I love animals.

Ask any one of my friends.

I always have and always will.

So it's no surprise that as a kid growing up, one of my favorite activities was visiting zoos.

Where else would you be able to see awe-inspiring animals such as lions and tigers as well we sloths and kangaroos all in one place? From the comfort of a few square miles I could experience animals that I had only read about or seen through the camera of Animal Planet.

I never really thought twice about if this was the best environment for the animals to be in. I never questioned why they rarely could be seen moving around their deceivingly tiny enclosures. Enclosures that were filled with artificial decorations that were there to make it seem more like their natural home.

I was so blinded by my love for them and the luxury of being so close to them that I couldn't see how bad zoos really are. It wasn't until my best friend was in Argentina and got to pet a tiger that I began to question the world of zoos. How is it possible to safely get that close to such a big cat, a predator that even humans should fear? What I found out was that the animals are apparently heavily drugged all so that you can take the perfect selfie.

Now don't get me wrong, this isn't all zoos. Certain zoos take in animals that, for one reason or another, would no longer survive in the wild. Those zoos are giving the animals a chance to live out their days. But others have captured and removed them from their homes for profit. To entertain people like me. People so entranced by the exotic nature of these animals that were are willing to pay quite a bit of money to walk around and see them.

Sadly, what we are seeing isn't anything close to what it would be like seeing them in real life.

You won't see a pride of lions make a kill -a kill that was made out of necessity, not sport- or an injured wildebeest be saved by his heard from said lions.

Often times you'll see animals pacing their enclosures. This is a result of lack of normal stimuli. Namely, they are bored. Think about when you're bored. You're free, you can change that. Imagine being stuck in a cage with nowhere to go. You'd go mad.

Here's a whole list of abnormal behaviors seen by animals in zoos as a result of inadequate housing.

You're probably thinking "Okay where are you going with this, should I stop supporting zoos? Even though I really enjoy them?" Bottom line: yes. Zoos are incredible, until you look under the surface. If you want to enjoy animals, go to an animal sanctuary or just out for a hike in nature. See them in a more natural setting and help stop the cruelty that is happening in zoos. For more options, go to the link here.

For seeing into the world of an animal sanctuary, follow blackjaguarwhitetiger on Instagram.