in the overall scheme of the animal kingdom.

if you look up how many species need to be in zoos due to species being on the brink of extinction, there are only roughly 5 I believe - why do we take the rest of the species out of their natural habitat for our enjoyment ? Some end up in zoos for various reasons so it isn’t as simple as my above statement, however…at some
point the previous generation of that species would have been take out their habitat for the enjoyment of humans.
Also, many zoos are also not well equipped to deal with certain species which is incredibly sad.

Quite easy information to find online, there’s also an extremely famous activist who’s father owned zoos, he does some great podcasts on zoos and conservation.

Perfect is the enemy of good enough.
In an ideal world perhaps zoos wouldn't be necessary.
But we don't live in an ideal world.

Zoos aren’t true animal conservation, if your son follows that career path - he will more than likely hate zoos…..

Mine still enjoy them with my eldest being 11, however we don’t go more than once a year as we don’t live within a couple of hours of one. With the entry and travelling it’s too expensive to be a regular thing.

When DGD(15) was about 12 I asked her if she wanted to go to the zoo, where she'd been when younger, she replied 'No thank you grandma, zoos are cruel'.

So that was that!

Granny can talk (I assume) and do different stuff.

Warthogs just stand there and occasionally grunt.

I find London Zoo a bit depressing, but we go to its partner at Whipsnade which feels a bit better in terms of space for the animals. Our kids enjoy it, they are 15 and 17 and keen on wildlife and photography. They understand the difference between conditions/freedom in the wild and the conservation role of a zoo, and appreciate the latter is a necessary evil.

Loads do, but as they get older they can voice an opinion on what they do and don’t like doing. X

It's just not as much fun or as exciting when theyre older although me and my 14yo have decided we will go over the Christmas holidays 😊

There's a zoo in the middle of London, what do you think?

It's a glass box, not a cage in the metal bars sense. There's nice things within in that glass box. The keepers do their best. But is it anywhere near adequate space for them? No.

Obviously, better for the smaller animals. But should there really be a giraffe in central London?

I’m seeing a lot of references here to “animals in cages” - asking as an American who’s unfamiliar, do UK zoos keep animals in literal cages? I grew up going to the Minnesota Zoo, which is built on 485 acres and has large outside animal exhibits.

My ten-year-old still loves going to the zoo.

We have membership, so we can just pop in for an hour or two when we have an afternoon free. There are favourite animals that DS wants to see again and again, and then there are different things we only see every once in a while (the nocturnal area, the zebras).

No different to going to the playground for the afternoon - yep DS has been on the same slide multiple times, but he likes it.

Perhaps parents stop taking children when they're over the age of being able to get in for free/cheaper? Or kids get distracted by other things to do, life gets busy etc.

Once they get past a certain age its just another boring thing to do with the parents.... my children have seen everything in our local zoo

I did with mine but it's expensive so it's not something that you do regularly, mine have been to most of the larger U.K. zoos once and several outside the U.K. on holidays but I wouldn't go back to the same one regularly like you do with little ones because we remember going!

Repeats, just like the telly
Or
Visiting relatives-;mum must we we saw granny a couple of months ago she won't have changed.

@TeenToTwenties I'm too busy to find a link but earthling Ed did some research which showed that they drug the animals and why. It's pretty out there and accepted as fact.

Our animals have excellent welfare standards yes 😊 and we're vegan.

Can you link evidence re the drugging as that seems quite a big thing?

@TickingAlongNicely I'm sorry but how is that remotely the same? A well loved pet is a member of a family, not held in captivity for entertainment and drugged to avoid zoochosis (yes most zoo animals are drugged).

I had the same thought... Ditto hope they're all vegan as the meat and dairy industry is infinitely more cruel than London zoo

I do hope the "zoos are cruel" children don't have pets... the welfare standards at the zoo are probably a lot higher!