Do zoos only care about money?

Many zoos are nonprofit, their only focus being the conservation of animals. All of their efforts are in research and the betterment of wild animals in captivity. Therefore, not all zoos are focused on profit.



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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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Animals have feelings, too! Please respect our friends - do not yell, tease or taunt them, bang on exhibit glass, or throw things into animal habitats. 4. Please don't feed the animals. Zoo animals are on scientific diets designed to closely match the nutrition they would receive in the wild.

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The Phoenix Zoo opened in 1962 and is the largest privately owned, non-profit zoo in the United States. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the zoo was founded by Robert Maytag, a member of the Maytag family, and operates on 125 acres (51 ha) of land in the Papago Park area of Phoenix.

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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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“Zoos allow us to experience nature and are a great resource for understanding more about conservation, biodiversity and sustainability, as well as bringing many positive benefits to human mental health and well-being.”

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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 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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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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Top companies for Zookeepers in United States
  • Woodland Park Zoo. 4.0 $28.36per hour. 62 reviews10 salaries reported.
  • DENVER ZOO. 3.6 $21.25per hour. 91 reviews7 salaries reported.
  • Detroit Zoological Society. 3.6 $20.66per hour. ...
  • City of Albuquerque. 3.7 $20.61per hour. ...
  • City of Norfolk, VA. 3.6 $18.80per hour. ...
  • Show more companies.


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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.

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Most zoos close when the sun sets. This gives the animals a break from visitors and many of them rest and sleep at this time. Keeping a zoo open after dark would require lighting up all the habitats and that would be costly and fairly ineffective.

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Austin, TX is the largest city in the United States without an AZA-accredited zoo.

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The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has been dedicated to the conservation of plants and animals since 1875. Proclaimed the “Greenest Zoo in America®” in 2010, the Zoo has continued to lead the way in sustainability and green initiatives by greening its daily operations and reducing its impact on the environment.

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Do not feed the animals, throw objects, tap or bang on exhibit glass. Respect walls and fences throughout the zoo.

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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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One of the most common forms of mistreatment is inadequate and limited living conditions. For example, tigers and lions have about 18,000 times less space in their captive enclosures than what they would have in the wild, and polar bears have one million times less space.

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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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