Attractions to Avoid

Zoos

Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to separate animal families and keep them locked up in captivity, where they are deprived of the ability to carry out most of their normal behaviors and are far from their natural homes.

Most zoo enclosures are very small—the equivalent of a closet or a bathroom for animals who would naturally roam hundreds of miles. Birds' wings may be clipped so that they cannot fly away, and many animals who naturally live in large herds or family groups are kept alone or, at most, in pairs. Animals are closely confined, lack privacy, and have little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise. These conditions often result in abnormal and self-destructive behaviors called "zoochosis." Baby animals born in zoos are often taken from their mothers and sold to be displayed at other zoos or used in entertainment.

The animals on exhibit are not the only ones who suffer. Most zoos have an area that the public never gets to see, where rabbits, rats, mice, chickens, and other animals are confined and killed to provide food for the animals on display.

With the advent of television and the Internet, learning about or viewing animals in their natural habitats can be as simple as a flick of a switch or the click of a mouse. Keeping animals behind cage bars for people to gawk at is archaic and unnecessary. Click here to read more.