Is It Time To Put An End To Zoos And Aquariums?

This is an Opinion Piece

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For this article I will refer to zoos as both zoos and aquariums.

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A Brief History

Zoos have gone by a few different names over the millennia. The oldest known zoo we know of was found at Hierakonpolis, Egypt and existed about 3500 BCE. It was termed a menagerie and contained many animals brought from far away places to be displayed in public.
The Assyrian empire had zoos as did the Chinese, King Solomon, The Roman Empire, and King Nebuchadnezzar.
By about the 4th Century BCE (BCE is the same as saying BC and CE is the same as AD) zoos could be found in almost every city state of Greece.
Today most large cities around the world have zoos and aquariums. ....moving on.

The Recent Past

Perhaps, a few hundred years ago, zoos did served a purpose. They were like a National Geographic TV channel that the "common folk" could go to and see animals from all over the world. They brought a knowledge of the world to everyone that could pay for a ticket and they drew crowds of people. Of course, this made the zoo owners happy and filled their pockets.
Most zoos are a commercial enterprise, an attraction and perhaps a distraction for us "common folk", somewhere to spend the day with family and eat unhealthy food and get a little exercise. (A dichotomy to be sure!)

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The Modern World

Today we live in a world of instantaneous communication. We have television, computers, tablets, smartphones, and VR all connected by the internet. Zoos are becoming a thing of the past and have outlived their usefulness. If I can see animals in their natural habitat on TV I can learn more about them than going to a zoo.
But what of endangered species, you ask. Good point. Tigers come instantly to mind. There are now more tigers living in captivity than in the wild. These are the largest of the predatory cats and as the human population increases we have put more stress on these animals as we encroach upon their habitat. I don't have an answer to this question. I do know that these animals and any endangered animals should try to be protected and preserved before their extinction happens.

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Over my lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that all life is a part of consciousness. The higher lifeforms we inhabit this planet with have thoughts, feelings, and emotions. They know fear and love. They have compassion for their own and other species.
Perhaps we cannot speak to them with language, but we can communicate with them through emotion.

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I have been to a lot of different zoos in my lifetime and have always come away with a feeling of sadness. I don't go to zoos anymore. I see the gorillas sitting in an enclosure (cage) silently staring out and I always wonder what is going through their minds. Most of the time they don't look very happy. Would you be? Think about spending 35 - 40 years in a cage.

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All intelligent species need stimulation. They are like us. They like to learn new things and they also become bored and depressed. Animals will commit suicide when things become unbearable for them.
I remember a story from my youth about the gold rush in the Yukon. Horses were used to transport supplies over the Chilkoot Pass. Up and down, up and down all day long every day. One day a horse had just had enough and when he got to the top he stopped. He stood there and looked out over the abyss and then jumped to his death.

Killer whales, whales, dolphins and porpoises are some of the most intelligent animals on the planet. Millions of years ago they left the land and returned to the oceans. They were free to roam and explore. Killer whales have a life span of up to 50 years. Imagine living 50 years in a bathtub. I can't. I would go insane! If you have not seen the documentary "Blackfish" I would highly recommend it. You can probably find it on You Tube or Here

In Conclusion

I believe that zoos and aquariums have outlived their usefulness. We no longer need them. Now, I cannot speak for all these animals in captivity. Perhaps many of them enjoy being fed, watered and looked after. After all, it does sound like an idyllic life.

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These animals we have in captivity, at the very least, should be treated with respect and compassion. We can learn much about ourselves by the way we treat them.
All life will shy away from pain and graduate toward pleasure. All Life!

If we truly are the caretakers of this planet they deserve it, and in the process it may make us more human.