Do zoos care for their animals?
Some people say that animals in zoos are looked after and are happy and contented. But wild animals are not domesticated like pets, they need their freedom and don’t enjoy captivity. No matter how well their keepers care for them, many suffer because they are simply not suited to living in a zoo. Some zoos are better than others. There are those that put more effort into housing the animals properly. The best are reserves or sanctuaries which specialise in one species and are dedicated to breeding and reintroducing them back into the wild. The Woolly Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall and the Otter Trust in Suffolk are good examples. The Zoo Licensing Act, which came into force in 1984, is supposed to set standards of care for zoo animals. Many zoos, however, still keep animals in appalling conditions. The sad sight of elephants confined in small bare concrete pens, primates in empty, barren cages, birds in small grubby cages and bears enclosed in ancient pits can still be found in some of t
