Do wild animals belong in zoos?

I don't like seeing animals locked up behind a cage and I'm pretty sure that they are unhappy with their existence! However, I guess it's very important for the scientific community to study these animals and learn everything there is to know about them. I think after that has been done though then they should be released into the wild. I haven't been to the zoo in years, the last time I paid a visit was on a junior school trip. Andrew

I have also thought of your discussion many a times , but wild animals needs to be protected in a safer environment , so i think they must be let free in jungle which is there home.

interesting topic. first of all, i agree with you that animals belong out in the wild. they are not the property of zoos. But there are several reasons supporting that zoo is better than natural environment such as jungle for keeping animals. Firstly, some aggressive animals such as tigher,anaconda, lion, are dangrous to people if leave them outside. or, some animals may be not dangrous but likly to disturb the normal life of people. u can imagine how terrible when a horse or a monkey runs around on the road so that a traffic jam even accident comes. secondly, some people hunt some rare animals in order to earn money, which make the zoo becomes the safest place for these animals. at last, there are less and less place which are suitable for some specific animals since human has taken increasing land for themselves. as a result, there is no other options for animals. However, there is also some problems when put animals at zoos. for example, animals are losing their animal natures when they are feeded by people for a long time. the tiger is not like tiger,maybe like a cat more. hehehe In breif, i don't think animals belong zoos. but according to the situation of these days, maybe zoos or wildlife protection area are the best place for animals. thanks for your topic once more. interesting topic. Regards. Ben

i agree with you 100%. Wild animals belongs to their own land, the forest, the wild nature! But the sad things is, nowadays, more and more people are only care about their industries, they take more and more lands, and force the poor animal to leave or die. That's why the zoo is the place to protect them as well.

Definitely, all "wild" animals should NOT be in a zoo. They need to roam free in their own habitats. Having said that, the word "zoo" is derived from the Greek word "zoology" or the study of animals. Hence the origin of zoos or zoological parks as they were once called, came from people who were interested in studying animals. Zoos are also important in understanding how these animals behave. It teaches our young kids that there are other animals in this world worthy of our interest. It helps us open our minds to the importance of preservation and conservation of our natural resources in which these animals live and also share. Thus, while wild animals do not belong in a zoo, some do need to be there so we can understand all of them better.

Yeah probably wild animals are not happy in the zoos. But look from another point of view. When people go to zoos and see animals they start to like them. Probbaly that helps us to understand problems of the nature. And also zoos dont juts show wild animals in cages. Many of them are scientific laboratories. They breed rare species and introduce them in the wild. For some endangered species zoos are the only chanse to survive

Well, first of all there are good zoos and bad zoos. Bad zoos are just out there to make money and keep wild animals locked up in tiny cages where the public can come look at them. I think these zoos are horrible and should all be shut down. However, there are zoos that are mostly out there to save animals. They rescue abused animals from circuses and the bad zoos that I mentioned before. These animals are not in any position to be released back in the wild, and therefore need a place where they can live the rest of their lives. These good zoos also help animals that are near extinction. Instead of keeping the animals in cages, they try to simulate the animals' natural environments. These zoos focus more on conservation and education than on making money. And I think these zoos do good work and should be kept around.

Mostly no I don't think wild animals should be kept in zoos and if they are they should be more like a wild animal park where the animals can run free, and you have to drive a jeep to go through there. Sometimes animals are safer in zoos however as some animals are victims of hunters for their fur or for the tusks, some animals are also handicapped in some way and can not do well in the wild, but I think mostly wild animals should be kept wild.

I don't really think that a zoo is the best place for a wild animal. Yes, it's true that it is fun for us to go see them there, but for the animals, I think that the best place for them to be is in the wild. It's really where they belong. They don't belong in civilization with us.

Let me put it this way. Let's say a person was removed from their home. From their friends and family, not able to interact with them. They were moved to a place that was quite unfamiliar to them. To top it all off, they were put in a cage, for people to gawk at day after day. To stare at them and never give them a moment's piece. One could make the argument that animals do not have the same level of intellect as a human but I think that is selling them short. Animals are a lot smarter than we give them credit for I think and can exhibit emotions as well.

I don't think that whether they belong in zoos is the question because no animal actually belongs in a cage, when they were born free, initially. Whether they are happy or not is anyone's guess. Most animals become stressed when they are in close quarters and this is why they pace back and forth within their cages. This is why zoos try to recreate the animal's natural habitat to make them more at "home", so to speak. Why are they in zoos? is more the question and the answer is to educate, rehabilitate and conserve. I think the experience and the education they provide to our families is priceless. Where else can I see a lion or tiger in person (safely) without becoming part of their menu. The look of awe and excitement on a child's face when they see their first elephant up close is also priceless. I would never have the opportunity to see all of the wildlife that they have available, in my lifetime. Most of the species are endangered and the zoos provide a refuge for them. Even though some animals live long lives in the wild, the ones in the zoos are really well taken care of. Any diseases found can be addressed immediately and there is no worry of hunting or deforestation. There are always going to be some bad institutions but on the whole I feel the zoos can be a good place. The experience is unforgettable and so is the odor!! lol

I think the animals is belong to the wild.From ancient times,animals are living in their prey birth,but what we have to rely to a zoo to help them complete human belings.So they lost their instinct.

Exotic animals are kept in zoos to teach people about their importance in the wild. If no one ever saw a Polar Bear in person, they wouldn't care nearly as much about global warming. I believe that animals caught as adults in the wild and put into captivity is the wrong way to do it. But I do know the importance of their presence in Zoos. Many Zoos also have release programs to help dwindling wild populations.

I dont think they should be in a cage unless they are used to it. it would be just like yanking them out of the wild.If they have been in a zoo since they were babies then they will probaly feel more comfortable in a cage but its not really a cage its just a enclosed habitat.

Most of the stock in zoos is no longer "wild" and could not survive in the wild without someone to feed and look after them. A lot of zoos have created habitats for their animals that mimic their lives in the wild and offer more stimuli than they would have in cages. By showing animals in zoos we get people to care about the animals in the wild and encourage their conservation in the wild. There are numerous species who if it were not for the zoos, would have become extinct by now and it is only through the efforts of zoos, conservation areas, and wildife habitats that ensure the survival of the species' at all.

For me it's both. Zoos can help certain species thrive better than if nature or hunters were to make them extinct. Though I prefer animals in wildlife sanctuaries over actual "zoos". Seeing cages make me sad, but I know its necessary sometimes to keep the animals safe from other species or diseases they'd naturally get from the wild.

I have conflicting feelings about zoos. While I do agree that the ideal life for any wild animal is to be free, the majority of the animals that currently live in the world's zoos were born there and cannot survive in the wild. I also think about all of the wildlife that my children and I have seen, up close and personal, that we would never have had the opportunity to see if it weren't for the zoo.

wild animals should not be in the zoo. However, many times they were injured or in danger in the wild and in that case the zoo is not a bad option, I don't think!

HI! I also think wild animals don't belong to zoo! They must live out in the wild nature, that's why we call them wild!

I do think that wild animals idealy should be in zoos, but there's reasons to have zoos too. Some of the reasons for for me is that some animals are at the brink of extinction and zoos can have good breeding programs. Also, it is a good way to teach children and grown-ups about animals. I think breeding animals in zoos both for the next generation of zoo animals and for maybe sending them out into the wild again is something most good zoos do. You also learn things about the animals that can be used to help the wild animals. Some animals probably suffer more than others in zoos, maybe especially animals that are mead to travel large distances.