Zoos are cruel....

[Ihateboris]

And should be banned. It's just so sad seeing animals cooped up, just for the pleasure of selfish human beings.

Well yes, I'm open to that!

Would you like to have to perform against your will?

@Cosimarocks
Actually you are right. They are all equally repugnant.

If the money they put into ‘breeding programmes’ and running zoos was put into preservation in the wild, extinction threats would disappear.

I think some people are missing the point about conservation that it's not just about keeping a particular species alive, it's about the positive downstream effects of releasing that animal into its natural habitat - releasing a panda for example has huge benefits to the surrounding forest as they act like pollinators, dispersing bamboo seeds for miles around them which also benefits other animals and can help promote or inhibit other plant growth. This can also positively impact waterways and benefit humans too.

The wolves of yellowstone are a well known case study of the conservation of one animal having huge benefits to the surrounding environment.

Funding can be a major issue for conservation, zoos are one avenue for running the right breeding and release programs. Zoos can also be educative and prompt people to donate to relevant charities outside of the zoo itself

I do agree that there's a large quantity of zoos that do not prioritise the animals' welfare or provide any tangible benefits to conservation. However there's also a host of very responsible zoos where the animals seem well looked after and there is adequate enrichment and space provided for them to act more naturally.

Having said that I don't think big cats and great apes are well suited for zoo life - I've never seen a happy lion or tiger in a zoo and wish they'd be given larger habitats to live in with a more natural mix of animals (basically a wildlife reserve)

Conversely, I've never seen an unhappy meerkat- some animals are better suited to zoo life and seem to actively enjoy it. The penguins at edinburgh zoo for example seem happy to me and I regularly go to watch them dip and dive in their massive swimming pool

Because we live in a very complex and very delicate world in which biodiversity is essential to the survival of habitats and life. It’s a domino thing snd no creature sits alone unaffected by others.
It’s like those people who say they don’t get why people worry about fewer bees and other insects and such, as they’re creepy, biting, horrible things. Of course without them we’d all else would fail, crops, animals, us.
We’re all interconnected.
Now, sadly, with the climate crisis we won’t be able to save everything, but if we don’t try then at best it will be a sadder, less beautiful world, and at worst it will mean the end of everything.
Here’s a good starting point for educating yourself: www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/what-is-biodiversity/

@6ate9 if I say are you volunteering to take the lead it's a genuine question. I am not inciting you to do that. I just think if you believe that's the solution explain yourself.

This is a nice thought, it’s just not true.

The problem is they do suffer worldwide. Animal cruelty is rife!!!

It's about education as well. The world is full of ignorant humans.

Maybe, but so is nature.

It’s the circle of life.

So true!!! The smart phone has made us dumber!!!

Yeah I know. It breaks my heart too. But unfortunately “destroy all the humans” or “release all the captive animals” are not options. Breeding programmes are necessary for the future. Animal welfare standards in zoos are necessary for today. And I absolutely agree they should be much stricter. And we absolutely need to protest against places like Seaworld.

I mean, I’m not defending horse sports, I’m rather agnostic on the issue. Though have no problem with horse riding, which I suspect you do. I just think it’s a rather weird take to highlight dressage in particular. Is it the ribbons you’re so against? I mean clearly, horses dying in races or horses being made to dress up to look a bit daft, it’s definitely the ribbons and hair braids we should be going after.

For the most part it's only because of human intervention in the first place that these animals are going extinct

Breeding programs shouldn’t be the answer. If humans looked like they were going extinct, would it be alright to set up breeding programs in captivity against peoples will? Have you read The Handmaid’s Tale?

Life in the wild isn't always that super either, especially if you're a prey animal. Or if you're a predator, get old and starve to death because you can't hunt any more. I really think people idealise life in the wild.

Zoos can also be great places for educating people who then want to see those animals protected in the wild. That said no animals should be kept in small spaces. No animal should be pacing their enclosure or showing signs of stress.

Really we do need to get some control over the human population numbers, humans are the cause of pretty much all the issues the world faces from pollution to deforestation to climate change - but sadly it's never going to happen.

@Cosimarocks
No it's not the ribbons.

Well they ARE helpful in terms of conservation. You just don’t think conservation is particularly important. Which is an interesting viewpoint….

You're really comparing The Handmaid's Tale to two pandas being introduced to see if they'll mate.

I hope you don't drink milk, over 70% of dairy cows are bred using AI - and no I don't mean artificial intelligence.

Would you like people watching you to see if you will mate? Let the Pandas go into the wild in China and leave them be!!!!

I haven’t read it, but I have heard it can be interpreted as an allegory for the dairy industry. I probably should read it.

To be honest I think if humans were going extinct there probably would be some sort of horrific dystopian intervention. It wouldn’t be pretty. But I think strong measures would be taken. Like we do with endangered species.

People want to see animals and it is better for them to see them in zoos than go rampaging round destroying the natural environment looking for them and generating huge amounts of CO2 in the process.

Zoos also help with research and breeding, particularly of endangered species.

It would be awful and barbaric. I don’t understand why we need to preserve life at ANY cost!!

Completely agree about the pet industry. So many people who “love animals” happily purchase man-made breeds, use puppy farms etc. No controls about who gets a pet, the number of pets etc. Doges destroyed because of behavourial problems. Breeding in deformities for appearances sake etc. This doesnt happen in zoos.