i think some zoos are cruel.

Agree if zoos aren’t perfect but neither is being hunted to extinction in the wild. Zoos try very hard to meet the needs of animals.

No, it's the only way will get to see the animals as like very thing we do we destroy all things, the planet, wild life, nature and ourselves

No .... not if they are properly run

It is not perfect for animals, but not cruel. There are too much cruelty on animals elsewhere around us..

If it means that a species is saved from extinction, then zoos serve a positive purpose. Progressive zoos combine educationally endorsed breeding programs and replicate the animal's environment as close as reasonably possible to their natural habitat.

they can be cruel when they are not run properly, ie run for profit. If run properly, they are a safe haven for endangered animals. It's a pity they have to be so expensive to get in to. Maybe if the government took them over, so they wouldn't have to charge exhorbetant fees for an ice cream in the restaurants, more people would be able to visit, and learn about animal conservation.

You have to be animal to know good or not

It is a zoo not a circus. They are looked after by very dedicated people plus volunteers.

Looking from the animals locked in zoos we are probably the ones that look like we are locked up.

Not s all zoo have caged animals, Most of our Australian zoo's animals are in natural environmental enclosures, at least the ones I've been too are

Don't like to see anything caged up ..........

They should be kept in a similar habitat to the one they come from .If they are bred in captivity as long as they are well looked after & given room to roam I agree with zoos. It is great to see the wonder on little faces.

no..our children need to see so wild life..maybe it'll help preserving them in the long run

When humans stop hunting them to extinction and stop destroying their habitats then we would have no need for zoos. Right now there are species that are being saved thanks to the conservation of zoos and organisations. The up side of the zoo is that it gets people interested and caring about saving them. The funds raised goes into care for the animals and conservation. I do agree that some zoos shouldn't be run currently as their enclosures are cruel but there are a lot of great zoos that give ample space and enrichment for their animals. On a final note, I would be happy with no zoos if we didn't have disgusting people in this world that just destroy for profit.

They can be but most these days are very respectable and responsible to the animals there are lots of open range zoos that basically let the animals roam free too. But it is sad when there are still many caged animals in smaller compounds that look sad.

People have to learn to improve. There would not be any conservation if nobody was aware of the existence of animals and people have to learn how to keep animals so that they are better than in the wild. Don’t be fooled, Mother Nature is a cruel cruel thing

In some countries the animals are treated badly. There are a lot of Zoos that are working together to save endangered species and really treat their animals well

Conservation has to be paid for - it is not free and lots of work is done. It really depends on how the zoo is managed so it is not a 'one size fits all' situation. Better in a zoo than trapped or maimed by poachers. Animals bed in captivity are often very well adapted and they are not preyed upon by other animals either.

I have visited zoos on four continents. Most are not very good. Some do very good things and are run by wonderful people. Unfortunately, that is not the normal.

I think most of them are worried about losing species, so many are endangered, some are down to only hundreds in the wild, I know they are doing a lot with breeding programs. I trust them to do the right thing.

There is no doubt Zoo's were at one stage cruel. These days Zoo's in Australia,USA,UK and other wealthier countries are involved in captive breeding of endangered animals,along with fighting to save what is left of natural habitat. This sort of work may well save a lot of species...

In our arrogance we humans have run around destroying their natural habitat and all with the approval of mopst of the world's politicians. Zoos have become a necessity so as to protect and ensure the various species do not become extinct. If Indonesia would step in and stop the destruction of Orang-utan habitat and the rest of the World simply placed a total, complete, utter ban on using anything containing Palm Oil then these wonderful creatures would not be in danger of extinction. If the governments of some Asian countries would make the caging of Bears and other speies a Life Sentence Criminal Offence and other countries imposed total sanctions on those countries the cruelty would end.

Yes, it's really sad to see animals in cages.

I don't agree at all! the animals in the cages are there for their protection! they need protection from the cruelty of some Humans. it is much safer for the animals.

No

They could roam around and live their lives if we just stopped destroying where they live and shooting them..what are they supposed to do?...they are like everything else on this planet, in our eyes....expendable...it makes me sick....the irony is that we are the most expendable and after we are gone everything else will just take a big sigh of relief....and get on just fine without us

I know of open range zoos where the breeding programs are extremely successful - they are wonderful places to visit.

No. It would be lovely to have animals roaming in their natural habitat but with so much corruption and poachers it's just unrealistic. I think zoos have come a long way with their breeding programs making sure animals and species are well protected, safe and healthy. Some have a greater life expectancy than they would in the wild and zoos do release some animals back into the wild. So I think they are very important in keeping the conservation balance especially in countries that don't have a large protected areas for animals. I remember visiting a zoo in the Netherlands and the orangutans were free to swing from the trees amongst people, no cages!

In some ways yes and no

No I don't at least not here in Omaha NE

Since they have taken on board the welfare of the animals they have become less cruel over the Years. Hence I now consider them to be more Welfare Orientated Towards their Animals.

No

No they are not cruel I love going to all the different Zoo in Australia

Like others have said,only cruel if kept in cages.Years ago when I was just a kid there was a zoo in my area that I was living in at the time and in todays standards it would definitely be considered as cruel because this zoo had animals such as a lion,Tiger,Panther,Cougar,Monkeys and a very huge Crocodile all living in a pokey wee space with a concrete floor,no greenery for any of the big cats and the crocodile just looked so sad,it was actually pretty awful.I could hear the Lion roar most nights and I often thought he was crying for freedom.Eventually some of these animals died but also a lot were sent to Orana Park which was built on huge grounds of greenery and plenty of room for animals to roam,no more cages.You could even drive your car through the Lion area but they don't allow this anymore,just too dangerous because some clown got out of his car.They would often sit on cars too lol.

No they are not cruel . They help breeding programs and are educational for children most zoos have large areas to roam and play.

Nope

some zoos are open plan and the animals are free to roam in large areas such as Monato Zoo in South Australia and Dubbo Zoo in NSW they are OK as they try and bread endangered animals

Only cruel if the animals are kept in small cages. Most zoo's these day have plenty of room for animals to roam about

Zoos these days are much better than in the 1950's. Some zoos I have visited it is me who is the cage while the animals are roaming free. They are conserving some animals who would have been extinct in the wild had there not been zoos to house them.

No zoos are cruel in my opinion. The animals are fed and cared for and in most cases there is no problem with how the zoo are set up for the beautiful inhabitants

Nope

Just ask us victorians hopefully open up the cages soon.

Yes

Open range zoos with lots of space would be better

no

No, I don’t

We all live in one

How you see it determines your views and thoughts on zoos

Open range zoos are best!!!!!

No, when you have regulated zoos they keep species from extinction and poaching. And as usual it is people who cause this. They cut down rain forests for timber and to expand colonisations. Pollute the waterways and air. When one species dies it causes a knock on effect for others. No tigers would mean no natural culling of animals they would eat to survive, therefore causing an increase of another species. The food pyramid would be knocked out of kilter.

yes because they confine animals that should be roaming in their natural habitat. No because most zoos worldwide have programmes saving animal species from extinction!

they do a lot of good when you think of the number of animals that would be extinct and hurt that they look after

Yes sometimes I feel it is cruel. I remember the lions enclosure and a lion pacing up and down through bordom. I felt sorry for him and they could have done more to stimulate their interest. In some cases animals have been known to live longer in captivity than in the wild. Yet it is still like a prison to them and really have no choice or rights. The Werribee zoo is much larger for them to roam than the Melbourne zoo. Some species no longer exist due to man yet again it is man who has helped better understand the animal and treat it when needed.

conservation takes money and that money comes from visitors. Take away the visitors and there would be conservation. What is the alternative?

Yes for big wild animals

no, but they need a larger space, breeding programs and less hassle from kids and the public

Yes indeed..!

Unless they can no longer live in the wild, otherwise. No

All animal should be wild. They are not our play thing or food. We have no right to them.

No, as long as they are properly cared for and treated well.Edited 14-Oct-20 00:34am

It a Utopian world it would be lovely if the animals could roam free but we need to conserve many for the future as so many are now endangered. Some zoos give the animals lovely enclosures with stimulus to keep them happy and have healthy diets and good veterinary care. Others are cruel and savage. I guess the bad ones have to be weeded out like a canker.

YES, BECAUSE OTHER ANIMALS LIKE THESE ARE RUNNING FREE.