Are there alternatives to zoos?

Visit a sanctuary. There are numerous farmed animal, equine and wildlife sanctuaries throughout North America and many of them have visitor days. Be careful however, because there are substandard zoos and wildlife exhibits that call themselves sanctuaries, but are not.



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That captivity can be REALLY bad for both physical AND psychological health. And while zoos have been really helpful is saving endangered animals, it doesn't work out for certain species. For example, most large carnivores like lions and tigers that are bred in captivity die when released into the wild.

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What we do know so far is that evidence suggests wild animals can be as happy in captivity as they are in nature, assuming they are treated well. Confinement alone doesn't mean an animal is automatically worse off.

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While zoo advocates and conservationists argue that zoos save endangered species and educate the public, many animal rights activists believe the cost of confining animals outweighs the benefits, and that the violation of the rights of individual animals—even in efforts to fend off extinction—cannot be justified.

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Today, zoos are meant to entertain and educate the public but have a strong emphasis on scientific research and species conservation. There is a trend toward giving animals more space and recreating natural habitats. Zoos are usually regulated and inspected by the government.

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What Are Some Pros and Cons of Zoos?
  • Animals Often Only Have Quite Limited Space. ...
  • Zoos Are Crowded. ...
  • Animals Are Trapped in Unnatural Environments. ...
  • Confinement May Alter the Behavior of Animals. ...
  • 'Surplus' Animals Can Be Killed. ...
  • Animals Are Often Mistreated. ...
  • Animals Don't Like Being Visited. ...
  • Animals Struggle to Form Connections.


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Many zoos have improved enormously; the better ones being crucial in saving species that would have otherwise gone extinct. Nonetheless, for some people the mere word zoo carries impressions of old zoos, bad zoos, circuses, and theme-park shows that many find distasteful. Good zoos know they must innovate forward.

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Zoos do a lot for conservation. There are dedicated species survival programs which have helped species come out from the brink of extinction, good examples of that being the black-footed ferrets, the red wolves, the Przewalski's wild horse, and the California condors.

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Until the 20 th century, there was little or no concern for the welfare of zoo animals. It was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that the appearance of zoos began to change to reflect the public opinion; this transition took place as people were educated about the true conditions endured by zoo animals.

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Captive populations are used for educational purposes, the exhibition of rare species, research, and for conservation. Many zoos have used captive breeding as a way to prevent the extinction of species that have had difficulty in maintaining their populations in the wild.

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2. Zoos can't provide sufficient space. Zoos cannot provide the amount of space animals have in the wild. This is particularly the case for those species who roam larger distances in their natural habitat.

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Some animals in zoos are kept in enclosures far too small for them, while others are forced to perform degrading tricks. Even in the best zoos, under the best conditions, a lifetime of captivity is no life at all for wild animals.

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Should vegans visit zoos? For many vegans it goes without saying that zoos represent the use of animals for entertainment, and as such they're not a place that vegans would visit or be in favour of. For others, the rescue and conservation efforts of some zoos makes the issue a little less black and white.

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By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of other species. Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators.

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Although 700 million people worldwide visit zoos and aquariums each year, many zoos have found their attendance numbers going down in recent years.

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Reintroduction programs, by which animals raised or rehabilitated in AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums are released into their natural habitats, are powerful tools used for stabilizing, reestablishing, or increasing in-situ animal populations that have suffered significant declines.

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Do zoos help or harm animals? While some suggest that zoos exploit captive animals and that wild animals should be wild, these facilities also present wildlife conservation attempts and learning opportunities as well. Zoos may introduce trauma to animals, but they are also taken care of in zoos.

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Experts agree that zoos will continue to exist for many years to come and even though they may change in design and structure, their mission will remain the same. Says Don Moore, a senior scientist with the AZA: “If we're going to have animals in zoos, we have to do the best we can do for those animals.

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On average, captive animals (especially mammals) live longer than wild animals. This may be due to the fact that zoos provide refuge against diseases, competition with others of the same species and predators.

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