Your opinion of zoos

[Miss Chicken]

It looks like zoos around the world, including zoo is the USA, Japan, New Zealand and Europe are vying to get their share of 20 Tasmanian Devils. The devils will be beyond breeding age but it is hope that they will be ambassadors for their species and raise awareness of the disease that is threatening the species.

However it seems that many people do not approve of this, or of zoos in general.

So I am asking people here about their opinions of zoos.

Should we still have them in this day and age?

Is it cruel to keep animals in captivity?

Would you like a zoo near you to get a couple of Tasmanian Devils, so that you, or your children, could see one?

When was the last time you visited a zoo?

If you have recently been to a zoo, what animals did you enjoy seeing? Did you feel sorry for any animal you saw?

EDITED TO ADD - the only zoo outside of Australia that currently has Devils is Copenhagen Zoo.

 

[Harvey]

When I was living in Los Angeles, I would visit the LA Zoo at least once a month with my partner. It's a fun place to go for the day. The animals seemed well cared for, so I didn't feel sorry for any of them.

 

[JarodRussell]

Zoos are a good thing. They are there to protect animals that wouldn't be able to survive while educating the visitors about them. In most zoos, animals are kept busy with some excercise and some routines, that's fine.

What I hate are circuses, where animals are treated like slaves for shows. I also dislike Seaworld because of this. They are wild animals, not artists that work on a tight schedule. I hate how the dolphins and whales are exploited for money there.

 

[Shanndee]

Should we still have them in this day and age?

With all of the poaching, loss of natural habitat (due to people pushing development into previously wild areas), disease, etc. I think that zoos serve a vital function. Some species would likely be extinct by now without the knowledge we gain from studying animals in captivity.

Is it cruel to keep animals in captivity?

That depends. If they are living in a sterile environment with limited space and no stimulation, then yes. If the environment mimics their natural habitat, if they have room to roam (and hide), and if they are provided activities to stimulate them, then no.

Would you like a zoo near you to get a couple of Tasmanian Devils, so that you, or your children, could see one?

I would. I have only seen these animals on documentaries and I would welcome the opportunity to actually see them and learn more about them.

When was the last time you visited a zoo?

About 2 years ago.

If you have recently been to a zoo, what animals did you enjoy seeing? Did you feel sorry for any animal you saw?

I love African animals, especially the bid cats. But for me to really enjoy these amazing animals I need to see them looking content. When I was last at a zoo the tigers were playing, wrestling and chasing each other. They had a stimulating environment and lots of space to run (and hide).

I felt sorry for the elephants. They clearly did not have enough room. But the zoo understood this, and the animals were transferred to a more appropriate facility.

 

[bbailey861]

I am in favour of zoos if they are done right. I recall seeing zoos where the animals were literally caged in a small cage with no room to move. That was shit. On the other hand, there are quite a few zoos that have worked hard to create habitats for the animals that mirror the animals natural habitat. That, I support. I would love to see the Toronto Zoo acquire a couple of Tasmanian Devils (I say a couple so one wouldn't be left alone - but then again, are they solitary animals? I don't know - headache!!) Anyway, the wife and I enjoy visiting the Toronto Zoo. They have just acquired a couple of Pandas which I plan on taking us to see next spring. I am hoping by then that the lines will be more tolerable.

 

[wissaboo]

If a zoo is well done I think it is a great tool for teaching children to care about animals. And it is a way our society can see these things without harassing them in their natural habitat.

 

[Rhaven]

Zoos offer a safe home for some animals that would be dead if left in the wild. As long as the animals are well cared for, then zoos are okay with me. I agree with JR about circuses. I've never been to a Seaworld, but I've read of some problems with the killer whales killing their trainers. Maybe they should be left in the wild too?

Ms Chicken, what disease is bothering the Devils?

 

[Miss Chicken]

Devil facial tumour disease -it is a contagious cancer that can be transmitted from one devil to another when they fight over food. It has caused the devil population in the wild to drop by 70%.

 

[Naira]

Zoos are like any other organization - if they are run correctly they can help animals, if they are not then the animals are better off on their own.

I have mixed feelings about visiting zoos. On one hand it is a chance to see various animals I would never otherwise see. On the other hand, animals seems weird to me because they are so used to having people around them (e.g., I have seen children hugging and "handshaking" kangaroos who were so used to it they didn't even care - hardly an animal-like thing). I mostly feel weird about the birds. No matter how big the cage, it is still a cage, it is a shame they can't fly away.

 

[Finn]

^handshaking with kangaroos?

They are nasty!

 

[RoJoHen]

^handshaking with kangaroos?

They are nasty!

Meh, so are children.

 

[Shanndee]

^handshaking with kangaroos?

They are nasty!

Meh, so are children.

Will you be my friend?

 

[RoJoHen]

Sure!

 

[Rhaven]

Devil facial tumour facial disease -it is a contagious cancer that can be transmitted from one devil to another when they fight over food. It has caused the devil population in the wild to drop by 70%.

That looks just awful!

 

[sonak]

without zoos, we'd have no way of seeing a lot of animals that live in different habitats. They're great for taking kids, they're educational, and the animals are treated well.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't particularly enjoy zoos, no. I do like aquariums, though.

 

[Miss Chicken]

BTW, it look at least two US zoos will get devils, one of these will be almost certainly be the San Diego Zoo but no details on what the second zoo will be.

 

[mimic]

I have a close friend who works at the National Zoo in DC. She used to volunteer at Amazonia, which is tropical exhibit where the animals had free range, and currently does the weekend overnight behind-the-scenes tours.

She has a lot of stories.
- Apparently Victor/Victoria (the octopus) for a while was sneaking over to the blue crab exhibit and eating them all until the keepers figured out they needed to put a screen over the filter so he/she couldn't fit through the pipes to go between exhibits.

-One of their elephants is apparently an asshole. They thought it was just because he was a teenager, but he hasn't grown out of it.

-The river otters were named by Whole Foods and are: Chowder, Clementine, Saffron, Pork Chop, Pickles, Peaches, Olive, Turnip, Radish, and....Kevin.

 

[Shazam!]

I think I'm against zoos these days. I do understand many of the pros in keeping animals in captivity but all it boils down to is that the animals are there because people are selfish dicks.

I'm not sure that's a good enough reason and it's up to us as a species to stop hunting, poaching and encroaching on territory.

They're kind of a necessary evil at this point.

 

[sonak]

I think I'm against zoos these days. I do understand many of the pros in keeping animals in captivity but all it boils down to is that the animals are there because people are selfish dicks.

I'm not sure that's a good enough reason and it's up to us as a species to stop hunting, poaching and encroaching on territory.

They're kind of a necessary evil at this point.

are you against keeping pets, too?


and what kind of wonderful life in the wild do you think a zoo is depriving an animal of? A shorter, brutal one where they can be torn apart by another wild animal or starve to death?