The morality of zoos

Whilst watching a commercial for a zoo (I won't name which one) I felt the bitter sweet feeling of boyhood memories of visiting a zoo and innocently thinking, wow I can see all these animals that are not native to my country here infront of me and learn something about them.

Then as I got older I realised the harsh reality of a zoo namely:

• it's an animal prison with animals not being in there because of their behaviour/acts often seperated from family/group

• animals are robbed of their freedom especially the sea creatures who have so much depth and area to explore and now spend their days doing circles not seeing any changeable habitat or creatures

• putting large animals in such a tiny unnatural environment

• the loss of the free ability to hunt their prey

• lack of options in choosing a partner the zoo decides when they think it's breeding time or if an animal should breed they might be neutered

• lack of natural environment (being woken to fake meals or sunlight)

• being fed meals you didn't earn by hunting or lack of ability to store away for another day

• being starred at by a species you might rarely come across in the wild or encountering objects you wouldn't normally see like a phone or car

I'm sure there are many more important elements but that was just a few that ran across my mind.

Now the politically correct media will justify the continuation of zoo's as being for a particular species own good because they were nearly made extinct or an animal has been raised in a zoo all their life so they cannot survive in the wild and the list continues.

I just feel it's wrong to keep animals regardless of a zoo's good reputation and staff that may genuinely love and treat the animals the best they can. Nature reserves that allow the freedom of roaming and hunting in some cases are more acceptable.

I can also hear vegans asking the question does this blogger dislike zoo's but continues to eat meat? Yes I do eat meat and know there is no humane process of producing the meat without killing the animal in some cruel way. I cannot justify my rationale in that sense, I think one is a cruelty I can see and one is something I've seen in videos. I don't want to mix subjects but feel it should be cheaper and easier to eat healthy or vegan and it isn't so I'm currently a meat eater.

Back to the subject the thing that makes some of these zoo's worse is when I see animals having to perform like seals, whales, tigers and elephants. Even as an adult I was compelled to sit next to a tiger in Thailand I knew the poor thing was tranquilized so it wouldn't attack and was in poor conditions being in the sun and on such a short chain but I still went and sat next to it for a picture out of feeling I've come all this way and individually boycotting this cruel act isn't going to make a difference but group action does. Whilst there I also rode an elephant that was probably walking most of the day in the hot sun with little rest water and food.

I say these things not because I don't care but it's kind of an expulsion of sins to mention and let people know the battles of knowing something is wrong but still having to go along with it for whatever reason (societal pressure, expectancy, a desire to say I've done this). I'm only human no one is perfect it doesn't justify my actions but I'm writing to raise the issue and see if anyone else can do more.