Wild Animals In Zoos

[KittyGurl]

Do you agree with keeping wild animals in captivity?

My grandma says that animals shouldn't be kept in captivity and I agree with her. Animals die earlier when they are kept in cages. Animals should be running free instead of laying in a cage. That's just my opinion.

[critter crazy]

I Think that today, the main reason, besides for entertainment, and learning, zoos play a most important roll in Saving the Endangered animals, with their breeding programs, so Yes, i would have to say that I agree with animals in Zoos.

[DrKym]

I agree with Maggie,
the breeding programs for re introduction in the wild, and also for simply re establishing endangered animals is too important to ignore.

With many many zoos now changing the enclosures and exhibits to better suit habitats and needs, it is nothing like 20 years ago when all you saw were concrete and bars.

i voted yes.

[Freedom]

Well, kittygurl, I don't think znimals belong in cages.

We have an award winning zoo here, and the animals are in natural habitats. They have plenty of grass and trees, can hide from viewers without going inside some concrete hole to a little cave area. They also do have inside places to go. They can get up to a full gallop / run which they all seem to do if a sea gull happens to land in the habitat. ha ha.

And I also recognize that the breeding programs are helping restore endangered species populations, even in the wild, through the release programs.

So I voted mixed.

[animal_rescue]

Yes I do agree simply because it helps endangered animals.

[.sarah]

I think it depends on how the animals are treated. I went to a zoo last week, and while some of the animals had a HUGE area, others had a very small area. The Leopards, Lions, Tigers, Bears, etc are all kept in cages and pace back and forth but the Zebras, Antelopes, and some other animals had acreage to run free and seemed happy. So, I guess it depends on how big of an area they have and also what kind of vet care they recieve, etc.

[IrishSetterGurl]

I have a mix feeling cause 1, it keeps them safe from bein hunted and i do think they should be free also

[crow_noir]

If they are taken care of properly and have plenty of room i see nothing wrong with it.

For the few there are in zoos they are doing a wonderful service for their counterparts in the wild. Especially the programs that are trying to bring back species from extinction.

Many species actually can live longer lives in zoos.

The days of steel bars and small cages are gone. Shame on any zoo that still runs this way.

I have seen some wonderful zoos and i have been to a few that make me want to cry every time i think about them.

[crow_noir]

That sound like one zoo i went to a couple years back. Someone was telling me about the wonderful displays they had so i decided to go check it out. It was sad how small some of the enclosures were for the predators!!! The wolves(3) had a section no bigger than half of my back yard (which is 50'x75')!!! (Lucky for them they had been hand raised by the owners and were accustomed to people. ...I guess they also get walks on occasion ...but still!!!)

I think the highlight of my trip there was seeing a real live Wolverine! (Trying to focus on the good.)

I got to see many animals there i've never seen before... but i never fail to mention to people what small enclosures the place has for the predators. The place has the potential to be Great. They really do. ...but they aren't.

I went to a zoo last week, and while some of the animals had a HUGE area, others had a very small area. The Leopards, Lions, Tigers, Bears, etc are all kept in cages and pace back and forth but the Zebras, Antelopes, and some other animals had acreage to run free and seemed happy.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I agree with it as long as they are treated well and have the space they need.

[Blue_Frog]

I voted mixed feelings

I'm all for the breeding programs for endangered and threatened species, to help introduce to the wilds -- i think thats great. And zoos that provide an apropriately sized space for the animals is good as well.

The ones i have problems with are the enclosures that are clearly too small for the animals they are housing. Like seeing the panthers walking the same trail over and over again, wearing down a path through the grass from boredom doesn't sit too well with me.

Last summer, i had friends up from the states, and we went to the toronto zoo -- where they have a Canadian exhibit. They had an exhibit of raccoons who were all sleeping, so we couldn't see them very well. Later that night, behind the house, the raccoons were into the garbage again, and we went out with the flashlight to scare them off, and the joke was that we didn't have to to the zoo to see the canadian wildlife, just check out back near the garbage bins

[Twisterdog]

I agree with everyone else ... sometimes it is necessary for the survival of a species to maintain captive populations. And some zoos are VERY nice.

Also, I think people are more likely to care about and try to help save animals they have actually seen "in real life".

Actually, captive animals do not die at an earlier age than wild animals. Due to lack of predators, a steady diet, vet care, etc. captive animals ususally live much longer lives than their wild cousins.

[lizbud]

I would prefer to see animals contained in a wild life refuge place than
keeping them in a zoo.

[Kalei]

I would have to say yes because they do save endangered animals, and some have amazing natural habitats where they have sooo much room to live their natural lives.

And I also would think they would live longer because they are taken care of, in the wild they die quicker because of predators and/or sickness. but I could be wrong.

[cassiesmom]

The Zoo I have a membership for, is closing their old "houses" and converting the animals over to specialized habitats that are bigger and more suited to the animal's natural environment. They are keeping the old buildings just for the architectural details and using them for other purposes like office space. I'd rather see a tiger or lion in a huge enclosure, even if it is way at the back of its enclosure, rather than stuck in a cage. With digital photography they can create a special display of the cat where you can see what you might have (up close) if it were caged.