For many people, the zoo is a source of childhood amazement and fond memories: swinging monkeys, laughing hyenas and growling tigers. Conservationists say zoos advance their educational and preservationist efforts, but others see zoos as prisons where innocent creatures are unjustly held captive. The next time your child asks you to take them to the zoo, what will your answer be?
Zoos vary in size and quality—from drive-through parks to small roadside menageries with concrete slabs and iron bars to city-run facilities. Millions of people visit zoos annually, but most zoos operate at a loss and must find ways to cut costs or add gimmicks that will attract visitors. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2003 that “nearly half of the country’s zoos are facing cutbacks this year … [a]ttendance, meanwhile, is down about 3 percent nationwide.” Precious funds that should be used to provide more humane conditions for animals are often squandered on improvements aimed at attracting visitors—such as landscaping, carousels, refreshment stands, and gift shops.
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