Zoos

Hey, you Animals! Its been a loooong time since Ive been to a zoo. That old dog avoided them at all costs, saying Vegetarians dont go to the zoo. We debated zoos in general once or twice, with me playing the devils advocate. If this were a time when there were no zoos, I would oppose keeping wild animals captive privately or publicly. But, zoos do exist and since childhood I liked to visit them with the delusion their Boards, vets, keepers, and other workers were to be trusted to keep the animals in the best of health, rejuvenate animal populations, have the animals best interests were at heart, and all that jazz. He made sure to POP that bubble and reality sunk in a little bit.

The first zoo I ever went to was Lincoln Park in Chicago, and then Brookfield, and then a few here and there around the US. My local zoo is fairly modern, and has a separate area dedicated to local animals. The enclosures appear okay, most with green vegetation and some hidey places for the more shy. Most animals can be viewed outdoors and in. It appears the animals are well taken care of, although their spaces seem small and it seems larger bodies of water might be welcome. (Elephants are our big thing here and there are transfers of animals with other zoos, breeding programs, and that sort of thing. I worry for those elephants though as their place seems dreary and sorta awful. It seems we could create a better environment for them, but whatdoIknow.)

Our community seems quite invested and taken with the zoo, and I dont think a tax levy has ever gone down. There is large attendance to the zoo itself, as well as the camps, concerts, and other events they put on. I appreciate this, but I do hope that no other animals are bought by any zoo and that animal trafficking under the guise of civil and responsible ownership is stopped. On the other hand, I also appreciate breeding programs of animals that can be introduced to the wild and so forth.

Anyway, this is only a quick peek at the broad subject of zooing. I wonder about your zoos, what you think of them, what the future may be, and on and on.

 

I will go to zoos that are large enough to have adequate space for their animals, and which have well-established reputations for humane animal care, cleanliness, and positive/non-invasive scientific study of their animals. So far it's a relatively short list of zoos (all American, of course, since zoos haven't been high on the list when I've gone to other countries), though I haven't looked extensively in some areas.

Best I've been to: the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Next best: Minnesota Zoo (outside the Twin Cities), more or less tied with National Zoo in Washington DC. The Milwaukee Zoo is just on the right side of decent enough for me to go.

I have heard great things about, but have not yet visited, the zoos in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Denver.

I will not go to the Lincoln Park Zoo, or any of the other small zoos around Chicago, though I hear Brookfield (IL) has a good one. I was appalled by the Griffith Park Zoo in L.A., and would not go there again. Same with the Bronx Zoo.

 

@damnitall and I went to the Cincinnati Zoo yesterday. We saw this. It's a decent zoo, but still quite small. The Columbus Zoo has more space in most enclosures, I believe, but doesn't have as many of the most endangered species or as developed a breeding program. We saw a gimpy little African penguin who would most definitely not be alive in the wild, but he had a buddy and encouragement to get around.

 

Zoos depress me. I understand them as educational tools, research sources, and being necessary to help endangered species procreate. That doesn't stop me from thinking that many of the animals are miserable in captivity.

 

While I certainly agree with you regarding life in the wild being rough....would you be happy living in captivity, kept from doing the things that are part of your nature? Certainly some animals are quite happy living in zoos. Equally certain some animals would rather be following their animal instincts in the wild. I also don't think that all zoos qualify as "modern, well-kept."

"...making sure your life is as happy and fulfilling as they can possibly make it." In forced captivity.

 

I am actually in agreement that they can be horribly depressing places. I recognize a lot of behavioral problems in zoos, resulting largely from the confinement. Yes, they have longer and healthier lives *physically*, but emotionally many of those animals have severe anxiety and behavioral changes from long-term confinement. I imagine it's easier for those who are bred and brought up in captivity. One of my horses had awful anxiety from being in restricted space, and it was depressing to watch him freak out because he couldn't roam. I feel the same for many of those animals.

 

I've been a FONZ (Friends of National Zoo) for years. I missed ZooFari (annual fundraiser) and all the good eats last week, but Brew at the Zoo (drink beer, save wildlife) is coming up!

My first apartment in DC was across the street from the entrance to the zoo and I would go jogging through the grounds at sunrise and hear all kinds of eerie animal sounds.