I love animals. A lot.

However, I was born and raised and currently live in a suburb, so the most wildlife I see are squirrels and an occasional deer.

Consequently, as a child, I was obsessed with going to the zoo. My family went at least 4 times a year, just for me.

I recently became a vegetarian and while looking for recipes, I came across PETA’s website. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is an animal rights organization.

Along with eliminating meat from one’s diet, they also encourage abstaining from going to zoos, circuses, and any other form of entertainment that utilizes animals.

Considering the plethora of information available that reveals the mistreatment of circus animals, it’s not surprising that PETA would be against them.

But their issue with zoos isn’t as clear. After all, isn’t the purpose of zoos for conservation, education, research and animal welfare?

To settle this once and for all, I finally set aside time to research this a bit more in depth. This is what I’ve learned about zoos.

The first modern zoo opened in Paris, France in 1793. This was during the Age of Enlightenment, when there was a drive for intellectual inquiry.

“Early zoos like the Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes were more like museums of living animals than natural habitats,” according to National Geographic. “Animals were kept in small display areas, with as many species as space would allow.”

In my opinion, current zoos aren’t too different. Animal enclosures are still not very big.

However, several organizations now exist that set strict regulations for zoos.

One of those organizations is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Founded in 1924, the AZA certifies zoos they judge as dedicated to providing excellent care for animals.

Thank goodness!…Right?

Tragically, “[a]mong the 2,400 animal enclosures licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 212 are under the strict regulatory umbrella of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. The other 2,188 are not,” award-winning documentary filmmaker Laura Fravel reveals.

Even more upsetting is that a quick search on their database reveals that SeaWorld is accredited.

I was shocked. How credible can an AZA logo be if SEAWORLD is approved?

Seaworld is clearly not concerned about the wellbeing of animals. Blackfish, anyone?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Blackfish is a documentary that exposes SeaWorld’s ill-treatment of the animals in its parks. (You should definitely watch it. Just prepare yourself with a box of tissues.)

I shouldn’t generalize though. There are so many zoos that there’s bound to be some good seeds and some bad seeds.

Let’s focus on the good that can come out of good zoos, such as protecting endangered animals.

Many proponents of zoos argue that enclosing animals with critically low populations is better than leaving them in the wild, where they risk dying off due to disease, parasitism, starvation, or predators.   

What I don’t understand about this is, even if zoos take in endangered species to prevent their population from further decreasing, they’re breeding them in captivity.

How is that helping to replenish their numbers in the wild? They’re being raised in an artificial environment that isn’t anything like or anywhere near their natural habitat.

Moreover, “David Hancocks, a former zoo director with 30 years’ experience, estimates that less than 3 percent of the budgets of […] accredited zoos go toward conservation efforts,” as reported by Fravel.

So where does the rest of the money go? Critics point to costly exhibits and marketing, both meant to attract more visitors.

The saddest thing I learned is that it’s not uncommon for zoo animals to be on antidepressants.

The term zoochosis refers to anxiety and depression caused by confinement, as stated in an article by Huffington Post reporter Renee Jacques.

So the cute elephant that looks like it’s dancing, swaying from side to side? That’s actually not normal behavior, and is a result of zoochosis.

If the behavior gets out of control, you can bet the elephant will receive some sort of medication to calm it down.

I love nature and I want to be a steward of the Earth and I’m honestly torn. I hate to see majestic creatures in captivity, but I also put myself into the shoes of someone trying to educate the public about wildlife.

I understand that it’s difficult to make people care about something they can’t see. If I were given this task, I would want people to get to see a wild animal in real life. Their amazingness simply isn’t transmitted by just seeing them on TV.

Seeing them with your own eyes makes you realize your humble place on this planet.

I guess proponents could argue that even if visitors don’t leave zoos with a bountiful knowledge on animals, at least they saw real, “wild” animals with their own eyes and hopefully, were filled with awe and a new level of reverence for the natural world.

In my opinion, it’s a great concept, but it doesn’t seem like zoos are accomplishing this.

If any urge to change does occurs, it’s temporary and we later forget about wanting to save the Earth and continue with our destructive, lavish lifestyles. I can say this is a very realistic assumption to make because I’m guilty of it too. 

As a child, I would’ve been greatly disappointed if my parents had never taken me to the zoo, but that was because I was young and didn’t fully comprehend that animals are sentient beings too.

Now, I just hate the thought of animals being in captivity, gawked at by people almost 24/7, and many times, with children obnoxiously mocking them.

Maybe it’s time we find a better way to connect people with the natural world.