I went to the zoo today, and came home sorta sad... ( Archived) (46)

I brought my kids to a local zoo called ZOOZ. It's a great place, not far from here close to the US border, it's nice, 110acres, lots of animals (somewhere near 500 I think I heard today) a variety of creatures: big cats, birds of prey, giraffes, primates, hippos, moose, deer, elk, buffalo etc. Has a splash pad for the kids to cool off, catch & release fishing, paddle boats & a train thingy to take you around the park. The neat thing is they have lots of shows that teach you all about the different creatures in the park- all of which have been aquired by the zoo because someone had them as pets previously, or they came from another zoo.
Anyway, we were walking around & came to the cage of a single porcupine. He was walking around the bottom of his cage, climbed up onto his hind legs, grabbed the fence & essentially cried. The sound he was making was like a wimper from a dog who wants in or out of the house. After I walked away from that cage, I started looking at these other animals a little differently- the lion was pacing around his cage, growling then roaring and I wondered if maybe he was saying "let me the hell out of here"? They all seemed to have a sad look on their faces, broken maybe?
What are your views on zoos and aquariums- etc? and more importantly, why?

Zoos are inhumane and cruel. They exploit a living creature for a profit. I'm not an animal activist but I can't see how that is morally right.

I heard in each of the shows that the animals couldn't be released because they'd been exposed to too many humans and didn't have the ability (they have the natural instinct but no how-to) of hunting. Some were rehabilitated after accidents, like some of the eagles they have, but they can't fly properly so they'd probably die without the zoo. Does that make it any better?

I believe all animals should be left in the wild and we should all stop taking living things away from their homes just because we can.

Is there any excuse for keeping an animal in a cage for people's entertainment?

at the same time, the zoos provide a little bit of education for humans...and a gentling touch. easier to care about the future of an animal that one has actually seen the magnificence of.

while sad...i'm not sure what the answer is. they serve a purpose...and are involved in saving endangered species, as well.

however...it's still a cage.

I have to say, I'd rather watch a documentary. But should the animals who can't survive without help, be isolated & alone so that no one profits from the "entertainment" or education that they bring?

sadly enough, it takes LOTS of money to run a zoo. they NEED the income generated to be able to keep said injured animals.

I don't like zoos. That's all I have to say about that.