Some people many think this is cute, and or quirky, but the animal is actually suffering and in pain, and has no way to channel his frustrations. Keeping animals in zoos harms them, by denying then freedom of movement and association, which is important to social animals, and frustrates many of their behavioral patterns, leaving them at the very least bored, and at worst, seriously neurotic. The opposition may say that the only way for the public to get up close and see a wild animal is to visit a zoo. And the only way to learn about animals is to visit a zoo. In order to gain a true and complete knowledge of wild animals, one must observe them in their natural habitats, the conditions under which animals are kept in zoos typically distorts their behavior significantly. There are several alternatives to zoos for educational purposes. Documentaries on public television networks and cable stations such as Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel provide accurate information on animals and their natural habitats. .
Zoos claim to educate people and preserve a species, but fall short on both ends. The signs displayed on each animal enclosure tell you merely the basics of the animal, i.e. what it eats, where it can be found, etc. in addition to "educating" people about the species, zoos claim to "preserve and protect" animals. In actuality, animals bred in captivity cannot and do not know how to survive in the wild. They are used to being taken care of by humans, and therefore have not developed the natural hunting instinct. If these animals were released into the wild, they would surely die because of naivete and ignorance. Naivete of the animals, and ignorance of humans. Statistics from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) show that 90% of animals released into the wild are dead within the first two-years of being released. .
Zoos aren't the only culprits of wild animals kept in captivity, many people, just like you and I, have private collections of animals in their homes, these are commonly referred to as, "backyard zoos.
