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> Young Rescuers > Going to
the Zoo?
 Going
to the Zoo?
Although conditions for the animals in zoos
have improved considerably over the past decade or so, there
is still considerable questioning about the rightness of choosing
to keep wild animals captive for exhibit. While zoos are more
involved in education and conservation activities than formerly,
their core role still seems primarily that of a place for
entertainment.
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR)
believes that keeping, breeding and displaying wild animals
in zoos does not respect wild animals' essential nature
nor their need to live the kind of life that evolution has
prepared them for. We believe it is cruel to take away wild
creatures' right to roam free and to keep them in a
cage (even a very pretty cage) for their whole lives.
Remember how it feels to be "caged up"
when you are home sick for a day or two? Now imagine how you
would feel if your whole life were spent like that. No school,
no playground, no swimming pool or amusement park —
and no sleepovers or summer camp! Pretty boring stuff!
Nonetheless, we understand that a lot of families
and schools take trips to the zoo. If you find yourself on
such a trip, you can be a detective for the animals.
Zoo Detective Questions
To determine if they are being well cared for,
try answering these questions about a few of the animals:
| • |
Is the animal being
kept in an exhibit that is similar to his or her natural
habitat (grassland, forest, aquatic)? |
| • |
How much room does the animal have?
Can she move around, run, climb, play, hide, and explore? |
| • |
Does the animal live alone or are
there others with him? (Is he a social animal under
natural conditions?) |
| • |
Is there plenty of clean water for
the animals to drink or, if they wish, to play in? |
| • |
Is the area clean? Does it have shade?
Does the animal look healthy? |
| • |
How is the animal behaving? Does
she appear stressed, angry, tired? Is she pacing repetitively? |
| • |
Where are the animals kept when the
zoo is closed? |
| • |
If you were one of these animals,
can you imagine what it would feel like to you to live
in the zoo? Would you be comfortable with the public
paying you a visit every day, all day? |
Adapted from a list compiled by Big Cat
Rescue (www.bigcatrescue.org).
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