Pet Lovers

[gardenman]

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@Desert Lily wrote:

When I took my child to the zoo at about 10 years old, I heard, "Why do we even have zoos? What a terrible thing to do to an animal." I had gone to zoos as a child and thought my child's comment was far-fetched.

But we've seen circuses disappear,  see efforts to save elephants & other animals, and when I think nowadays about taking an animal out of their natural habitat and enclosing them in a cage for our entertainment (even if they have some outdoor space), I'm not so sure that my child's comment was off-base. I haven't gone to a zoo since my child made the comment.

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Life for wild animals is not as idyllic in the wild as many like to think. If a wild animal gets injured, there's no vet to rush to care for them. They suffer and die. There are very few animals that lead a safe, carefree, happy life in the wild. Given a choice, I suspect many animals would gladly volunteer for life in a zoo over life in the wild.

Look at humans. We could live in the wild. We could forage for food, hope predators don't find us, hope we don't get sick or injured, and live as feral humans. We don't. We gladly live in our cages instead of the wild. Any human alive now could give up everything and go back to living like a caveman if they chose to. No sane person chooses to do so though. Why would a wild animal prefer to live in constant risk of death and injury with no one to help them? Is it so much better having to forage for food and possibly starving if you can't find any?

Consider yourself an animal. What kind of animal are you? Are you an apex predator like a lion or tiger? Much of your prey is equipped with defenses (antlers/horns). What happens to you when one of those antlers impales you? What if one kicks you and breaks your leg or jaw as you try to consume it? You're left to starve to death or die of dehydration. Oh, but it's so much better than being cared for in a zoo. If you're not an apex predator, then you're prey and fighting for your life each and every day.

Life in the wild is far from idyllic. It's not a better life than being in a zoo. As humans, we could go feral any time we chose to. Instead, we opt to stay in our cages. Why would animals choose differently given a choice? I suspect many formerly wild animals feel like they've won the lottery when they find themselves in a zoo setting. "Wait a minute. I get food, and water, and no one's trying to kill me? What's the catch?" You have to live in this confined space where you're protected from extreme weather and have to mate to create more of your kind. "That's the catch? Heck! Sign me up!"