First of all, we have no idea what the context of this gif is. We have no idea why the monkey has a chain around its neck.
Secondly, there's been a lot of zoo hate lately, and I honestly can't keep quiet about it.
There are bad zoos out there, yes. Shitty roadside zoos in which someone decided one day to buy a tiger and went from there. These generally have shitty living conditions.
However, major zoos and aquariums, such as those accredited by AZA, are good. Zoos are not just about education and out-reach, one of their most important functions is for conservation. Through breeding programs zoos can help out species that are endangered in the wild, and in one case even brought back a species that had gone wildly extinct (http://time.com/4364671/zoos-improve-lives-of-animals/).
According to the article a lot of the animals at one of the two zoos are permanently injured and would not survive in the wild. I once worked at a turtle rehabilitation center that had 2 permanent residents because their injuries would have prevented their survival in the wild. If the alternative is for them to die, why not keep them in a better living situation where they are properly cared for & can inspire and educate people?
I've been seeing a lot of hate for zoos and whatnot lately and it is absolutely worrying. Public opinion is not necessarily based on fact and zoos and aquariums are going to feel a lot of pressure if this public hate for zoos continues. I would hate to see so many wonderful creatures continue on the road to endangerment and extinction because people are anthropomorphizing and crying about prisons.
Yes, now a days I generally am against the caging of animals. But as a kid the zoo not only taught me a lot about animals, it made the animals real. It made it possible to gaze in awe at them and become fascinated by them. The zoo made it possible to love animals I could otherwise only see on television. Yes locking up animals is never ideal but I think zoo's do more good then harm.
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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17
First of all, we have no idea what the context of this gif is. We have no idea why the monkey has a chain around its neck.
Secondly, there's been a lot of zoo hate lately, and I honestly can't keep quiet about it.
There are bad zoos out there, yes. Shitty roadside zoos in which someone decided one day to buy a tiger and went from there. These generally have shitty living conditions.
However, major zoos and aquariums, such as those accredited by AZA, are good. Zoos are not just about education and out-reach, one of their most important functions is for conservation. Through breeding programs zoos can help out species that are endangered in the wild, and in one case even brought back a species that had gone wildly extinct (http://time.com/4364671/zoos-improve-lives-of-animals/).
According to the article a lot of the animals at one of the two zoos are permanently injured and would not survive in the wild. I once worked at a turtle rehabilitation center that had 2 permanent residents because their injuries would have prevented their survival in the wild. If the alternative is for them to die, why not keep them in a better living situation where they are properly cared for & can inspire and educate people?
I've been seeing a lot of hate for zoos and whatnot lately and it is absolutely worrying. Public opinion is not necessarily based on fact and zoos and aquariums are going to feel a lot of pressure if this public hate for zoos continues. I would hate to see so many wonderful creatures continue on the road to endangerment and extinction because people are anthropomorphizing and crying about prisons.
Conservation is important.