LifeGate.com
To the delight of animal rights activists, Buenos Aires has announced plans to close down its 140-year-old zoo.
Did you know? Only a minority of animals cared for at zoos and available to be peered at by the public are kept in captivity to conserve their species. The rest are often crowd favorites, such as polar bears, giraffes, and hippos, and live in confinement so that humans might be entertained.
Because animals thrive when they are free to exist in their natural habitats, Costa Rica recently shut down all of its zoos. Now, Buenos Aires is following suit and has plans to close down its one zoo because, in the words of Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, the mayor of Argentina’s capital city, “captivity is degrading.”
“This situation of captivity is degrading for the animals, it’s not the way to take care of them,” says the mayor.
The Guardian relays that the zoo’s 2,500 animals – comprised of 89 species of mammals, 49 species of reptiles and 175 species of birds – will be transported to nature reserves throughout the country. In their new homes, they will live in more suitable environments. The old and sick animals not likely to survive being relocated will remain in their enclosures, but not on display.
The zoo is to be converted into an “ecopark” which will serve to educate the public on “how to take care of and relate to the different species.” It will especially be targeted at children.
Says Rodríguez:
“What we have to value is the animals. The way they live [at the zoo] is definitely not the way to do that.”
Animals that are rescued from illegal trafficking and in need of rehabilitation will also be welcomed at the ecopark, say city officials.
One of the reasons the zoo may be shutting down is because it has been prone to scandals in the past, according to the BBC. For example, the establishment received criticism for keeping polar bears in its notoriously hot city, among other complaints.
According to Gerardo Biglia, animal rights lawyer and long-time campaigner for the closure of the Buenos Aires zoo,
“The most important thing is breaking with the model of captivity and exhibition. I think there is a change coming for which we are already prepared because kids nowadays consider it obvious that it’s wrong for animals to be caged.”
What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
Source: True Activist
Related:
- In This Zoo, Animals Roam Freely While Humans Are Caged
- This Man Mastered The Art Of Animal Selfies! One With Parrot Is Priceless!
- 25 Amazing Pictures Of Wild Animals And Their Babies
- 15 Animals That Are In Danger Of Extinction (Unless We Try To Protect Them)
- Everything You Think You Know About Animals Is Wrong
- 30 Hilarious Comic Strips What Animals Would Say If They Could Talk (by Jimmy Craig)
- What if Animals Treated Us How We Treat Them?
- 50 Shocking Illustrations Reveal How Animals Feel By Switching Them With Humans
- Disturbing Aerial Photos Show What Killing Billions Of Animals For Meat Is Doing To The Environment
- 11 Thought Provoking Images Show What Humans Are Really Doing To The Planet
- You Will Want To Recycle Everything After Seeing These Photos!
- This Film Should Be Seen By The Entire World!
- 20 Shocking Pictures Illustrate The Sad Reality Of Everyday Life
- These 29 Clever Drawings Will Make You Question Everything Wrong With The World
- These 12 Satirical Cartoons Depict The Disturbing Reality Of Modern-Day Society
- More Disturbing (But Amazing) Pictures Expose The Absurdities Of Modern Culture *Warning: Graphic Images*
- Disturbing (But Amazing) Pictures Expose The Absurdities Of Modern Culture *Warning: Graphic Images*
I think this is great news and that all zoos should take notice. What a sad existence for our world's beautiful animals. Next we need to stop deforestation and animal murder for stupid items like ivory. The world can be a better place with great education of why it's best to respect our planet
ReplyDelete