General Discussion

LuvNewcastle

(17,806 posts)

52. I've never liked zoos or circuses or anything in which wild animals are captive.

Wed Mar 26, 2014, 12:12 PM

Mar 2014

I'm not a radical animal activist or anything like that. I eat meat and dairy and farms don't bother me, although I don't think I'd like to raise animals myself. I draw a distinction between domesticated animals and wild animals. Maybe I'm being hypocritical; I don't know. But it just seems wrong to me to keep animals captive just so people can walk by and look at them. I always feel like they aren't happy in those places, whatever "happy" means for an animal. Maybe it's because I hate being stuck somewhere and not able to get away. I avoid zoos and other places with captive wild animals. I feel bad the whole time i'm there.

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I hate all zoos, circuses and animal amusement parks, such as Sea World. [View all] MoonRiver Mar 2014 OP

tragically, G_j Mar 2014 #1

I wonder if the animals would agree that life in captivity is worth living. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #2

I think the point is that in some cases that's not a choice; not trying to breed them in capitivity el_bryanto Mar 2014 #7

There's no need to wonder, given that non-human animals are incapable of expressing or even forming Jgarrick Mar 2014 #11

Do wild non-humans voluntarily run into a cage designed to remove them from their families MoonRiver Mar 2014 #13

It depends. Has the cage been baited? If it has, that bear will stroll right in. Jgarrick Mar 2014 #15

Sometimes FreeJoe Mar 2014 #63

The local schnauzer seems pretty content with his life... Hip_Flask Mar 2014 #43

Scientists disagree with you - TBF Mar 2014 #67

The better answer is to work to preserve their habitat. Sienna86 Mar 2014 #20

I absolutely agree with that G_j Mar 2014 #23

I remember the last time I went to a circus gollygee Mar 2014 #3

We are a wretched species. --nt CrispyQ Mar 2014 #4

I'm sorry you feel that way. hueymahl Mar 2014 #21

even worse, I think G_j Mar 2014 #25

It's a realistic way to live. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #40

+100 Duppers Mar 2014 #44

No, not in denial hueymahl Mar 2014 #46

To be honest, I have given up. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #51

It can be "pure evil," or close enough. Not always though. DirkGently Mar 2014 #5

"hate all" reddread Mar 2014 #6

Yup... You took it a bit to far. Agschmid Mar 2014 #8

Well, you may not be totally informed about the abuse that takes place in most of those places. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #9

habitat destruction is the one thing that matters most reddread Mar 2014 #12

+1 Agschmid Mar 2014 #39

Yes indeed--I watched "Blackfish" last week on Netflix librechik Mar 2014 #10

I recommend the recent book "Death at Seaworld." kairos12 Mar 2014 #22

There are some great humane zoos naturallyselected Mar 2014 #14

My point is whether it is right for us to enslave animals because we are curious about them MoonRiver Mar 2014 #16

I think "enslave" is a bit too anthropomorphic a term. DirkGently Mar 2014 #28

I don't know why you think the term "enslavement" applies strictly to humans. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #33

For the same reason "tax evasion" does? DirkGently Mar 2014 #42

The logic is the reality of what happens to animals at the hands of their human captors. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #45

That's physical cruelty. Not "enslavement." DirkGently Mar 2014 #49

Well, I completely disagree with you. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #50

Circuses & amusement parks are not the question. DirkGently Mar 2014 #62

Pretty soon there will be no large wild animals. leftyladyfrommo Mar 2014 #17

Sounds like the Copenhagen Zoo. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #18

No they don't. leftyladyfrommo Mar 2014 #19

What we need to do is stop the killing and destruction of the habitat. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #24

I don't much care about the humans. leftyladyfrommo Mar 2014 #29

I completely agree with you. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #30

Even if we stopped ALL fossil fuel consumption today NickB79 Mar 2014 #72

... CFLDem Mar 2014 #26

I don't. LWolf Mar 2014 #27

As a zoologist, I've got the zoo boo's, too. HereSince1628 Mar 2014 #31

it is where my kids learned to love and appreciate animals other than dogs and cats dembotoz Mar 2014 #32

Key words being "educated populace" LordGlenconner Mar 2014 #61

knr...I think most of the "research and preservation" by some zoos is PR... joeybee12 Mar 2014 #34

Exactly. Sea World said the same b.s. until CNN revealed the ugly truth. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #36

I'm with you - we took our kids into nature, not to those places. polichick Mar 2014 #35

But, but chimpanzees wearing cowboy outfits are funny! tclambert Mar 2014 #37

When is the last time you were at Seaworld? yeoman6987 Mar 2014 #38

Have you seen "Blackfish?" MoonRiver Mar 2014 #41

Haters gotta hate Android3.14 Mar 2014 #47

I'm not so glad that you seem to be ok with the torture and abuse of animals. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #48

I'm unhappy that you apply opinions on others that they have never expressed. Android3.14 Mar 2014 #54

I've never liked zoos or circuses or anything in which wild animals are captive. LuvNewcastle Mar 2014 #52

Dislike, is such a great word Android3.14 Mar 2014 #56

Do you hate someone who rapes and kills a small child? MoonRiver Mar 2014 #58

I'd incarcerate the person Android3.14 Mar 2014 #60

And, in a strange way, this parallels what is also happening to humanity, humans RKP5637 Mar 2014 #53

Agreed. As another here said, it would be best to preserve Triana Mar 2014 #55

Zoos are a relic of the era when nature was to be conquered .. Vox Moi Mar 2014 #57

That is true in many cases, but... TreasonousBastard Mar 2014 #59

In what ways are really good zoos... FreeJoe Mar 2014 #64

Not all circus companies use animals, the largest and by far most lucrative does Bluenorthwest Mar 2014 #65

Agreed. It breaks my heart to see innocent animals imprisoned. nt Zorra Mar 2014 #66

I worked at a conservation-oriented zoo, and I will firmly say that they're about more than WatermelonRat Mar 2014 #68

That sounds more like a wildlife sanctuary, which I completely support. MoonRiver Mar 2014 #69

It wasn't quite a wildlife sanctuary, though many of the exhibits could pass for one. WatermelonRat Mar 2014 #70

That is good stuff. And very much needed. DirkGently Mar 2014 #74

This message was self-deleted by its author CFLDem Mar 2014 #71

I visited the St. Louis Zoo last week DefenseLawyer Mar 2014 #73