this weekend I was at the san diego zoo. the place is massive, and it took us nearly two full days to see it all. it was fun, but also kind of depressing, as zoos usually are. it's not anything about animals in captivity, really. I now know enough about zoos to know that in general, animals are really pretty well cared for and can be quite happy in zoos. the san diego zoo in particular seems to go to a great deal of trouble to ensure this of their animals. plus, they have all these carefully managed breeding programs, which also seem carefully managed.
the depressing part is the mentality of people who go to the zoo and who kind of expect the animals to be there for their entertainment. this behavior can range from something as subtle as just wishing aloud for them to display themselves to more obnoxious acts like banging on the glass, calling out loudly, and whistling.
by and large, the animals are not there for our amusement. they're there because that's where they're living. it seems kind of distasteful to adopt the mindset that we should be able to demand some kind of favorable behavior from them. I'm guilty of it a little bit too, but at least I notice it.
nevertheless, it's great to be able to see these animals and learn about them, so I'll keep going to zoos.
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