LIFE

I Used To Love Zoos. Now I’m Not So Sure.

Do you think there is a dark side to zoos?

So beautiful. But how is life in a cage? Photo by Jamshed Ahmad

When I was a child, I loved going to the zoo. I was an animal lover for as long as I remember and I got to see exotic animals that I would probably never see anywhere else. I would spend hours at the zoo, admiring the beautiful animals in awe.

I’d watch them playing, eating, and sleeping. They looked so relaxed! Then I got older. My childhood innocence of appreciating a simple visit to the zoo started to wan and became much more complicated. I started wondering if zoos were good for the animals.

If you’ve heard the fiasco about MarineLand and the Bowmanville Zoo, would you start to wonder too? Allegations of animal abuse and neglect surfaced and I began to think about my previous love for zoos.

Were the poor animals living a life of misery and torture? It hurt my heart to think about that. And if I go to the zoo, am I funding their unhappiness?

Aside from being taken care of properly, I also worried about their freedom. Look at the whales and marine life! They could have a whole ocean as their home. No aquarium at the zoo can match the size of the ocean. Instead of frolicking and swimming freely in their natural home, they are now swimming in a tiny enclosure.