Some are cruel but some are amazing. (Zoos)

Name: katygriff

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Product:	Zoos
Date:	19/07/05 (2504 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See animals you would never see in the wild.

Disadvantages: Cruel.

I know zoos are cruel and I know that it is horrible to go there and see many animals couped up in tiny cages while people are knocking on the glass in an attempt to get the animals to do something interesting. However although there are some bad zoos, there are some really nice ones and i am going to concentrate on the nice facts about zoos.

First what is a zoo?
Well a zoo is classed as a place where animals are showcased to the public.

How long ago were zoos created?
Well zoos used to only belong to kings way back in the 18th century. Called menageries, they were allocated for public use in 1752. The name was changed to zoological gardens and then shortened to zoo in the early 1800’s.

Why do we love going to the zoo?
There are several reasons why I love going to the zoo. Firstly they provide a great insight into what animals look like and how they behave and in some zoos how they live. It is safe to say that living here in the UK I would probably not see a tarantula, crocodile or even a snake just by chance. Zoos allow you to see these animals and get up close to them.

Also zoos provide a great big scientific study. The more we understand these animals, the more we learn and many zoos now offer breeding programmes so that we can establish a new population of otherwise extinct animals.

Why do we hate zoos?
Many zoos simply are cruel. They enclose the animals in very small spaces and some zoos even chain the animals down. We can’t help thinking that the animals would be better off in their natural environment than stuck in an artificial place as a sideshow.

However there are some nice zoos that treat the animals well.

The best zoo in the world in my opinion?
I happen to have a joint favourite. The first is the safari park which is located in the West Midlands where I live in England. You get in your car and drive round all the various animal enclosures and the animals are genuinely happy. There are huge grounds and you used to be able to feed the animals from your car but I am not sure if they let you do that now. When you have driven round all of the larger animals such as giraffes, lions and animals you can go to the smaller zoo and see all the favourites such as spiders, seals etc… My favourite memories of the safari park are;
1. When we were little, my parents took me and my little brother and he was ecstatic to see the animals and even more so when he found out they would come and feed from his hand. A camel decided to come and get some food but as he put his head through the car window he was sick. Not pleasant at the time but now we laugh about it whenever we mention the safari park.
2. Again this was when I was little but they used to have monkeys roaming free and they climbed all over your car. I loved it when my dad decided to squirt them with the window washer. They retaliated by pulling my dads windscreen wiper off the car and running off with it. Being y family we found this hilarious and carried on driving.

My second favourite zoo is called Apenheul located in Apeldoorm in Holland. A truly wonderful primate park, you can see various types of monkey, apes and gorillas. This is no ordinary park however because the monkeys are all free. I love the fact that as you walk into the park you have to put all your belongings into monkey-proof bags that you are provided with as pictures show you that the cheeky monkeys can put their hands in your pocket to get stuff. We had a fantastic day and the highlight was when I was sitting on a bench and a small golden lion tamarin monkey came and sat on my knee. Not all of the monkeys are free roaming but you can get very close to them all. There is also a small petting zoo so you can see some goats and birds. If you ever go to Holland I would go to this place. How do the monkeys stay there? They just love it, honestly you walk around and they are free, having fun with the other monkeys and the people and they have everything they need.

Finally zoos provide a fantastic day out for all of the family. I love seeing the animals along with my parents, their parents and also my young nephews and nieces. I know that some zoos are cruel and I do wish that all of the animals were in their natural environment but I also feel privileged that I have had the chance to see some of these animals in the flesh.

Thanks for reading.
xxx

Summary: I like zoos as long as they treat the animals correctly.