I was just browsing some pictures online and there were lots of animal pictures, most of which (if not all) were taken at a zoo. And I got to thinking about zoos and how, almost every time I've gone to one, someone in or near my party says, "Zoos are inhumane. I hate them." As a general rule, I'm against extremism on either end of the spectrum, but those bleeding-heart PETA activists especially drive me crazy.
Don't get me wrong; I don't endorse cruelty to animals (though I do eat meat, and people may argue that the cow I ate was cruelly murdered before it was cut up and cooked for my enjoyment), and I do actually like a lot of what I've seen on PETA's website. I do, however believe in moderation. And open-mindedness.
Consider all the facts before you go on a rant about the atrocities of zoos. This snippet came from a Wikipedia article:
"Most animal rights activists disapprove of zoos because they interpret zoos as human domination over equal creatures and criticize their educational value as being superficial and useless."
Are you people [animal rights activists] kidding me? Where else would an inner city kid (or a country bumpkin like myself) get to see a giraffe? A cheetah? A rhinoceros? I've never been to Africa, but I've seen a live rhino. It was magnificent. Even the lack of 'natural environment' at a zoo is a lot more stimulating to young minds than just reading about these animals out of a book.
Granted, there are some zoos in existence that mistreat animals, but I believe those are few. The problem most zoos have is funding. So next time you go to the zoo, don't just pity the animals; drop some moolah in the donation box and think about how you just helped purchase some food or medicine for that animal.
(AP Photo/Paul Miller/FILE)
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