Many people tend to travel to zoos to interact and educate themselves about animals from different parts of the world that they wouldn’t have been able to meet otherwise. However, they are often kept in inhumane conditions. I believe that keeping animals in zoos is unkind, except in cases where the facility operates as a sanctuary or research center.
In many countries, zoos play a part in learning about different animal species, but they do not have the appropriate infrastructure to give wild animals the space and enrichment they need to be healthy. For example, some zoos cage large animals in tiny enclosures, as well as hiring incompetent staff who have no real experience on how to handle them. In addition, they tend to take animals that are not in need of rehoming. The majority of the time those animals were healthy and contributed to the environmental balance in their original habitat. Hence, taking them affects the animals health, it has negative effects on their environment by taking active members from it ,impacting their population.
On the other hand, zoos whose main focus is rehabilitation and housing non-releasable animals are the best option for both animal enthusiasts and the animals. For example, the Chicago Zoo is one of the facilities that focuses on helping endangered and animals who are in dire need of help. With skilled staff and spacious enclosures, they aid in increasing the population of many animals and provide the best care for the unreleasable wildlife that are unable to survive in the wild.
In conclusion, zoos whose focus is on profit rather than the animal well-being are cruel because they don’t have the appropriate resources or the skilled staff to take care of them. However, if the facilities have the proper condition in helping animals, it will have many positive outcomes particularly endangered animals and those who need shelter.