Why You Should Still Support and Visit Ethical Zoos

There are recent clamors to close zoos for being unethical and harming animals. While this may be true in several instances, we can’t generalize. Some zoos and theme parks are good for biodiversity. You can’t generalize all these places and assume they’re terrible for the animals. Here’s why you should still support them and consider for your next trip.

Zoos save animals

There are endangered animals out there that can’t survive the wild. There are only a few of them left and they have to be in a recovery program. Some zoos help with this project. They employ scientists who help in putting the numbers back up. They study the endangered animals and try their best to breed them in laboratories. It’s an expensive project and some zoos are willing to shell out a huge amount to save the animals.

Some zoos have excellent practices

You can tell that some zoos are good at what they do because they allow their animals to live as close as possible to their natural environment. They allow large animals to roam around a bigger space. They also try to make everything looks as natural as possible. You should avoid places that force their animals to have a show. They might be rewarded when doing tricks, but you can only imagine what they have to go through during the training. Animals aren’t there to entertain humans. We can interact and be in the same environment without necessarily treating animals like a lower class of living things.

Young people need to know about these animals

The best way to teach the next generation to care about animals is by showing them the real thing. They will feel more compassionate if they can see these beloved animals in person. Some people will attest that their love for animals and decision to pursue a career in the field started because of their trip to the zoo or theme park. Not many people decide to take this career and we need to inspire the younger generation to do so. If not, you can at least instill the love for animals by visiting the zoo.

Some animals are ambassadors of their species

It’s quite hard for some people to feel empathy to some animals even if they’re endangered. To them, it’s only an abstract concept and they don’t grasp the reality. Therefore, animals in zoos become ambassadors of their species. They tell stories. They also show everyone that they’re not harmful and they deserve to live. Without these zoos, these animals can’t show who they are. Again, considering their dwindling numbers, it’s imperative to boost the effort to conserve them.

People may donate

Zoo visitors may also donate to conservation causes. They see the importance of the animals during the trip, especially when the guide provides detailed explanations.

Hopefully, you decide to include the zoo or theme park on your next trip. Your children will have a good time. You will also learn a lot from the visit.

Photo Attribution:

1^st and featured image from https://www.oregonzoo.org/sites/default/files/2020/05/01/H_ring-tailed-lemur.jpg

2^nd image from https://louisvillezoo.org/safe-saving-animals-extinction/