Traditional zoos make animals crazy. We can make animal habitats that are much more natural where animals can live good life when their habitats are destroyed.

What we need is more protection for wildlife. Go see animals in their natural habitat.

Zoos help protect animals from being eaten and anyone who thinks they’re prisons is an idiotic PETA worshipper.

I have mixed feelings about zoos. I definitely don't believe we should be keeping animals in zoos for our entertainment. I do like their efforts of rehabilitating the injured animals, and building back up endangered species.

Having said that a sanctuary for them whilst numbers in wild are building and the issues behind their endagerment resolved would be beneficial. They should not be there for people to look at like a zoo. More a wildlife area, not cages, and they should live as normal a life as possible whilst numbers are building and reintroductions take place. Once numbers are up to acceptable levels there would be no more need for that sanctuary but it should be kept as a wildlife only area.

Wild animals belong in the wild and should only be kept if they have been injured to the point that they can no longer survive in the wild. And even with severe injury should only be kept if they seem reasonably happy with their new role as a wildlife ambassador. But instead of keeping endangered species in a zoo, why don't we fix the reason they are becoming endangered in the first place?

Sanctuaries are havens. Zoos are prisons.

Zoos are about making money. No animal should be dragged out of the wild or bred just for selfish humans to gawp at!

Animals deserve to be free. A life at risk in the wild is better than a life behind bars!

Sometimes the climate is such a mess that it's necessary to put the animals in a safe location. not a zoo exactly but a wide open area where compatible animals can wander.

What's the point of imprisoning animals using the justification that they are endangered. They are endangered by US, mostly because we have stolen their habitat, so how does it help to keep the last pitiful remnants of a species imprisoned for us to gawp at.
Zoos are there to make money, nothing more, the conservation argument is a cynical smokescreen, nothing more.
Many zoos deliberately overbreed so they have baby animals to show the public and then kill surplus lions for example or sell them to circuses.
Close them all down. My kids have never been to a zoo, we go to sanctuary open days and visit rescued animals who are being decently cared for in a caring environment.

What if it was YOU? What would your answer be than?

"Haven" don't exist and there's really no such thing as "Haven." There's really two things left, Prison (including everything else in between), and FREEDOM.  So if it's not one, than it's the other.

Only for those endangered or in need of help.

This is a little bit like the neutering question. At least removal of tops of ears, tails, & claws for "that look" or "indoor convenience" is dying off even from people who manage city animal shelters. Had a bulletin, "For our new kitty, we wondered when was a proper time to de-claw her?" --"NEVER!!" followed by some decent rationales. Then whether to have animals as pets or neuter was asked of animal whisperers & psychics and so far, I seem to be getting that it's a mutual choice for an animal that has chosen to work closely with people in this incarnation. As for zoos, our local medium-sized one in GR, MI wanted to get an elephant from another zoo that was closing. There is no point having an elephant if you don't have a lot of walking room or a budget to really feed it right, and be outdoors a lot (how are they in the snow?)and that's just for starters. Our city is 5 miles from country farming zoned areas has both rescue shelters & a travelling petting zoo, neither of which I've visited, though I know the co-owner of the latter. It takes a big chunk out of this vibrant, middle-aged, single gal's time & energy, more so than your typical 9 to 5 job, so much so that her visits to the dance studio has gotten more & more sparse & sporatic.

I think yes and no, it depends on the people in charge. Some zoos and havens are very good places for animals to have a better life than where they came from. Others are horribly managed and the animals suffer greatly. I certainly don't view all zoos as wonderful, fun places anymore.

A zoo is just a collection of animals that would be kinda cool (but totally impractical for most people) to have as pets.

The only time I feel less strongly about zoos is if the animals have been rescued and serve as ambassors against poaching and cruelty.

I'd like to see the zoos change to sanctuaries and rehabilitative places, wherein non-human animals are assisted to return to the wild, or given sanctuary if they are unable.

Animals have a heart,blood & a brain ,so they have a soul like you & I.There souls are not as evolved as ours that is why they come take the animal form.They need to experience the animal kingdom in the wild so they can grow & move on up the evolutionary latter

Animals who are hurt, orphaned or they just will not revert back to being able to live in the wild, are the ones who should be in "zoos" or sanctuaries. That said, they need to be well cared for and have enough room to be happy. We need places like the Farm Sanctuary, and Big Cat Rescue for a certain percentage of animals

It depends on money, how nice and large their areas are, vet care, food quality.

There is nothing educational or conservationist about zoos. They are there for people's entertainment, and all it teaches anyone is that we have the right to do what we like with these animals. Real conservation happens in the homeland of the species.

Most zoo animals are brutally captured and removed from their natural environment and often family. This practice should be outlawed.

Animals should never be exploited

if the habitat is large enough, well cared for & so on it could be advantageous! A large acreage would be beneficial, not the smaller typical zoo setting. nothing can mimick the natural habitat, in a small zoo setting.

They should be free as we are. I believe the observance of animals in zoos can increase awareness for appreciation of these species. Conservation should be concentrated for their natural habitats so they can thrive in the wild. This is why they were born, to contribute to their natural balance in the wild. They are not meant to be in zoos, just as we are born to contribute in our own natural habitats.

In a perfect society I think that All animals should be free to come into and go out of our lives as they please

I had a friend who was a caravan tour guide for a "world famous" Wild Animal Park. We're talking "crème de la crème", not some podunk operation. On the surface, it seemed a spacious & cruelty free environment for it's animal occupants. However, my friend told me some pretty disturbing things that went on there & how those, behind the scenes (not the caretakers/employees but the corporate executives) viewed the park/zoo primarily as a money making venture & were not the least bit concerned with the well being of the captive animals. Ultimately my friend left/quit completely disillusioned by the experience. I’m quite certain this is true for most animal parks/zoos. These parks are prisons & unfortunately for the animal inmates, prisons for the pleasure of human beings. Many guests believe that a considerable portion of their admittance fee goes to further conservation & education efforts, however this could not be further from the truth. Like most things in this Empire of illusion we li

I'm only in favor of zoos such as the very large Minnesota Zoo, with 485 acres, and for lower number animals. There was a monorail up until recently, but now I guess people need to walk on one to two mile trails to see animals in as natural as possible environment. I hate most zoos which keep animals in small enclosures, causing them great anxiety.

Endangered species and orphaned or injured animals that cannot exist in the wild.

Maybe an actual sanctuary for endangered species with plenty of room to roam sufficiently around as in nature, and guarded 24-7 would be OK, but zoos as I know them are more like animal prisons. My local zoo has lions in an area about twice the size of my bedroom. The poor things pace nervously all day long.

I can get my head around a zoo (sancturary if it's done right) for indigenous animals, but will be forever disturbed by seeing a polar bear on a bit of white painted concrete in the middle of summer when I was a child. We are not living in Victorian England, we have the internet. There is no need to go face to face with an animal at their distress.

I believe in ensuring endangered species are cared for...not sure that I like the idea of displaying them to people all day long though.

I feel that zoos provide a safe haven for endangered species who would never never have a reasonable
lifespan in the wild. They are well cared for, not tortured, and allowed to be diplomats if you will for their
species in order for all persons to see and appreciate their beauty and understand that we need to respect all life and enjoy the wonder of each different species, which is not possible to to do except in a setting that is ....the zoological garden. It's a wonderful thing really.

Other than for endangered species, zoo are pets are forms of slavery. If it's not, why can't the animals leave?

they are ther to entertain. Conservationism is a feeble excuse

Zoos should be for very extremely endangered species only, such as tigers, whereof only about 600 remain in their natural wilderness habitats, i.e. not in zoos nor in wildlife refuge areas.