Comments on: Why do we visit zoos?

By: T Crowe

T Crowe — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:12:25 +0000

While I agree with many of your points, I am disappointed that you will give up on zoos rather than try to do something to make them better….even if just a little bit. It is easy to judge zoos – the hard part is figuring out how to make them better.

By: Mike Makai

Mike Makai — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:22:48 +0000

Yes, once passed my very early years when I just consumed things without thinking, I’ve always felt uncomfortable visiting zoos. I don’t have the appetite to visit lots of exotic natural places to see animals in their natural habitats. (Pottering round the British countryside is fine for me.) But that there should accordingly be an industry bringing animals to ‘me’ just so I can look at them, seems a little perverse.

By: Sarah Koschak

Sarah Koschak — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:58:13 +0000

Hi Stein,
Thanks for your thoughts.
I have just looked at some of your photos on your image library. Very beautiful and evocative- especially the ones of the Northern Lights.
http://www.useitmedia.com/Default.aspx?page=photographer&id=13
http://www.useitmedia.com/Default.aspx?page=search&mode=author&aid=13
Take care and enjoy the approaching Spring.
Sarah

By: Stein Nilsen

Stein Nilsen — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:33:26 +0000

I must say I support you fully on this, most zoos are terrible places! After working 2 years in Tanzania I stopped in Berlin to see a good friend of mine and he showed me his former workplace at the Berlin Zoo. It was a painful event to see giraffes and zebraes walking around in cramped closures, and a mad and pissed off gorilla in a small cage. It even trowed a huge log straight at us to get us away! Their beautiful black Panter was walking back and forth endlessly in distress, after tenting in Serengeti and other real wild places this was a horrible experience!! Could be that a handful of species are saved by the zoos, but most is just a grim industry!!
Yours Stein Nilsen, N Norway