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Greenmuze, September 12, 2008
In a zoo in Indonesia, two polar bears lay on a concrete floor trying to stay
cool in the tropical heat. At the Alaska Zoo, an elephant named Maggie was
confined to a 146 square meter (1600-square foot) barn during the winter. In a
Canadian zoo’s $6 million dollar African complex an African Silverback sits
among concrete trees and painted on murals. Author Rob Laidlaw writes that when
visiting other zoos, great apes were living in exhibits that were less costly
but more natural, with real trees, tall grasses and larger spaces. When you
visit a zoo, do you ever wonder what it might be like for animals that live day
after day in the same small enclosures?
Wild Animals in Captivity, a young adult title, makes a comparison between wild
and natural animal settings and a series of poignant photos to ask us to
consider what is best for the animal rather than what is best for the people who
frequent the zoos.
Wild Animals in Captivity explains that nearly every zoo keeps animals in
exhibits that are far smaller than what the animals actually need. A study of
elephant areas in British zoos found most were 1000 times smaller than their
natural habitats. Wild polar bears sometimes travel 50-100 kilometres a day
hunting for seals, but zoos confine them in spaces that are more than a million
times smaller than their Arctic territory. Aside from inadequate space, most
zoos neglect to provide places for animals to hide and rest, or provide
necessary stimuli and opportunities to bond and interact with their own species.
A beautifully presented book for a younger audience that will gently help them
to engage in the discussion of whether or not wild animals should be kept in
captivity.
Wild Animals in Captivity helps us to understand not all zoos are created
equally. And even though there are numerous zoos that are not adequately meeting
animals’ needs, there are examples of progressive zoos that are able to provide
‘…a pleasant life for animals in a natural setting…’. Some examples include the
Arizona-Sonara Desert Museum, Jersey Zoo, The China Bear Rescue Center and The
Elephant Sanctuary.
A beautifully presented book for a younger audience that will gently help them
to engage in the discussion of whether or not wild animals should be kept in
captivity. School libraries would greatly benefit from the addition of Wild
Animals in Captivity.
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