Pippa,
I understand your point on zoos and circus's. But do understand that for some people - especially children - that is the only chance they will ever have to see wildlife and learn about it, more so the exotic species that may not occur in their country or continent. That is one of the values of Museums that have a Nature section where wildlife is displayed to the public. Not everyone can appreciate African wildlife (to keep it in context) by watching it on animal planet! However, visiting a museum and seeing a life size lion or elephant (though mummified - or whaetever one calls such mounts?) is much more of a lasting impression. Don't you think?

Another example:
Near my hometown in Germany a Sea-Aquarium opened a couple of years ago. To my surprise it was majorly promoted and supported by Greenpeace. I went there and found a couple of sharks, turtles, rays etc. and a huge section in which Greenpeace demonstrates the destruction caused by todays fishing industry. They show videos, have scaled models of fishing nets related to buildings people know, display numbers of how many fish the big fishing countries catch each year etc.

Everything is set up in a way that everybody can understand what is happening and what they can do to make a change. Without the aquarium, the place would be empty.

So, yes, we should sacrifice a few animals to get peoples attention and give them an insight. Like everywhere else, we need to seperate the bad apples.

A zoo simply for the pleasure of seeing an animal walking up and down in it's cage, NO!!

A zoo that provides an insight into the 5 to 12 situation whilst giving those animals in it the best life possible in captivity, YES !! Yes, because people ignore whatever they can not see with their own eyes.

I agree totally with Bwanamich that we are no crying to free the animals in Haller Park (well pointed out); they are caputures and they are enclosed. Although the space provided is very large and they seem to be free compairing to these horrible cubicles found here in Europe.

Original von bwanamich
Pippa,
I understand your point on zoos and circus's. But do understand that for some people - especially children - that is the only chance they will ever have to see wildlife and learn about it, more so the exotic species that may not occur in their country or continent. That is one of the values of Museums that have a Nature section where wildlife is displayed to the public. Not everyone can appreciate African wildlife (to keep it in context) by watching it on animal planet! However, visiting a museum and seeing a life size lion or elephant (though mummified - or whaetever one calls such mounts?) is much more of a lasting impression. Don't you think?

i agree on this museum thing but not on zoos............
e.g. - i have never been to the amazon.......but i support organisations which care for these indiginious people like the yanomami. i think it's a kind of open-mindness and not necessarilywise to see it with one own eyes in order to realize there has something to be done or even appreciate.
- i have never seen a moon bear - but i support animals asia for what they do about this species to get them from farms in china where they are kept for some insane medical stuff reason (they take fluid out of the gall bladder for medicine which long ago has been replaced by chemical substitutes - but the chinese still believe only in this natural stuff) and pay operations inwhich a metal pipe is taken out of the bladder and closed and then they are released in an area where they can live the first time in peace and without pain. that is the first time they can go up on their feet! before that they were put in a tiny cage and had to roll itself together to fit in!
- i have never seen snowleopards but we support care for the wild in their effort to take care of two snow leopards in a former russian republic which where take from poatchers.
the list could go on on end..........