does anyone else feel guilty going to the zoo???

[nailpolish]

does anyone else feel like this? those poor animals locked up in the enclosures. but its so much fun. i never know whether to go or not

I do too. Never been sure if I agree with zos or not even tho I know they do alot of animal conservation work.

I'm afraid I don't go - they make me sad.

i sometimes think they do that out of guilt, although i know thats probably not why. they cant send the animals back to the wild.

so do you go or stay away

I think it depends on the zoo. If it's one of the more enlightened ones, who do conservation work and actually strive to make an appropriate environment for the animals, then I wouldn't feel quite so guilty about it. And I do think that it's important for children to see animals and understand about the conservation aspect of zoos.

makes me sad too - but children love it so much. dont really feel much better at safari parks either

I think it depends on the zoo. If there are big cats pacing up and down and up and down and always going exactly the same way and putting their feet in the same place, I hate that, they are definitely disturbed. But I don't think most of the animals mind (or even notice) that they're penned in, and there seems to be a lot less pacing these days.

WWB, JINX!

i also worry that if no-one goes the zoo will be rundown and the animals will suffer

honestly, i am having a complete and utter nervous breakdown about this!!!!!!!

The gorillas at London Zoo definately don't have enough space. There are about 3 in a small cage. The lions and tigers seemed to have a lot of space and weren't pacing up and down.

Two minds but with a single brain cell, JanH!

I do think that a lot of zoos are trying to make themselves more animal-friendly these days, and are moving away from the enclosures that were designed more as architectural features than as animal enclosures. Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire does an awful lot of conservation and has a very forward-thinking attitude towards the care and upkeep of its animals, and I do think that other zoos are following suit.

Yes, I feel very guilty (if that's the right word) as it is horrible to think of the animals in an enclosure. We visited Longleat a couple of years ago and even that was quite thought provoking.

DD1 wants a rabbit and I have said no as I don't even like the thought of that in a cage.

I realise that a lot of theses wildlife parks breed endangered species etc, but it is not for me.

well someone needs to give edinburgh zoo a kick up the arse, its this one that upsets me. i have found another zoo locally that has native animals, like squirrels and shetland ponies (well maybe not a zoo, a nonworking visitor type farm thingy) so ill maybe take dd's there instead

I hate zoos and prefer safari parks but took DD to London zoo as she loves all animals when i found out that London zoo own whipsnade safari park so your money would be going to the same place even if you took the trouble to go to the safari park...
I wish I hadnt as I saw an animal (beginning with O - cant remember am v tired today) that lived with the giraffes who was pacing up and down and it distressed me greatly.
The worst offender in my eyes has to be sea worlds though with the killer whales in small tanks (compared to how far they tarvel in the wild)

gosh yes dillydally, agree. even worse when you see the fin all sad and flopped down

Yes, Dillydally, and also the places that have dolphins in (may actually be whales I'm thinking of though!) so unnecessary I feel.

That would be okapi dillydally. I love taking ds and dd to the zoo, but our local one is very much 'preserving endangered species'. And the enclosures are quite spacious. They even have some free range monkeys who are literally allowed to run wherever they like in the zoo.

nailpolish, edinburgh zoo is heavily involved in re-introducing animals back into the wild. They are re-populating a rare species of (iirc) deer back into China. It was extinct in it's native China and only exists there now because it is being given breading pairs from Edinburgh. The zoo is also involved in extensive genetic studies to improve the breeding stock of a whole range of endangered species.

On top of that it liases with scientists from St Andrews University who research the natural social and environmental interactions of apes and monkeys. With them it has been responsible for improving the housing of these animals in animals all over the UK and world wide. It isn't perfect, but it does a lot. And no, I don't work for it

Thank you tortoiseshell

oh i didnt know that, thanks! i just dont like the big cat enclosures, with the plastic windows, where everyone peers through? and i have seen a lot of pacing whenever i go there.

have just had a peep at their website and it seems they are linked with the highland wildlife park in aviemore so i might take dd's there instead, or camperdown as i said

Ohhhh love camperdown!!! Envious

this is a link to their reseach

www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/PageAccess.aspx?id=23

hmb, i do feel better for your post, am reading the website etc in depth now

The Highland Wildlife Park is fantastic - wolves and bison among other things in spectacular surroundings! There's a drive through section, and bits to get out and walk.

yes, camperdown is pretty cool! dd loves the shetland ponies and the rabbits. it doesnt have to be exotic animals, does it?

Linton Zoo looks lovely - even with the plastic windows - anybody been? (Scroll down for some smiling tigers!)

I think it's true to say that if the animals breed they are happy - they won't otherwise?