60 Before 60 Project: #51 - Visit the Zoo
When our kids were young, we often took them to the local zoo. The zoo near us was a large complex that had a wide variety of displays spanning across a large acreage of land. We went so frequently that we even bought an annual membership.
We loved walking through the expansive area and admiring the animals. There was something about seeing the animals up close that made you appreciate them a little more. We were able to see firsthand how tall a giraffe was, get up close to appreciate the large teeth of a rhinoceros or catch a glimpse of the beauty and sleekness of a panther.
Our family favourite though was always the penguins and polar bears. Watching them go in and out of the water and especially from the underwater glass display, made for a great afternoon outing.
It had been at least fifteen years since I last visited a zoo.
As we passed by a smaller zoo that we would also frequent on occasion with our kids, we thought it might be interesting to drop in and see if we had the same feelings or experiences as we did when we visited with the family.
I would like to say that I loved this experience and it brought back a flood of positive memories but unfortunately this wasn’t the case. As I looked into the cages of the animals, all I could feel was sadness for their predicament.
This zoo was quite small and the animals were in confined habitats. Because it was towards the end of the season, you could see the grounds they lived on were quite torn up. Many didn't have much space to roam or explore.
As much as this may have seemed like small spaces, I do need to share that this zoo was accredited and probably held to much higher standards than possibly those those that may not be.
But this made me wonder – are zoos a good thing?
I did a little research on whether zoos were a good or bad thing and it seems that there is quite a mixed perspective.
On the good side, zoos help support conserving and protecting endangered species. They also help to educate the public on the need to protect and preserve an animal’s way of life. Zoos also allow us to see up close animals that the vast majority of us would never see otherwise.
But on the bad size, zoos are not necessarily great for the animals. Much depends on how well they are cared for and their living conditions. It is also found that when animals are kept in captivity, they can suffer from boredom and stress which can contribute to physical and psychological health issues.
So what is the answer?
I think that zoos do have a place and role in our society. For example, some research has found that zoos play a role in educating and raising public support for the need for wildlife conservation.
But I also believe there needs to be a balance. We shouldn’t confuse animal conservation with entertainment.
Zoos designed strictly for entertainment purposes with limited regard for animal welfare should definitely be closed down (remember Tiger King anyone?). As well, I believe we have a necessity for oversight to make sure that any animal in captivity is well cared for.
As much as my visit to the zoo didn’t go quite as I expected, it did force me to educate myself more about zoos and the role that they play in our society.
So maybe that was really the experience I was meant to have.
