Are there any 'good' zoos?

Question

As a vegan, I abhor cruelty to animals and have always thought of zoos as cruel places. Are there any zoos that have been deemed as 'good' environments for animals?

Answer 1

go to africa on a safari or go to longleat safari park they have drive throughs so you can see animals in a gd habbitat and they pull off your car parts lol :)))))  

or howlett's zoo is gd

monkey world is great

Answer 2

Zoos take care of animals that were born in captivity, so can't live outside the zoo. They also care for disabled animals. There are good zoos and horrid one's. I find them depressing, it's like they are all in jail for something they didn't do.

Answer 3

The fate of the San Francisco Zoo is up to a vote this year.  They are thinking of turning it into a Rescue Zoo/Facility.  I think that would be great rather than displaying exotic animals plucked out of the wild.

As for "good" zoos.  I'm sure there are always some good and bad things about any zoo, but I would stick to the small petting zoos where the goats, rabbits, etc. are pretty well taken care of.

Answer 4

I'm a veggie and hate animal cruelty too so I stay away from zoos. I think UK zoos are the best for the welfare and health of the animals there because the keepers and other staff  genuinely care for animals and the countries that make up the UK are nations of animals lovers but I don't agree with animals being kept in pens and not in their natural environment.

That said, many zoos have breeding programmes for rare and endangered species so I think that's a good thing. I can't remember any off the top of my head though. Sorry.

Answer 5

Singapore Zoo!!! Seriously there is so much trust between the animals and the people that look after them and the animals can basically roam free and they seem soo happy and defs not insane like the ones in Berlin Zoo.

Answer 6

The San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park.

Do not get this confused with the San Diego Zoo. The Wild Animal Park is a separate zoo that is merely owned by the San Diego Zoo. Anyways I have a pass to the Wild Animal Park and am a vegan. It is absolutely incredible! If you are ever in San Diego, CA, please come visit and check it out. They have MASSIVE enclosures for the animals. The whole point is to make it seem like you are in the wild. You can read about some of the exhibits they have here:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/exhibits....

Anyways they treat their animals very well and with the size of their exhibits, it's almost like the animals are in the wild. They have free range enclosures so the animals walk around freely. All the African animals are put in together just like they would be in the wild. So you've got giraffes, zebras, gazelles and other animals roaming peacefully. It's an absolutely wonderful park and the only zoo I go to. There is no cruelty that goes on and all the animals are extremely healthy and happy.

Oh the African enclosure I was talking about...you can check it out here:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/ex_journe...

MORE INFORMATION TAKEN FROM WEBSITE:

"The 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park is an expansive wildlife sanctuary operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. It is home to more than 3,500 animals representing 429 species, including the largest crash of rhinos in any zoological facility, and one of the only California condor exhibits in the world. Naturalist habitats provide an opportunity to view animals lounging in natural settings, while unique construction at areas like Lion Camp allow you to come face-to-face with Africa’s biggest cat."

Here is the wikipedia page if you want more info :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_W...

Answer 7

Singapore Zoo is great. No cages just moats to keep the animals in.

Answer 8

The ethics of zoos comes up a lot in Environmental Studies.  One of  the main arguements is that without them it is much harder for people to understand the beauty of exotic animals and that without them, rhinos, pandas and more species of tigers would be extinct by now.

So perhaps they are not good in some ways but they are a lesser of two evils since it nets a greater compassion for animals than if they did not exist.

As for being cruel, living in the wild is not typically a fun or enjoyable experience for most creatures.  Something like 80% of all cheetas are killed by lions before reaching adulthood and most animals die slowly in wild of disease, predation and untreated injuries.  If you watch Meerkat Manor on cable, about one member of the colony dies every few episodes from predation competition or exposure.