Should Animals be Kept in Zoos?

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I am not familiar with the reference used regarding the National Zoo curator, however, even though such general observations can be good for raising questions, they generally are not completely useful for answering them. I would suspect the comment assigned to the curator was taken out of context here, but, even if not, consider that this article was written in 1991 -- and a lot of change has occurred in almost two decades!  

Modern zoo facilities have consistently increased their effectiveness at educating visitors. Formal evaluation of new exhibits and education programs that support those facilities are becoming commonplace in the modern zoo. In fact, many funding agencies and exhibit/program sponsors require it.     

Hopefully, by this stage of the discussion, the readers understand that the purpose of zoos is well beyond breeding and maintaining animals in captivity, although those are important. Permits to house giant pandas in the U.S. require not only state-of-the-art panda facilities, but also large and effective conservation research programs focused not only individual pandas living in the U.S. but, also their wild counterparts. I believe that the zoos participating in giant panda loans work with Chinese wildlife officials and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to apply resources where they’re most needed in China. As a result of the loans, the American people get to learn about these truly unique and endearing animals acting as ambassadors to all endangered wildlife, while pandas and numerous other rare, although perhaps not as glamorous, species that inhabit the same habitats, are protected in China.