Vegans: How do you feel about zoos?!
The only time I went to a "zoo" that I liked was when I visited an an animal sanctuary. They kept animals that they rescued, either from abusive situations or from the wild (they would not have survived in the wild, there was a deer with a messed up leg, for example). They were kept in large, open areas and wonderfully cared for.
Answers: I'm not a vegan, but I still have a love/hate relationship with zoos. I love animals, so I like to see them, but I hate that they are kept in the little tiny cages.
The only time I went to a "zoo" that I liked was when I visited an an animal sanctuary. They kept animals that they rescued, either from abusive situations or from the wild (they would not have survived in the wild, there was a deer with a messed up leg, for example). They were kept in large, open areas and wonderfully cared for.
Nice to see various animals at one place.
You mean the institutions that keep animals that in the wild have ranges of 50-75 miles in pens the size of my house and pretend to care about animal conservation? Don't like them too much.
I rather see animals in the wild....I would not like living in a cage
I can't stand zoos, aquariums, circuses, amusement parks with animal shows. They are completely unnecessary. Some zoos try to do some good by rearing endangered species until they are taught to be reintroduced into the wild but most of the time they are just shown day in and day out to children and their parents.
Zoos are supposedly educational tools but, lemme tell you, I don't remember a damn thing from my childhood visits to the zoo. I just remember that there were animals.
I went to Montreal and went to the Biodome and they had some animals in there. I saw this capybara and I almost cried because it had about 20 square feet of room to live in. It was just laying there. What else is a locked up animal to do but lay there, anyway?
How sad. Animals are exploited in so many ways and although zoos may do some good, the fact of the matter is that these creatures don't belong in captivity. (Have you ever seen a polar bear native to Hawaii.)
I love zoos, because I love animals, and I love seeing them... but seeing all those animals sitting there in small sh*t infested cages, really just makes me disappointed. If the animals have large amounts of room, thats one thing... but most zoos are only on what... an acre of land? housecats get more room to run around than that! And I REFUSE to go to circus's! Those are just torture chambers for animals!
I don't mind zoos as long as the animals have some room to roam. People with pets have their own mini-zoos. Birds in zoos, cats in zoos, dogs/wolves in zoos and fish in aquariums have more room than what pet owners provide in general. Animals kept in cages, like birds, and fish kept in tanks is terrible. Some people keep their dogs in cages all day while they're out. Terrible.
If you're against zoos you shouldn't own pets. If you're worried about domestic pets surviving in the wild, just let natural selection run it's course. If there wasn't a market for pets there wouldn't be millions of animals euthanized every year.
If meateaters aren't allowed to defer blame to those who actually mistreat the animals, pet owners shouldn't be allowed to defer blame to "puppy mills" and the like.
"What else is a locked up animal to do but lay there, anyway?"--exactly why people who have their pets locked up shouldn't have pets.
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Zoos just reinforce the idea that "might makes right" and we should dominate and control every species on Earth just because we can. Animals don't belong behind bars.
ETA: In regard to domesticated animals, I believe that we should not have domesticated animals. Humans have proven that we cannot maintain relationships with animals that are beneficial and fair to the animals, it's all about how we can exploit those animals to our own ends. However, I don't believe that means we don't have a responsibility to the animals that already exist. If animal ownership were to be abolished one day (and I hope it is) I would be in favor of taking on a guardianship role to existing domesticated animals. We have taken away their ability to survive in the wild by domesticating them, and they fit into no natural ecosystem. But that's not their fault, it's ours, therefore we have the responsibility to look after their wellbeing.
I don't love that the animals are kept in small areas, I prefer wild animal parks like the San Diego Wild Animal Park. what I do have a huge problem with is Circuses. I don't have any idea why they hav enot been banned, I went one time when my daughter was small, and I feel bad for having supported it, the animals were all so unhappy and all looked like they were on the verge of going postal
Prisons for animals.
As for domestic animals kept as pets, they have come to depend on us. My cat has absolutely zero interest in going outside. She'd rather experience it vicariously. She gets food and shelter from me and gives me companionship in return.
I like the zoo. The one by me let's you walk around with beer!
I don't knwo what zoos you guys have gone to, but the ones I have gone too, the animals have a big range to roam around in. And I also like zoos because I want to be a zoologist, and if there weren't zoos, I wouldn't have a job. And these animals get exercise outside of the cages. Zoologists actually get personal with these animals. Their health is checked everyday in the morning before the zoo in even open. A lot of people are so ignorant about zoo procedures!
Normally i'm against them but if they are an endangere3d species & have alot of room to roam then i suppose it's okayy.
Zooz, circuses, aquariums are all fine. I enjoy them from time to time and it pleases me to know that my money is going to help the animals. Besides, if these operations were hurting animals don't you think there would be world wide media coverage on it.
I used to get angry about zoos, and I saw them as imprisoning animals that would rather run free. That was until I read Life of Pi, which really made some good points about zoos. (and yes, I know that Life of Pi is a work of fiction and that it's author most likely isn't an expert on zoos, but that doesn't cheapen his points)
Basically, think of it this way-- In a well-run zoo, the animals are basically treated like 5-star hotel guests. They are cleaned up after, they are taken care of health-wise, they are fed regularly. They never have to deal with the parasites and pests of the wild, they don't have to hunt for their own food, they don't have to fight with other, more dominant members of their species, and they get to live to a ripe old age. Sounds pretty good, huh?
Yeah, they can't get out and run around and "be free", but I think that people who claim that the animals "want to be free" are sort of romanticizing the whole thing.
(Oh and I am a vegetarian and will likely be fully vegan within the next 2 years)