Should humans keep animals in zoos?

Pro: Zoos preserve and protect certain animals: animals in captivity are most often well-treated and given professional care for their health. When they are not, public and governmental pressures often result in the improvement of care for the animals in confinement. In many cases, animals in zoos live longer than animals in the wild.

Pro: Zoos provide education and enjoyment for visitors of all ages. They give people opportunities for expanding awareness of parts of the natural world that otherwise people might never be able to see.

Con: Zoos invariably involve cruelty to some species. The keepers, by choosing the food for animals in captivity, decide which animals must die so that others can thrive.