Zoos: Good or Bad?

[Strat]

to be fair, i'm super conflicted on this issue

That's okay. That is because zoo's o many wonderful things.

Personally, its just depressing to see a gorilla sitting there staring at a glass wall and leaning on some pretend boulders.

[McParadigm]

My ex-fiancé is an exotic pet veterinarian and former researcher, and sort of one of those people more empathetic to animals than to people. She's a pretty vocal modern zoo advocate. This article reminds me a lot of a simplified, less richly exampled version of her stance:

http://time.com/4364671/zoos-improve-lives-of-animals/

[Kaius]

we all must choose a side.

[McParadigm]

we all must choose a side.

[McParadigm]

Every penguin dies. Not every penguin truly lives.

[Norris]

we all must choose a side.

i laughed harder at that than i should have

[McParadigm]

Honestly though they're much better off in their own collapsing ecosystem. A zoo is just a fast food restaurant in waiting for those fleeing the zombie hordes.

[B]

whales don't belong in tanks, no matter what good things the tank owners do to make up for it

Would you say it's worse that an animal like a beluga whale be in a tank or that people who cannot afford to go whale watching never get the chance to see one?

Argue what you want, but the Georgia Aquarium says they're helping protect belugas in the wild with research at their aquarium.

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/conserve ... uga-whales

[JuanHamm]

Let's debate the ethics of zoos and aquariums.

[tree_]

It depends on how they treat their animals. In some aspects, for a lot of zoo creatures, they're living a better, safer life than they would out in the wild. The St. Louis zoo is nice and has good vibes.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Bump for tommy

[Peeps]

I liked the New Zoo Revue

[spike]

It depends on how they treat their animals. In some aspects, for a lot of zoo creatures, they're living a better, safer life than they would out in the wild. The St. Louis zoo is nice and has good vibes.

Safer maybe, but better? These are wild beasts, not slovenly humans like us.

[Jorge]

People kept recommending the St Louis zoo and I thought it was nice but not really much different from any other zoo I've visited

[tragabigzanda]

Hate them. Unable to take a rational position because my emotional reaction is so viscerally negative

[Strat]

If they are utilized as sanctuaries nursing individual animals or populations for reintroduction in the wild then great.

They are very depressing though. Seeing polar bears at the San Diego zoo broke my heart.

Snakes should be kept in tanks at zoos though. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

[tree_]

It's funny to me that you guys are against zoos keeping pets but have your very own personal zoos, with cats and dogs and such. Why not just let them run free in the wild too?

[JuanHamm]

I like seeing animals, and I've gone to a bunch of zoos, but they are very hard to defend. Every argument seems flimsy

This is how I feel. I've always loved zoos, but they can be quite depressing. I hate seeing the big cats pacing in their enclosures.

[JuanHamm]

It's funny to me that you guys are against zoos keeping pets but have your very own personal zoos, with cats and dogs and such. Why not just let them run free in the wild too?

It would be chaos. For better or worse cats and dogs exist and the best we can do is give them a good place to live.

[tree_]

It's funny to me that you guys are against zoos keeping pets but have your very own personal zoos, with cats and dogs and such. Why not just let them run free in the wild too?

It would be chaos. For better or worse cats and dogs exist and the best we can do is give them a good place to live.

you can apply that reasoning to all animals in zoos too

you don't think the jungle is chaos?