WOW!! Going to the zoo makes me want to do the Jim Carrie thing on Ace Ventura Pet Detective!! But the only difference is that these animals are still alive and there's no escape!!

Posted by: Carla | April 23, 2008 12:35 PM

Only convicted criminals belong in prisons. Zoos are just horrible!!! Don't visit them. Unfortunately schools continue to take young children there and give them the wrong impression that this ia a normal state for the other animals to live in. Educate others especially children about the cruelty of zoos. This is just another man-made enterprise where animals suffer and humans make money. Don't forget about the poor older animals that are sold to canned hunts from these very zoos. And then if their numbers increase and prove not to be beneficial some are shot and killed and others are sent to vivisectors. Depressing!

Posted by: Ana | April 23, 2008 12:55 PM

The animals in zoos are so sad.In my city we have a wolf enclosure that is about the size of my living room. There were two male wolves but recently the other wolf died and the other poor old wolf is left alone in stagnation. I was heartbroken that the "zoo" recently obtained two new wolf pups to replace them. I cry to know that they will find the same fate as the former wolves , an false life with no joy only boredom and arthritis, never running or hunting. The zoo also recently obtained two baby cougars and adult Siberian Tigers that pace obsessively all day. It disgusts me to hear the conversations of the people at the zoo. Parents throw object at the animals to make them move or do something "cool" for the kids. Education at most Zoos is a sham, parents teach the kids that the wolves and tigers are puppies and kittens and the staff know very little about their quarry. A grown man called an African Grey parrot a "stupid duck". Some of the animals are sold to the zoo from hunting trips that have made them orphans. Most of the enclosures are pitifully small. I wish the animals could at least go to sanctuaries that really care about meeting their specific needs. There is no point in a "conservation breeding program" if none of the animals are put back into the wild. The zoo here even locks up squirells, badgers and other healthy local animals to draw in the crowds. One squirrell violently beats his head against the cage walls and people get a real kick out of it. I feel especially sorry for the raptors with clipped wings that will never fly.

Posted by: Annalena | April 23, 2008 12:55 PM

That hurts

Posted by: Cali | April 23, 2008 01:29 PM

This is all from the Denver Zoo, allegedly one of the "Nicest" and most "modern" zoos around. It is also the 2nd largest and most visited in the country.
As a former employee (regrettably) I can tell you that this video barely scratches the surface of that abysmal place.

Posted by: Kat | April 23, 2008 02:38 PM

most people think 'it's a nice day out.. let's go to the zoo'.. but for the inhabitants of that place.. it's a daily predictable boring and v. monotonous existence.. not to mention having to put up wiht relentless battery of curious eyes and pointing fingers..
are we any nearer phasing out (and for good) these cruel gawping shows of wild animals? (and the same goes for circuses too ..becuase if not..
then it's about darned (or as Jack woudl say) '.. 'Frickin' time!!!!!
if it means less suffering on part of animals imprisoned in zoos/circuses. then I for one.. would happily forgoe this sort of 'entertainment' and have them ALL banned once and for all.. forever.. in any case it's far more educational watching a wild animal in it's natural habitat getting up to all it's tricks than watching one morose unhappy, bored and miserable wild animal pacing up and down up and down in its cramped enclosure.. what do you learn from gawping at a miserable animal?. exactly - nothing!..
best to watch Discovery Channel or National Geography instead.. zoos are antiquated.. a thing of the past.. the sooner they were all phased out for good..the better!..

Posted by: lizc | April 23, 2008 02:46 PM

I just sat and cried as I watched that. Incredibly depressing...
I have lived in CO my whole life and I believe that is the Denver Zoo... I have there SOOOOO many times when I was younger, and now I will never be able to look at it the same. All those happy memories as a kid seem like a sham.

Posted by: Jenny | April 23, 2008 02:54 PM

Wow.
This really opened my eyes, Is this the same with open range zoos?

Posted by: Isobelle | April 23, 2008 05:36 PM

This is horrible and unbearable to watch.. I don't understand how people can feel right about keeping these lively animals captive.. leaving them depressed and with no will to live freely.

Posted by: Bailey | April 23, 2008 10:07 PM

I hate zoos, I would'nt ever take my children to one, even though they begged, I sat them down and made them understand why we should'nt go, because it was'nt fair to the animals to be locked up like that, now that they are grown they said they would never take thier children either.

Posted by: Deanna | April 24, 2008 02:07 AM

HORRIFIC!!!

Posted by: Judith, Freedom Fighter for Animals | April 24, 2008 01:04 PM

Jack you make such a good point, that most people never DO feel that it's wrong because they never have time to think about it.

Plus it's made worse by the fact that the public are surrounded by zoo ads that not only make it seem like a life of luxury, the zoos ALSO credit themselves for SAVING ENDANGERED SPECIES!! It's such a load of crap.

I can tell you from having worked at a zoo, the only good zoos are more like sancutaries, where the animals there are not bred but are rescues from wildlife rehabbers.

The animals there had permanently broken wings or other problems that made them unreleaseable.

Even then, keeping zoo animals clean and happy is a never ending battle. I wish all but just a few rescue zoos could be shut down.

but DON'T BE DEPRESSED - we got the word out about neutering and fur, we can get the word out about this too, just keep on speaking out!

Posted by: Maya, CVT | April 24, 2008 03:36 PM

I can't blame people for going to zoos. It's amazing to see the incredible animals. However, I know that's a selfish thing to do. I feel horrible for these animals. When I drive home from school, there is a "petting zoo" in Urichsville, Ohio (I can't find information on it, but it's right off route 250) that has a cougar in a tiny enclosure. Dogs are in small cages. "Puppys" are sold, and probably are milled, or at least not socialized in their cages where it's bigger than a puppy mill. The only zoo inhabitant I can legitimately see in zoos are those that were wounded and stand very little chance of survival if put into the wild. I do not agree with taking perfectly healthy and happy animals and sticking them in zoos. It makes me sad to think of it.

Posted by: mandy | April 24, 2008 04:44 PM

Just for a momentary satisfaction of our curiosity, we deprive them of their lives.

Posted by: Mike Quinoa | April 25, 2008 10:56 AM

I agree. Zoos can be educational and benefit to the society.
However, caging perfectly healthy animals for tourist to gape at, animals made for the wild, is no better than caging convicted criminals.
Support wild animal conservations, where injured animals can still roam in a large, natural habitat! Do NOT support zoos

Posted by: GreenGirl | April 26, 2008 03:07 AM

I support much of what PETA does, but I disagree with the organization's position on zoos. I think the position is under-informed and neglects essential conservation efforts and successes achieved by zoos.

Many people do not know what zoos do to promote biodiversity. The most endangered animals in the world are often located in zoos, and zoos worldwide coordinate the mating of these animals to maintain and increase the biodiversity of these species. PETA seems to be opposed to breeding in zoos, but this is absolutely essential to the survival of many endangered species.

Furthermore, many of the animals housed in zoos were rescued from much worse situations, such as the international trade of exotic animals. Many of these animals, as well as the animals that are born and raised in zoos could not survive in the wild because of past trauma, habitat destruction or because they did not grow up with a "normal" life in the wild. Sometimes certain animals can be "taught" how to survive in the wild and are released, but most often a "wild" life is just impossible for animals in zoos. This isn't necessarily the zoo's fault; for many of the animals in the zoo, the zoo is offering them a much better life than what they had before.

PETA belittles the educational value of zoos, which is unfair. I had great experiences in zoos as a child, and this directly led to the development of my environmentalist ethos. PETA emphasizes compassion towards animals, and zoos offers an opportunity for people to develop this with animals. For many people, zoos are as close to nature as they get.

Yes, animals are mistreated in some zoos, and historically have been under-stimulated and confined in very small enclosures. But there are many zoos out there that do a fabulous job of taking care of their animals, and these zoos deserve our support. Furthermore, these zoos have started a trend to improve the lives of animals in all zoos. PETA says that we should support habitat conservation efforts as an alternative to supporting zoos. And we should support habitat conservation! But zoos deserve our support as well because biodiversity conservation needs and the needs to educate the pubic are enormous and immediate. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a good resource for learning about the positive things zoos do, as well as finding some of the best zoos in the country. So I say, support zoos that are treating their animals well, have a focus on education, and promote conservation through breeding programs the increase biodiversity in endangered animals.

Rather than boycotting zoos altogether, I think PETA should target specific zoos that abuse or neglect animals, and encourage zoos to do all they can to promote conservation.

Posted by: Amy | April 28, 2008 02:29 AM

Amy,

Hi! Nice to meet a fellow wildlife lover!

I totally agree with you that some zoos take in non releaseable wildlife, and I think that's the way all zoos should be - it's wonderful.

However, as I earn my master's degree in biology, I am learning that reintroduction and breeding in captivity does more harm than good. Let me explain why.

1. The animals bred in captivity are not born with the immune systems they need to survive in the wild. They get sick and spread diseases to entire populations.

This happened in Yellowstone - 47 wolf pups died from parvovirus after adults were released there.

2. The reintroduced animals are serious competition for the native wildlife, and it disrupts the ecosystem. For example, reintroduced wolves attack prey that have not seen pack predators for generations. These prey have no idea how to evade a pack animal and it puts endangered species at risk.

3. The biggest problem is that they are spending millions of dollars to release animals in fragmented habitats. They claim that lynx have no territories left and are going extinct.

So what do they do? Do they save the habitat that's left?

No, they release hundreds of lynx into an area that has been proven to be inadequate for the lynx that were there in the first place.

Not surprisingly, the released lynx were shot by angry farmers, hit by cars, starved etc because they didn't solve the original problems of habitat loss.

I think this is an important issue and I'm glad we're discussing it. Your input is welcome.

;)

Posted by: Maya, CVT | April 28, 2008 10:34 AM

Que pasa que hay tantas ORGANIZACIONES protectoras de animales donde estan las leyes que amparan a los animales?Como es que AUN no se pueden prohibir todos los negocios y sobre todo los ZOOLOGICOS.Acaso las ORG, hacen la vista gorda y todo es una mentira?
Si se lucha tanto como es que siguen los ZOO,los CIRCOS?
Atte. desde ARGENTINA Y BRASIL.

Posted by: Patricia Visciglio de DIAZ | April 29, 2008 09:29 PM