Radom Thoughts #1

The Ethical Rabbit Hole of Zoos

A Post That Sparked a Thought

I was scrolling Instagram when a post about zoos caught my eye. It was about the conservation efforts some zoos have, a topic I’ve looked into before, so I went to the comments to see if public opinion had unified or was still divided. As I suspected, it’s still very divided, and that got me thinking why.

From History to Modern Reality

The first thing is the history of zoos. They began as entertainment. Powerful people would collect animals for their own amusement, and later this turned into a commercial business as technology developed. Because of this, zoos around the world are still often seen as a capitalist abuse of animals for profit, and in some cases, they are, especially private zoos run by already questionable people.

Many zoos today say their mission is conservation. They have the zoo itself, where animals live relatively comfortable and natural lives, though even the best can’t compare to their true habitat. Then there are the conservation facilities where they heal animals and work to keep endangered species alive, protecting them from the destruction of their natural environments.

But even these zoos raise ethical concerns. Using animals for profit, even to help them, feels like an ethical nightmare to many. Some see it as exploitation and degrading to the animals’ lives. Others ask why spend those resources on a zoo instead of protecting natural habitats or building sanctuaries.

An Ideal World vs. The Harsh Truth

I agree that the ideal would be no animals in zoos and no need for conservation at all. But that ignores the very unfair and unideal world we’ve created over thousands of years.

The reality is this: humans have put countless species at risk of extinction at record speed. It’s only in the last century that we’ve realized how reckless we are, and even now, many in power refuse to take responsibility. Our society runs on money, and when jobs are threatened, environmental protection often takes a back seat.

That’s why zoos end up being a compromise. We keep some animals in captivity, yes, exploiting their lives for money, to fund efforts that might save thousands more. Without zoo revenue, conservation would be even more underfunded than it already is. Money doesn’t magically appear for worthy causes, and donations alone rarely cover the need. It’s a grim truth.

The Goal and The Call to Action

I’m not asking you to like zoos. Far from it. But see the world as it is, not just as you wish it was. Learn about conservation efforts. Support them if you can, whether through donations, volunteering, or political action. If you speak out against zoos but never take steps to help animals in any other way, you may actually make the problem worse.

Unless we can tear down the entire system and start fresh, we have to work within the reality we have. The goal should be a future where zoos are unnecessary, even if for now they still exist.

Search for your own conclusions. Don’t settle for one answer. Keep questioning, and don’t ignore valid information just because it doesn’t make you happy.

Emilio Landázuri