PETA: People for the Ethic Treatment of Animals argues:
"Aquariums and marine mammal theme parks like SeaWorld, the Miami Seaquarium, and Canada’s Marineland are part of a billion-dollar industry built on the suffering of intelligent social beings who are denied everything that’s natural and important to them."
St Mary's Calne Blogs mentions why people are so attracted to zoos:
"The main argument in favour of zoos is that by bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation for the animals and therefore motivate people to protect them and their species in the wild. Zoos also save endangered species by bringing them into safe environments, protected from poachers, habitat loss and starvation. Many also have breeding programmes which contribute to enhancing population numbers. There are rules in place which work to ensure that animals are treated as well as possible – both accredited and unaccredited animal exhibitors are regulated by the Animal Welfare Act [in the United States], which establishes standards for care, and reputable zoos are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums which ensures they have been inspected by a group of experts and have extremely high standards of care."
So what do you think? Should the travel industry be promoting more sanctuaries, which rehabilitate wildlife, or should we continue to promote educational programs in zoos and trust they are treating animals with a high standard of care?
