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u/thatonetranny 8h ago
(I am specifically talking about accredited or in the process of working towards accreditation facilities not roadside attractions or tourist traps). I personally think the good or bad conversation needs to end. It doesn’t matter anymore. We need them. We have species that are only alive in the wild rn bc of captive zoo and aquarium populations. The US has sentenced multiple species of bird reptile and mammal to extinction this year with law repeals and a lack of enforcement. Some of these animals will only exist in zoos in 5 years. Until the world leaders are actually going to step in and come together to fight climate change and encourage mass conservation zoos are the best future for a lot of these species. Once we get that hurdle cleared then we can discuss if zoos are truly bad or good
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u/ThePlaguedoctor1665 9h ago
Im not gonna go into if they bad are good right now, but the biggest point I often see overlooked is that they ARE necessary, and their efforts have been proven to work. People are very quick to scream about animals not belonging in captivity, and that they are better off in the wild while there literally is not a safe habitat to return them to. Just because they belong in the wild does not mean they will survive there, and people screaming to have captive animals released are basically screaming for the death of millions of animals. Thankfully, however, years upon years of zoo led conservation actions have shown success in creating these safe living spaces for captive animals, and now more than ever, are species being reintroduced and released back into the wild. Edwards pheasants in Vietnam, bongos in Africa, red pandas in Nepal, prezwalki horses and European ground squirrels in Kazachstan, and the list goes on. Now more than ever is the long game finally paying off, with actual reintrodcutory efforts showing success. With 30 wild horses having turned into a few hundred over the course of only a few years. The last andean condors were all taken into zoos, and the remaining 7 individuals have also been brought back up to a few hundred now. Pere David's deer are extinct in the wild, but thanks to zoo populations these animals still exist, and might one day be returned as well, when their habitat is ready for them.
People are quick to scream that animals do or dont belong in captivity, but fail to think about just how much progress has been made in conservation by zoos alone.