Reader Comments

Christopher Corbett’s darkly funny column hits one of the more narcississtic and outdated habits of human’s squarely atop the head: jailing up the wild. During this time of what E.O. Wilson, among other prominent scientists, calls the sixth great extinction, zoos serve little to no purpose.

While conservation is always listed as a pressing rationale for zoos, estimates put the budget for conservation efforts in zoos accredited by the American Zoological Association at less than 3%, while billions of dollars are spent on high tech exhibits and marketing efforts. In addition, reintroduction programs worldwide have failed miserably with only 16 of 145 succeeding in the last century and only a few of these carried out by zoos.

A number of countries around the world are beginning to put into practice what many people, Christopher Corbett among them, have begun to say out loud. Animals deserve better. India has outlawed the keeping of elephants in zoos or circuses. The Spanish parliament’s environmental committee has approved resolutions conferring rights on apes and two seats in the Netherlands parliament are held by The Party for the Animals whose main goal is to change in the way animals are treated.

Mr. Corbett is not alone in his musings and conclusion, but one of many people in the world today who have taken a long look at our relationship with animals and decided the time has come to speak out.

Very interesting comment on what I thought was a very good column.  I basically agree with Mr. Corbett, but I do take my kids to the zoo, because they enjoy it.  I just feel guilty that it is at the expense of these animals.  There’s no getting around the fact that the word “captivity” has a negative connotation.  As Ms. Pilert says, zoos are fro adults and children.  Clearly they aren’t for animals, in the sense that animals benefit directly from being in captivity.  I don’t think it’s anthropomorphizing to wonder whether an animal in a zoo wants to be there.  Even if it is anthropomorphizing, is it wrong to ask ourselves that?  I think that eventually zoos will disappear.  I sort of hope they do, for the sake of the animals.  There are many other ways to learn about and appreciate animals.  I’m really not sure that zoos to much more than entertain.  (All due respect to the docent.)

The modern zoo has 3 main functions.  Entertainment, education, and conservation.  I am sorry that Christopher Corbett finds the animals at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore sad.  It is my experience that most people anthropomorphize animals.  Dolphins, for instance, are not always happy, they just happen to have faces that look smiley to humans.

I have been a docent at the zoo for 6 years.  My primary role is to engage guests and enhance their experience while at the zoo.  I help the guests understand animal behavior that they see, and educate them about animals in the wild.  There is nothing that substitutes for seeing a live animal.  There are many great TV shows about animals, and I find that many of the zoo guests are well educated about our animals.  Seeing the animkals and learning about their problems in the wild can help inspire people to want to conserve our beautiful earth.  Zoos are for adults, not just children.  I feel fortunate to be able to spend a couple of days a week in Africa at the zoo.

Add Comment