h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm certainly in favor for having zoos. First, besides the entertainment for those many people who will never be able to afford to venture to parts of the world to see what animal lives there, the zoo is ideal. There's also very much going on behind the bars and behind the scenes. There are facilities the general public is not aware for the purposes of education in the fields of animal medicinetry, vetinary studies, ecological research and environmental studies. These facilities are utilized by students of all ages and professionals from all backgrounds.

I'm ever more certain if zoos didn't exist, the price on the animals' heads by collectors, over zealous dictators, oil barons, presidents, rich morons and inbred kings would put more animals in danger. Look what happens now to those animals privately owned. Most are orphaned off or sold to game ranches. This is a place where inbred kings, presidents, rich morons, over zealous despots and oil barons go to hunt the aging and listless lion or the rhumatic rhinosaur or the blind wilderbeast. A zoo is where animals are displayed, well maintained and cared for and have in their final days a safe and quiet place to live out their days.

Come on folks, it's way too late to save the Earth (remember Huey, Duey and Louey & Bruce Dern in Silent Running?) and totally impossible to restore it to its natural condition. By the way...are we and what we do part of the natural processes of the evolutionary stages of the Earth, time and space? We are not a separate entity, though some would have you think otherwise, dropped off by a passing starship. The rainforest when it does return to a full grown state in 10,000 years will not be consisting of the same species of plantlife and won't have the same life giving properties it has today. We did that. The many animals gone extinct. We did that. Whaling. We are still doing that. Well, the existents of zoos help educate, support the animals globally and ease our conscience somewhat.

Thanks for all the space and have a good time. DH46

I don't think its just about educating people at zoos. I think its more to do with awe and inspiration. Imagine the first time you ever saw a penguin. How much would it have amazed you? or an elephant? or a tiger?

The fact is is that the Earth has so many wierd and wonderful creatures that nobody has ever seen. What an opportunity we have to go and see such magnificant beasts. And to see a monkey swinging through ropes aroung some trees, what could possibly beat that.

How are we ever going to stop these creatures becoming extinct if we can't have the opportunity to stand there and admire them?

Oh, how I do agree with you. "The world is so full of a number of things, I am sure we should be as happy as kings." That is from R.L.Stevenson and it applies to animals.
I grew up half an hour (on foot) away from the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany and I spent hours and hours there as a kid exploring the place, watching the animals, always in awe, and since I have never been so lucky as to travel to a lot of exotic places full of exotic animals, I am still thankful for having had the Zoo.
Of course, the animals have to be respected and have to have their needs satisfied and then some, like happiness. Internet or television will never substitute the real thing. You just do not get the idea of the real majesty and strangeness of a live giraffe for example. I also think that if you grow up seeing animals, you will respect and love them for the rest of your life and would never dream of harming them.

I'm not anything close to resembling a great white hunter (though I do dress similiar to John Wayne in the film, Hatari...just to give my tour a bit of the ambiance.) nor do I lead guided safaris into the deepest darkest and dangerous parts of the jungle or African veldt. I'm a humble Master Naturalist who guides students of all ages and adults of all ages across the many different ecological systems in Florida. I've waded through portions of the Everglades and Big Cypress, guided tours in boggy grass flats and lead hikes through the hardwood hammocks from north to south Florida. On most of my tours we have caught glimpses of crocs and gators, tracks of Bobcats and panther, spotted armadilloes and raccoons, espied from afar many species of fowl, spooked many snakes (which in turn spook the hell out of us!)...but like I mentioned just glimpses as each animal startled and ran, slithered or flew from our presents. I've guided walks when all that was to be seen were bothersome mosquetos or the dreaded and unseen No-seeums. I call them, wings with teeth.

The two points I'm attempting to make are...one, when we venture into the wilderness we are treading into the animals' territory and intruding upon their daily routines, disturbing their 'space' as it were. Secondly, as I said we merely caught quick sightings or passing shadows or instant glimpses of the critters. Whereas, in a zoo we can watch and observe them, up close and for longer periods of time to get the full affinity for the creatures.

In this day and age there shouldn't be bars to keep them in but enclosures to keep us on the outside looking in. Besides...we'll always be on the outside looking in.

If you're ever in Florida look me up. I'll be outside somewhere.

Thanks for your postings and have a good time

Surely we should have zoos, but perhaps the interest in the majority of the animals is shaped by the way we are brought up.
There are a lot of animals which are easy to keep in captivity, and dont seem to mind so much, but there are others that do.
When you go into a zoo you will usually see what you expect to see but there is so much you never see in a zoo.