"The zoo industry may argue that such animals do not need to hunt or forage for food, or migrate with the seasons, but this simply reveals how unnatural a captive life is for wild animals. These animals are designed for a life in the wild, not for a life in a zoo for the amusement of humans.
It is now down to the public to express their concern by avoiding zoos." They are not alone in their opinion, either. Many animal rights activists also protest against holding animals in captivity.
Another claim by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is that their programs provide an opportunity for people to see, learn and contribute to the preservation of wild animals. However, ALV members believe that keeping animals locked up is no way to create an animal exhibit!
This unfair captivity even distorts the animals' behavior and doesn't really give humans a realistic glimpse of these animals' true natures. Arguably, a nature documentary or a book would give people the most accurate portrayal of a wild animal's life.
Wild animals trapped in zoos often meet cruel deaths, PETA argues, pointing to several noteworthy examples. The Virginia zoological facilities saw the deaths of 10 prairie dogs from a tunnel collapse, a rhino that drowned in her moat and a zebra who perished from a broken neck when she bolted from her pen.
In St. Louis, two polar bears died after one ingested objects that had been thrown into their animal exhibit and the other was found to have two dead fetuses in her womb. Gorillas in Dallas and Siberian tigers in San Francisco were shot to death after escaping their pens.
Undoubtedly, animals are suffering in the wild too; but the argument is that if we can't take care of these animals properly in captivity, then we shouldn't be subjecting them to this cruelty.
To read more Wild Animals Confined In Unnatural Conditions