Do you think zoos are cruelty to animals?

I am basing my opinion on our own zoo here in our city and having visited there on several occasions I have to say that, as an animal lover, I have no concerns with the way the animals are kept. Ours is not a big zoo but the enclosures are very large, there are no animals in small cages. The ones that are caged have a huge enclosure behind the cage and all the creatures there look healthy and well cared for. I realise that there are some places that do not treat the animals as they should and that is appalling but good zoos do a lot for the conservation of certain species that would otherwise be extinct, not to mention the education they provide. To answer your question I don’t thinks all zoos should be closed but some zoos should be permanently shut down.

Have you seen the so-called "jails" that these animals are housed in? Some of them are bigger than a lot of people's front yards! These animals are treated like royalty--they get fed regularly, they have vets on staff to take care of them whenever they get sick or if they have an accident in which they have a good chance of recovery. How in the world can you say that because of a very few accidents--tragic, yes, but accidents all the same--that humans treat these creatures inhumanely? Zoo animals live better than a lot of people do!

If zoos doesnt exist, the new generations will not have a chance to see them live, and zoos imparts education to the children, enabling them to learn about the wild animals, birds and reptiles. As per Forest Act. the animals must be kept in natural environment with compounded wall. Our zoo authorities are very attentive to the animals needs and dedicated workers keep their living place clean and tidy. We have lion and tiger safaris, where all the amenities are available in a natural condition.

i think zoo should not exist bcoz...the animals kept in zoo lose there wildness..and they r like a robot or any kind of object where ppl come to see it and ppl expect to be entertained by them...so in my opinion wild animals like tiger,lion,elephants etc...should not be brought to zoo,,,they must be kept and put to safety in wildlife sanctury...rather than making them an object to be entertained//they also hav family,children,wifes there own private life so we fu** humans dont hav right to enter there private life...and treat them as a joker of a circus...

I am an animal lover and i think Zoos are cruelty to animals!It is important for the children to see live animals that could not see in the wild,but there in no need to close healthy animals for that.They can be only unhappy behind bars.There are many animals that can not support themselves in the wild,that need human care,and i think those animals should be enough to enrich children s knowledge.

I believe keeping animals is OK as long as they are treated right. and don't you think sometimes animals are living just for human? when you are eating beef or chicken, do you think about they have been cruelly treated?

i'd have to say it depends on the zoo. some have more space than others,and allow for "free ranging" a bit. as much as i don't like the idea of them caged in either,if it weren't for some zoos attempting to save some endangered animal populations(such as cheetahs,great apes,rhinos)the particular species might be wiped out already.

I agree I stopped going to the zoo many years ago when I went to a Zoo in a large city and saw an endagered Sea Turtle swimming in a constant circle because his tank was not big enough for him it was so sad he would go in one direction for a while then he would switch I guess on fin would get more tired so he had to go the other way. Then we went to see the seals an they had this giant pool but there where sooooo many seals that they all had to constantly zig-zag to keep from bumping into one another. So Sad. I cant belive anyone would thing it is a good Idea to cage a wild tiger or Gorilla. I also dont want to hear anything about how the zoos you have been to have "plenty of room" there is no such zoo that can say it has enough room for an elephant to roam. Elephants love to walk all day and in the wild they dont walk in circle but in the zoo they have no choice!

i hope not. but i dont know what goes around in these places. i am hoping it is a safe animal sanctuary place to help these animal live healthier and longer. but who knows.

I think that zoos are cruel to animal. The animal suppose to live in a cage-free environment, like forest and jungle. The live in cage just like a prison in the jail. They don't have freedom. Although they no need to look for food but is sad to have a limited living space with the same friend. But zoo is not their original habitat. Snafushe, I do agree with what you said and I think that they should release those animal in to their own world. Have a nice day :)

I am not an animal activist and I am non-vegetarian. But, I think zoos are cruel to animals. It takes away their freedom. But, we have to think this way too. Most of the zoos provide good food and medical support to animals. So, the animals can have good food without doing any work. They don't have to hunt for their food. But, freedom is also very important. I don't prefer to be house arrested only because I can get free food.

God is the great creator and there is defenitly something wrong, when I get physically sick to see animals in cages. I guess we can try and try to give them their natural habitat but it isn't going to work, there are to many people in controll and to many people populating this planet.

In a way I think zoos are quite cruel as once free animals are stuck in tiny cages with people staring at them every day. I went to Chessington zoo once and the tiger just looked so sad in that cage of hers. But on the other hand if they weren't there a lot of them would be killed for their coats, and generally unable to live in the freedom they deserve in the wild

It depends on the animal... if they are likely to be illegally hunted, then better to let them stay in zoo. Otherwise, should give them more freedom. It is not likely to be 100% eliminated... because human being just have this tradition of prison animial.

Even without these accidents you mentioned it's cruelty. Living in a small cage as an attraction for someone is just wrong.

Even I feel that this is a cruelty to animals. They are kept in cages for no mistake of theirs and we humans who commit so many atrocities on animals are roaming freely. Once I went to a zoo. I saw a bear which was going round and round from one door of the cage to another door of the cage for so long. One friend of mine felt it funny. But I was feeling pity at the situation of the bear. God has made this life so unfair for animals.

zoos are really cruel jail cells for poor animals.They are treated most burstly in these jails.We have heard such stories more enough.

zoos are really cruel jail cells for poor animals.They are treated most burstly in these jails.We have heard such stories more enough.

As humans we r made in such way that we can understand better the things about living beings around us.So the negligence and mistakes are on our side.Zoo is the place where the animals are getting shelter.Ofcourse i agree that they need freedom like us.But on earth already we had done much for the imbalance of nature.They dont hav place for themselves.So the Zoo is not a cell but a caring home if the zoo administration really works good and honestly.

It is indeed true that man keeps animals captive for his own pleasure. Animals should be allowed to go free. Even is there is a need to have animals to be put on display in zoos they should be well taken care off. Maybe they can be released to the wild after a certain amount of time so that they do not have to spend their whole lives in captivity.