Captive Audience (Zoos)

Member Name: January

Product:	Zoos
Date:	24/01/03 (232 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none

Disadvantages: unhappy animals

I remember going to the zoo on a school trip when I was in the junoir's, so I must have been around 12 years old.
It was Chester zoo we went to and I remember being quite excited about my first visit to the zoo.

We went there on the coach and had to take a packed lunch, once in the zoo we were told we could look around in groups of three, then meet up at 2.30pm to go home.
Of course we all chose to be with our friends before setting off to explore and as I have always been fasinated by elephants I wanted to go to see them.
When we got to the elephant's enclosure. I can remember seeing two large elephants pacing around their enclosed area, there was a raised piece of ground that they were on which had a little moat around it then railings where we stood.
As I was standing there looking at them I could feel that it wasn't right, they didn't seem happy. I never knew why I felt this but it was no longer and exciting place to be and I felt sad for the elephants.

We saw giant Turtle's and lots of different Birds, Snakes, Sealions,Giraffe and lions as well as other animals.
Then we came to the monkeys cages, which I seem to remember was inside a building.
In one cage there were about four or five chimpanzee's and another had about four other monkey's in it. There were signs up saying don't feed the monkeys, but being kids we didn't take any notice as one of the little monkeys was holding out an arm through the bars for food, it looked so sad, like it was pleading.
I remember my friend giving it some of her sandwiches.
In the next cage was the Gorrilla, he was massive and I stood to look at him for age's, he was sitting with his face to the wall with his arms folded and head down, I knew he was sad and he was in the cage all alone, but the moment he turned his head towards me, I could have cried.
I will never forget the sad look on his face and can still picture it now.
r>I didn't enjoy seeing all the animals in the cages at the zoo and would never visit another one to give them my money which allows them to stay in business, I strongly believe wild aminals should be just that, wild and free.

I never go to the circus either as I don't agree with animals being kept for entertainment.
I think Chester zoo has closed down now and I am glad.
Leave the animals in the wild where they belong.