Animation Source Forums

Sure animals may not have as much space-or exactly the same diet/activities etc.
But in good zoos they have things that that would be very unlikely to get in the wild:
Veterinary treatment
Guaranteed food
Protection from predators
Better protection from humans

Captive animals tend to live longer than those living in the wildbecau of thes reasons.

Then there is captive breeding for endangered species.

So zoos aren’t so bad-as long as they are good ones that have nice enclosures, habitat enrichment etc.

So what do you think?

Sheba

I think the whole zoo thing is just entertainment to humans. the animals do not belong to the zoo. even though animals live shorter in the wild because of predators and lack of food. that is the way of the nature.

maybe that's true with elephants Starsky_Balto-but not with all animals.

I have to agree there Valto-good idea about putting the hunters in cages,
unfortunately until that happens captive breeding is necessary to save animals from extinction, and zoos are good sources of education about conservation.

however I too would rather the animals were in the wild too and hunting is completely eradicated-but that's probably wishful thinking.

Sheba

[quote="starsky_balto"until that happens"? its not going to happen if no one do nothing, as it is right now there's only a handful of dedicated humans in the world who works to protect extinct animals, and that's FAR from enough.
Now some illegal hunters i can understand or most of them they hunt rare animals to get money so they can survive, So to be exact its the government in those countries that you should blame if an animal become extinct.
But there are also Trophy hunters and they should be locked up forever.[/quote]

starsky_balto, I do agree with everything you said in your last post but things aren't going to change overnight. It will take time to steer governments in the right direction, and continents to change then properly and effectively enforce laws. that's what I meant by "until that happens"
Also there are so few of some endangered species that it will take years to breed enough to survive in the wild without captive breeding.
and hunting isn't the only problem-there's habitat loss, human overpopulation, pollution and global warming.

Sorting these problems will take years-and endangered species don't have years.

Sheba

Sadly that is true-that's what imeant by 'wisful thinking' .

Sheba

I think that a responsibly managed zoo can really help with conservation. Sure, nothing replaces the wild, but sometimes, a life in the zoo may be all that's left for some animals - Amur Leopard for example. Most zoos are very good to their animals, but there are some that do keep their animals in small cages and/or teach them tricks like in a circus. But apart from that, I think that zoos are alright in general.

However, I do not believe in keeping ceteceans (whales and dolphins) in captivity. They live short miserable lives in small concrete tanks that do no justice to open ocean. Sea World claims that killer whales live for '30 to 35 years, but nobody knows for sure.' That is a complete lie. In the wild, killer whales (especially females) can live up to 90 years. I have an adopted whale, and according to Sea World, she's 'approaching old age.' (she's 27 years old.)

Good topic reply Canis Lupus, I agree with you-interesting about the cetaceans.

I do volunteer work in Combe Martin wildlife an Dinosaur park (home to 'the wolfman', and his wolf pack family).
the animals seem happy-and they certainly get plenty of food!

The visitors can be very annoying, i work with primates and coins and zoo guides have been found in their cages. some humans are such thoughtless creatures.

Sheba

starsky_balto, I do agree with everything you said in your last post but things aren't going to change overnight. It will take time to steer governments in the right direction, and continents to change then properly and effectively enforce laws. that's what I meant by "until that happens"
Also there are so few of some endangered species that it will take years to breed enough to survive in the wild without captive breeding.
and hunting isn't the only problem-there's habitat loss, human overpopulation, pollution and global warming.

Sorting these problems will take years-and endangered species don't have years.

Sheba[/quote]
I agree. Sometimes you have to do what works, rather than what's right. A (modern) zoo is realpolitik on a conservationist scale. It's not that in time, we can't go to a more balanced approach (responsible governments, sizable reservations, sustainable development), but until that time, we'll have to make do with zoo's. And that might be a very long time, so we better make good work of those zoo's, and support them any way we can, because there just isn't any other option for which a democratic consensus can be found.

Ok. My opinion. =]

When I think of a zoo I think of a small site where there are many cages (some spacious, others not so) crammed together with as many animals as they can fit. It is very much a tourist attraction and a place for young children to smear their faces against the glass.

Then, a wildlife park or animal sanctuary is a place where animals do have spacious enclosures, often with large open spaces for them to roam. They have more freedom and can escape from the visitors when they wish.

All right, so there's always the argument "Animals belong in the wild, you can't keep them in captivity!". Fair enough. That could be right. But there are poachers in the wild, these people don't know any different. They believe that elephants are game, end of story. Animals are safer in wildlife parks and sanctuarys. I'd prefer to have them in safe enclosures then out in the wild being killed.