A lioness at the Wildlands Zoo was killed in a fight by the ‘new’ lion Jafar. Previously, the male lion had been badly beaten by the lioness.
That’s nature, you might say. But in nature, animals have miles of territory where they don’t have to meet if they are hostile to each other. Or they fight out who is the strongest and the loser leaves for another habitat.
In the zoo, the animals have no place to go and they are dependent on the keepers who decide whether, when and where animals are allowed together on the same property.
Compensation for lack of space
On the other hand, there is no question that animal welfare is paramount in modern zoos. The sites are designed as naturally as possible to compensate for the lack of space.
There are places where animals can retreat if they don’t feel like being around peers or monkey-watching people. Ways are being devised to offer the food as natural as possible instead of standard chunks.
And zoos are still one of the best educational outings. Anyone who has no money for or has other objections to a safari in South Africa can admire exotic animals in the flesh close to houses.
What do you think? Is exhibiting exotic animals obsolete? Or should modern zoos continue to exist? State your opinion in the statement.