The Vacation Chronicles, Chapter 3

Have you ever been to a zoo that depressed you so much, you wanted to unlock all the cages and set the animals free? I have ... In fact, it was only yesterday I was there.

Walking the rutted paths that led from one sad cage to another, KC and I noticed that most of the animals were either too tired, and/or too depressed to move or care, though in some cases so desperate for attention they bleated out their grievances in loud, angry barks just as soon as you began to walk near or away. I couldn't help but hum Born Free, and as we continued our sad little procession through the park, I thought back to my debating days.

As a senior in high school, I used my public speaking class as a forum for debate on the subject of zoo's and what I considered their unjust cruelty to animals. From the reaction I got from the it's not okay to hunt animals, but it's okay to lock them up behind bars in the smallest of cages girl, I could tell I was going to have a time trying to convince my fellow students and faculty to my way of thinking.

Regulations, I had said were the key to solving the problem. Regulations that could enforce how animals in captivity should be kept, treated and viewed by the public. Animals, I contended were not put on this earth for our amusement and shouldn't be displayed as freak shows in a circus. And so, the responsibility for their care, should in no uncertain terms be of the highest standards, with laws limiting the number of animals that could or couldn't be displayed in a single enclosure, as well as what type of enclosure best provided the animal with the maximum amount of space, while remaining as true as possible to their native habitats.

I should have known that comments such as mine, were sure as shit to set my nemesis Tracy on fire.

"Stacey," she said, pausing dramatically to survey the room, catching the eyes of all her cohorts, "I don't understand how you can say zoo's are a form of animal cruelty, and then support the slaying of defenseless animals in the wild. It seems to me, you're a bit confused to have two such differing opinions."

Regarding her as I normally did, with an inward rolling of eyes and a soundless sigh, I took a breath and began to speak.

"Actually Tracy, captivity and conservation, are a bit more different then you think. In a perfect world, the zoo would function as a refuge for wild animals, serving to both cultivate and propagate species of animals that are slowly being overhunted or simply pushed from within their own boundaries into extinction. And while conservation certainly does hold true to these same beliefs, it also understands the need to regulate an animals population in the wild.

Considering the small areas of access left to wild animals, such as the common deer, responsible hunting serves the same purpose as a wild lion to a herd of impalas, providing both necessary nourishment, as well as a series of checks and balances that no one population should grow beyond its measure."

"That still doesn't answer how zoo's are cruel," she piped up once again, a bitchy smirk lighting her face.

"The concept of a zoo is a wonderful idea in theory, though not always in practice. My problem is with the zoo's that have issues of neglect in regards to the animals housing and overall care.

Imagine if you will, that you are a snow leopard. Inside your enclosure your floor is that of hard cement, one wall concrete behind you, one glass partition in front of you, and you're only view to the outside - the small door you use to gain access to your yard.

Outside there is only room to pace back and forth, as hordes of people cram themselves up against the fence to take a look at you, with no place for privacy, neither inside or out.

But now imagine a new space. A space that appears more in liking with the natural habitat of a snow leopard. Space enough to run, jump, take a nap, breathe fresh air, and take shelter from the elements and of course, let the public view you in all your natural glory." I paused, letting the picture sink in to those listening intently before me. "I don't imagine there is anyone in this room, who would raise their hand for option A.

Our opinions on zoos therefore need to change. A zoo is a place where we should go hoping to catch a glimpse of an animal, hoping to see them as they really are. It shouldn't be a place where we are guaranteed a view just for the fact alone that the animal cannot escape from prying eyes.

It should be a place where no animal is confined alone, but not in a group too large that spacing becomes an issue. Animal caregivers should be highly trained and qualified, understanding the needs of the animal and providing them with all things necessary for a balanced, fulfilling life in captivity. Parks as well, should be regularly maintained to provide both the best accommodations for the animals, as well as for the people who pass through their gates on a daily basis. It should be clean and open, with the feeling that captivity for these animals is a godsend and not a life sentence. And quite frankly, anything less than that should be considered inhumane."

And that as they say was that. I got my A, Tracy got her comeuppance and over the years my opinion hasn't changed. Which is why the deplorable condition at yesterday's zoo really set my teeth to grinding, leaving me wondering what, if anything, I can do to make a change.

* All opinions expressed are entirely my own and should not be used against me in comments. *