Why do zoos get away with it?

Question

I usually dont go near zoos as i find for the most part the animals just look miserable. I understand the arguement for having zoos and they are reallly good for children, however i have been to some where the conditions have been dreadful and the animals in a bad state. Are the laws and regulations not the same for all zoos all over the world? Why not? I think if we are to carry on having zoos enclosures should be considerably larger.

Answer 1

While I do not condone keeping wild animals captive, they do a huge amount in the way of breeding endangered species and releasing into the wild. Zoos also study and document very valuable information. May I suggest if you have the abiltity and time that you volenteer at a local zoo so you can learn more about their contribution to the animal kingdoom. I never let my child visit a circus because they truely are harmful to animals.

Answer 2

Laws and regulations are not the same the world over. This results in miserable conditions in some roadside zoos and some private collections. On the other hand, there are some fine zoos in the world, where the animals live longer and better lives than they would in the wild and where some species have been saved from the brink of extinction.

Answer 3

I was under the impression that most zoo animals were born in captivity anyways, so they havent really seen their natural lifestyle, which might seem cruel to you but the animal probably doesnt notice much.  Then again, looking at the primates in their pens, sometimes you can see it in their face.  My local zoo is pretty nice, none of the animals seem withdrawn or sad.

Answer 4

zoos have their pros and cons.  Zoos are good if you think 'better safe than extinct!'  .. there are a lot of other things that are way worse that need more attention directed towards.  For example the cruelty of animals in circuses, dog fighting, the fur trade, and ESPECIALLY the meat industry and factory farming.  Chickens probably have the worst lives of any animal on the planet.  For more info on animal welfare causes, try looking at peta2.com or veganoutreach.org  or google 'factory farming"

Answer 5

I don't know where you went to the zoo at, but the zoo here is great.  It has habitat enclosures, which are almost like the animal being in a smaller area than what they would live in in the wild.

Answer 6

Zoos get regular inspections by animal welfare agencies ie SPCA and daily by the people that go to them,Most animals at zoos are breed in captivity and zoos have agreements in place to exchange animals for breeding purposes,they animals are shipped and exchanged for periods of time that can last up to 2 years this guarantees variety in the gene pool.At present I don't believe the removal of animals from the wild to zoos is not a regular practise unless the animal has been injured and cannot return to the wild but is healthy enough to be a breeder.

Answer 7

Basically, the animals are miserable in their cages if they have been caught from the wild.  Most of the animals, however, haves spent their entire lives in the zoo and know nothing different.  A zoo is a great place for kids to see animals that they normally would not see in their daily lives.

Answer 8

There ARE laws against poor conditions - zoos will always try to be as clean as possible. The animals there are in there for a good reason - so that is the animals went extinct in the wild, then there is a possibility that they could be bred in captivity and re-introduced to the wild.

They also allow ordinary people people to see anymals they wouldn't normally ever see in the wild - heightening their awareness of endandered species, in a change that one day, people will be much more aware of human impact on Planet Earth. Oh, and to provoke people to answer Qs on Yahoo Answers, too!