It had been several years since I visited the zoo. In truth, I have mixed feelings about them. Part of me finds the ideas of zoos rather cruel. I tend to feel somehow embarrassed standing outside of an enclosure with a herd of other humans gazing in at captive creatures. Still, zoos are undeniably interesting to me. I love being able to see animals that I would never otherwise see face to face. I know that sometimes zoos lead to the repopulation of species that are struggling in the wild. Zoos are a grey area.
On Sunday, Kick Back Dude took his family and I took Girlie Girl and Handsome Lad, and we all trooped off to the Los Angeles Zoo. It is fairly close by and relatively inexpensive for an outing...just remember to bring your own snacks as we did!
Miss Personality, at 2, was the perfect age for the zoo. She loved it. Afterward she kept bringing up "monkey butts". Apparently the chimpanzee bottoms made quite an impression on her. Handsome Lad loves animals and really enjoyed himself. Well, all of us did, apart from my vague feelings of shame.
What do you think of zoos?
6 comments:
I agree with you about them being a gray area. I don't like the fact of animals growing up in captivity, but everytime I've gone to the zoo (and it's been awhile), I've enjoyed myself. I was always intrigued by the insect and reptile section. The last time I went to the zoo, I was having some fun with other kids, because we were trying to find the frogs in the aquariums. They were hard to find because they blended in and they were tiny. It was like a game of "Where's Waldo".
The Cleveland Zoo is free on Mondays for the public and could be free for me at all times. (client) I like the monkeys, I could spend hours watching them, they are like people except smarter. hehehe
I like the monkeys too.. We use to have passes for the family to go to the Toronto Zoo and it's a pretty big place and clearly you can't see all of it in one day. But it was always a good time and a good family bonding.. As for "The Grey Area" I agree.. These animals aren't being returned to the wild and sometimes don't survive captivity which is sad.. They (ZOO Folks) seem to think they are doing a good thing, Unless the animals are sent back to their native country they are doomed in an enclosure for the remainder of their life for people like us to gawk at them.. But it is also a learning experience for everyone..
Many zoos house animals that are unable to survive in the wild for one of many reasons. Some may be born with physical imperfections that give them a disadvantage in the wild. I'm not making excuses for all zoos, just those that act ethically and are truly there for the preservation of wildlife.
I love zoos and aquariums. Well, depends on which kind but I am big supporter of the Vancouver Aquarium.
They do loads of research, help animals, dont capture animals from the wild and so on. So I love them.
I love zoos too - I have been to the Zoo in St Louis - and it was awesome! I loved it.
Like everything else in the world - I guess you have to weigh in the good and the bad. Generally, I love them.
Tara: Aw, that is a nice zoo memory. I do think it is exciting for kids to be around animals like that.
Evil-E: Free Zoo for you...thats pretty sweet. There is a really large number of chimps at the LA Zoo and they are fascinating!
BabyBull: Exactly my feelings. Wow, your zoo sounds nice though...the LA Zoo can easily be run round in four hours if you keep moving.
AlienCG: I hear what you are saying. I think zoos and other facilities like aquariums definitely serve a purpose as long as they are well run and humane.
Viki: You are exactly right. There is almost always a bad side to even the really good things, but I agree with you that zoos are a good experience. I think especially nowadays when everything is pretty closely regulated.
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