Saturday, April 11, 2009

It's all happening at the zoo?

 After two visits to Lincoln Park Zoo I believe that the conservation and animal behavioral research may have beneficial outcomes. It is the wild animals such as bears, tigers, lions, gorillas  and the animals of the African savannah that are housed there I find very disturbing. These animals are not in their natural biome, they do not have adequate running space, or living space. They are living in an artificial environment, for the pleasure of people. And while there may be research or conservation, I think it would better to observe these animals more naturally, in their own habitat.  How can you observe an animal like a zebra, in a confined space with no grass or trees? These animals clearly were pacing, and reacting to human interaction. How can observation be unbiased?  I think that the Field museum is just as educational for children to see wild animals and maybe more educational than to see these animals dying from boredom. MPM

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