Should we ban the keeping of animals in zoos and in private homes?

I think zoos provide a wonderful service. They educate people about wildlife and protecting it.

They help scientists study wild animals.

As for keeping animals in homes, I cannot imagine not being able to keep pets. I am all for banning exotic animals as pets.

Yes. It would be much better to allow these species become extinct.

Can we start with factory farming before we worry about zoos or pets?
I love the zoo, I always have. I definitely see how it isn’t what is best for the animals though… so I would be open to that in the future. I would be sad, I have to admit.

Domesticated cats and dogs have relied on human beings to survive for so long that I’m not sure they could make it in the wild for very long without us. The “wild” for most of them involves digging in our garbage and relying on us for survival, even if we don’t keep them as pets. That is why we try so hard to control stray populations now.

I totally agree with @marinelife about zoos being a wonderful service (for people and animals) but would add the caveat—if it’s a well-run zoo. I’ve visited some that didn’t seem to be.

I agree with everything @marinelife said. I am all for zoos that act as conservation whilst educating the public providing the animals are kept in humane and fair conditions. I don’t agree with the keeping of some wild animals (monkeys, big cats etc) as pets but please don’t try and take my dogs from me.

I agree with @marinelife on zoos. Although I am often depressed seeing the animals behind bars when I visit, it’s a little strange to think that the animals are in an uncomfortable environment. Especially considering the number of animals that have been rescued from injuries. They have a better life at a facility like a zoo, where professionals can treat and rehabilitate them, than they would if left in the wild.

Although some owners of pets aggravate me, I don’t think think the ownership of pets should be disallowed by any means. Especially to those with hearts kind enough to adopt from their local shelter (and to those with even more patience to foster animals from abusive homes, or take in a creature that is disabled. It takes so much commitment to extend that affection to an animal that would otherwise be put down.)

Exotic pets, such as certain reptiles and mammals, should be regulated far more than they are. Kids these days see chinchilla and want to purchase one because they’re cute, but don’t take the time to research how to care for the animal. People in my area have also been known to catch wild parrots and keep them in bird cages in their home. This is dangerous and I worry about the quality of life those animals receive.

I agree with @muppetish. And also, unless zoo animals are rescues (including trying to save endangered species), i don’t think it’s fair to them at all to keep them in a zoo. Although i do like going to the zoo, i hate seeing them caged – i actually haven’t visited a zoo since i started seriously thinking about it in this way, and honestly i’d feel bad now to visit a zoo – too look at unnaturally caged animals for my entertainment. I actually have no idea what zoo policies and practices are, and what animals they keep there (ie only rescues, or do they actually go out and collect wild animals to put in there). I can only imagine that the animals must be SO bored being placed in such a small enclosure, considering that in nature they have hundreds of kilometres of space to roam.

As for pets, what’s the need to ban those? Dogs and cats particularly have come a long way together, and we are successfully living together now. Most of the wildness of these animals has disappeared through time, s i don’t think that’s an issue for them. Exotic pets should be banned completely though – wild animals should stay in the wild, period.

@Lightlyseared I am sorry, I don’t quite understand what you are saying. Is it yes we should ban the animals from zoos? And are you saying let these animals become extinct?

I think zoos are great. A lot of the animals in zoos now were born in the zoo. They wouldn’t know how to survive if they were suddenly set free. I know several zoos in our area that have a rescue program where they rescue the animal, rehabilitate them, and then set them back into the wild. If we shut down the zoos, those programs would go away as well. I love taking my son to the zoo and listening to all the questions he’ll ask about the animals. It gives him a chance to see the animals in real life instead of just in books.

As far as pets, sometimes I think people should need to have a license to have a pet, but that’s another story. I think the regulations and restrictions that are in place now are good and should continue to be in place.

@Seaofclouds i agree about the license to have pets thing – at least they (whoever they are) should be stricter about who is allowed to buy them and somehow have more control over the welfare of pets.

I also think zoos are a good way to expose children to the importance of protecting endangered species. I have no memory of this whatsoever, but my mother told me a story about when my parents took me to the zoo when I was little. Apparently, more than anything in the whole world, I wanted to see an elephant. We went to the elephant area and I couldn’t stop crying. Sobbing, even. I’ve been reading about animals my whole life and never knew that it was this incident that instigated it: she said I wanted to save the Elephants. Not from their location in the zoo, just period. I had never seen anything so beautiful before.

I’m also jumping on the pro zoo band wagon. They provide an excellent outlet for children, especially if it’s a well maintained zoo that treats the animals well and with respect. I also agree that some animals should not be allowed to be kept as pets, such as tigers. There have been two occurences near my hometown where some family mistreated their pet tiger (I wonder how the hell you get your hands on one) and the tiger ended up having to be put down. In one instance, it was because an infant child ended up in the garage where the family kept their tiger. The tiger’s maternal instincts apparently kicked in and it had to be put down because it wouldn’t let anyone approach the child. It’s a damn shame that something like this could occur.

I’m torn about zoo animals and their breeding programs. I understand the benefit for study and education but how to weigh the cruelty of confinement when there are great virtual resources and documentary. How do justify a classroom of kids go see a live Toucan when it might have taken several captured Toucans to get one surviving to adulthood so kids can ew and ah?

As far as domestic pets go, I don’t support the idea of exotic pet sales or breeding mills. There are so many unwanted, abandoned, neglected and ferral “domestic” animals, it’s just sad. I love my dog, he was a rescue as are my bf’s dogs and neither of us would feel comfortable buying a pet from a store.

@Neizvestnaya You’ve raised some interesting points here. I’ve always had an issue with zoos that specifically search out and capture animals to be held at their facilities.

Breeding mills are vile and I even have a tiff with most pet shops (which are some of the most depressing places I have been in – I’m always suspicious that smaller pet shops are purchasing their animals from breeding mills.) I think if someone wants a pet, they need to either visit their local shelter or contact a professional breeder.

I’d ban Sea World first, or at least the shows. They’re kept in tanks, those poor dolphins and orca, when they actually need miles of space, and go a little bonkers where they’re kept at these places.

Many zoos are a business, nothing more – I don’t mind zoos per say if they’re more like ecological/nature/wildlife reserves – the only space allowed for species in danger of disappearing because of human ways and only then can some people come around and look at these animals…as far as certain domesticated animals, we can’t not take care of them since they are now around.

I love the zoo. We have a zoo here that takes in injured animals who would of not survived in the wild. I love learning. They are well taken care of in most zoos. Their life expectancy is longer. I think of the education we learn from them is a tremendously valueable.

@Frenchfry Such as?

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Such as what?

@Frenchfry You said “education we learn from them ” – such as?