The Cincinnati gorilla incident flooded everyone's timeline. Opinions of angry moms and animal activists were posted. Credited writers were siding with the gorilla or the mom. It was a huge debate, that had me thinking...
Maybe if we didn't lock up animals and take them away from their natural habitat; things like a child falling into a gorilla exhibit wouldn't happen.
You see, when I was younger I have always loved zoos. I'm from Philadelphia, home of the first zoo in America, so when our teachers announced in elementary school that our class trips were going to be there; I couldn't contain my excitement. It's a fun-filled family place. There was a lot to do, and it exposes you to wild life at a young age which I thought was great.
The older I got, my love for wildlife grew. My main obsession: Elephants. So when I found out that they were going extinct due to mistreatment in circuses, and being killed for ivory my heart sank. Why must we do this, and support these actions? Animals deserve to not be bothered by humans and should live freely in their natural habitat. Wild life is one of the many beauties of our world, that we take for granted.
Animals get depressed when they are in artificial habitats, and form a sickness caused "zoochosis". Zoochosis occurs as a result of boredom, they crave physical and mental activities that a zoo habitat can not provide for them. They are taken away from their families at a young age and are isolated from the earth's natural resources for them. Many zoos captured their animals from the wild. They do not have the proper food or isolation. Animals are meant to capture their own food, and build their own proper shelter to protect themselves from predators. Putting them in zoos is just unnatural.
There's a reason why wild animals are called, WILD ANIMALS, because they are meant to live in the WILD. To me, sticking an animal in a small habitat, without natural heat in the middle of a city where outside temperatures change dramatically doesn't seem right. They are meant to roam free in the wild and interact with other species.
Zoos' main concern is one thing; which exhibit can we build next that will make us more profit. The only way we can stop the act of taking animals from the wild, is to stop supporting zoos and aquariums. Instead of visiting zoos to see your favorite animals, visit a non-profit animal sanctuary.
