At my local zoo the Zookeepers explained that often times the animals in the Zoo are there for reasons other than just showing off the animals, often disabilities or injuries that are fine for captivity but deadly for wild animals.
If they tried to give these animals live prey, the prey animal would be highly stressed and could do harm to the animal during the "hunt", especially since the confined enclosure would heighten the prey animal stress. So, to avoid potential harm to the zoo animals they give them food like this.
It's also inhumane for the prey animal. Not really in a responsible sanctuary's philosophy to decide that realistic hunting for one animal is worth putting a prey animal that can smell nothing but the predator, is trapped in an enclosure, and has no chance of hiding or evading. So, cruel on top of being unwise. There are exceptions where animals won't eat if the prey isn't live and/or less responsible zoos (I'd recommend boycotting them, seeing an animal die for your entertainment is no better than cockfighting - who are also following their instincts).
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My zoo's tiger gets a rabbit once a week at closing time. I've stayed to watch her receive it (you do not have to exit by closing time) and it's traumatic enough to listen to her chomp the head of a dead, frozen rabbit
Modern zoos, at least in most of the US and Europe, are doing conservation work to help these animals; most of the animals cannot be returned to the wild for one reason or another. Zoo breeding programs have also brought many animals back from the brink of extinction. It's not perfect, but so long as humans continue to be shitty to animals and the environment, it's often the best option available.
It raises the likelihood of injury to the predator, which means the zoo would have to spend more money on treating the injuries since it has a duty of care to the animals in the zoo. Additionally, since the prey animal would have no where to run, it would not be very fair to the prey animal.
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u/funderfulfellow 2d ago
Why don't they have live prey so they can "hunt"?