anyone not agree with zoos, aquariums, safari parks, farms

[10lbsleft]

does it make a difference to you whether the zoo, aquarium or safari park is part of a conservation scheme or breeds endangered species?

part of me thinks that animals should not be imprisoned just for our enjoyment and should be enjoyed in a natural habitat. however a lot of these places do a lot of conservation work and stop endangered species becoming extinct.

It's almost like it's not a totally black and white issue isn't it? ;)

I just feel really uncomfortable at them. We took dos to a local safari park and I just kept thinking about how awful they must feel in winter. I have a tendency to overthink things.

If farms didn't exist there would be nothing but houses over the countryside and wildlife would be negatively effected.

Would you rather be a polar bear in a zoo, fed and sheltered, or a polar bear starving to death in the Arctic?

Some zoos do a tremendous amount of good, researching animal diseases, breeding endangered species and educating people about animals.

I think it depends on the individual zoo etc. We went to cotswold recently and on the whole, its fab but the bi cat enclosures looked awful and far too small in comparison to other species

I can't stand seeing wild animals cooped up, away from their natural habitat. The people running zoos talk about preventing extinction, custodianship and research, which I can understand but can't help thinking there must be better ways.

Zoos and menageries had their beginnings in the collections of 'the great and the good' - I can't think what their motives then were apart from showing off. Why are we still doing it?

I can remember reading Gerald Durrell about what makes a good zoo.

So it's excellent breeding programmes (including exchanges with other zoos to minimise in-breeding, and often not on public display for the rarest species), training of keepers including international students, assistance to habitat preservation programmes including support for schemes to promote alternative incomes. Also aminals to be kept in enclosures which suit the animal, not the viewing public, and priority to species which need preservation not crowd pleaser so. Plus good informative displays and keeper talks, so visitors understand what is being done.

The zoo he founded on Jersey is still running. If all zoos were like that, I doubt people would have so many qualms about them.

An aside point but have you watched the documentary 'black fish' it's on netflix