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Are Zoos Cruel?
By Life-Musings.com | December 21, 2008
Are zoos cruel?
When I visit the zoo and see animals holed up in enclosures, cages or tanks, with little room to maneuver and no need to fight for survival or find their own food, one thing goes through my mind – the lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, otters, etc, do not have the chance to fulfill their destiny.
Which is, to be and live like lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, otters, etc, respectively, in every sense of the word. Just like their counterparts in the wild.
I look at these animals, and I wonder, if they are put back into the wild right, can they survive?
I look at the polar bear, trapped in his enclosure, quite literally, walking round and round and round many times, and then dipping in the pool every so often. He looked aimless, and almost lifeless. What a meaningless existence, I thought.
I looked at the leopards and tigers, lying around all day, and I think, can these fellows actually still leap? Is there any strength left in those legs? After all, all they do is walk around – walking, lying, sleeping, waiting for their feed. When humans lead a sedentary life, our muscles shrink and we lose our strength and stamina. I’m sure these animals, hunters and carnivores they may be, are not much different.
Well, there is one argument in favor of captivity – that these animals are able to live in relative peace, quiet and safety, with no need to “worry” (do animals worry? I got a feeling it’s a human specialty) about where their next meal is coming from, or whose next meal they are going to become.
To a certain extent, maybe even a large one, that is true. But is that the point?
Would you want to live an existence like that?
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Topics: All Life Musings, Man and Animals, Questions about Life |