Abolish Zoos

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The argument that Zoos abroad are good falls flat.
Please check this link:
http://www.captiveanimals.org/zoos/noplace.html

Am quoting from the press release "Filmed over the past two years in zoos across the UK, including safari parks and aquaria, No Place Like Home updates our 2000 production Sad Eyes and Empty Lives, which we still receive requests from campaigners, schools and colleges across the country and overseas every week. Both films are the only ones to look specifically at the state of UK zoos.

Narrated by CAPS patron Sally Banks, wife of the late Tony Banks MP, the new video looks at issues of conservation and education and reveals shocking conditions in zoos, including:

• A gorilla repeatedly regurgitating food and eating it
• Numerous cases of stereotypic behaviours such as big cats pacing, elephants weaving and reptiles pushing against glass
• Small enclosures restricting movement and offering no stimulation

Stereotypic behaviours, a sign of frustration, boredom and stress, appeared so common that we only had time to include a small sample in the film".

It is common to see a tiger pacing up and down, from one side to the other. It is not worth such pain on the tiger just because we or our kids can have a first hand experience at a young age.

A centre for breeding and reintroduction is completely different than a zoo meant for pleasure of tourists. These centres can be set up as and when required for a specific species. That doesn't allow us the liberty to confine our animals and birds into a zoo. During the Roman period people used to enjoy gladiators sparring with animals. Today we don't have the gladiators, but the visitors have the same saddistic pleasure in throwing nuts and pebbles and irritating animals. I don't see much of good things in them to be fixed.

The channels like National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet etc are doing a good job in educating our public than what the zoos can ever do. Apart from sentimental reasons, I don't see any logic in retaining our zoos.

[Vikram Nanjappa]

This is what we must strive to turn our zoos into.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

http://www.woburn.co.uk/safari/education/

http://www.bronxzoo.com/