There is something to what you say, but zoos are becoming more and more a refuge for endangered species.

Are we talking about the whole world? Some are hideous, I am sure like Circuses. However, Zoos today are becoming refuges for displaced animals, for endangered species and are promoting awareness of the imporance of animals and their role on this planet. They are very very much improved I'm proud to know.

some zoos are saving species - some are cruel and need to be shut down -

Most zoos are quite comfortable and as long as an animals needs are met they seem quite content. Most animals lives consist of a constant pursuit of food and mating which is a stressful existence. If these two needs are met such as in a zoo they seem perfectly willing to lay around and sleep and relax all day. I see very few animals that seem stressed or disturbed in a zoo and most seem quite content to be there.

Are there bad zoos? Certainly but most are working to protect and perpetuate species threatened in the wild or what's left of it. Zoo's like hunters have a bad name. Mostly from people who don't know what they are talking about. Did you know that the largest protector of wetland habitats is a hunting group Ducks Unlimited?

I'd say yes, but these days there are some good zoos, or good things going on at some zoos, that have to do with conservation, and where animals are well taken care of. But basically, yes. I avoid most zoos.

Some work towards saving the most endangered species from extinction, I have mixed feelings on that. Part of me wants to say that is good but then I have the other part that say's maybe it's not. Look at what spending hundreds of millions did for saving the wolves, now they are allowing them to be hunted again? Waste of money, and to save a species that can only be kept in zoo's , well then maybe they should not be saved. Natural selection, adapt, evolve or go extinct has been going on since time began.

More or less, many zoo animals are suffering from stereotypical behaviors such as pacing back and forth, walking in circles, chewing on cage bars, eating their own excrement and or doing repetive behaviors that serve no purpose, like shaking their heads. These behaviors can be cured by environmental enrichment to stimulate their brains, but that costs a lot of money and space zoos aren't willing to spend. Many of the animals that are most likely to suffer the problem also bring in the most visitors, e.g. large carnivores, elephants, primates, rhinos, giraffes, etc. You will often see a "soft" news story about a zoo welcoming the new tiger/lion/polar bear cubs that have born, which they seem to do to attract visitors. What happens to the older "less cute" animals is never told. Many zoo animals are raised by zoo keepers as opposed to their actual mother because either the mother did not want to care for the baby or the zoo keppers wanted the animal to become less tame by imprinting on humans. Once a year you hear a story about a dog or a pig raising tiger cubs because they were rejected by their mother Several of the popular animals such as the great apes and African elephants live shorter lives in captivity than in the wild. Because of their specialized diets, zoos will often cheat by buying more convenient but less nutritious food. There is a company called Zupreem that sells canned food for primates, large carnivores and omnivores (bears, raccoons, and coatis). Many social animals live in groups that are larger than zoos will allow. Elephants live in groups up to 30 in the wild, but because cost tens of thousands of dollars to feed and maintain, so most zoos only have one or two. Zoos do not breed animals for release in to the wild as it is too expensive and time consuming and those animals would not be viewable to the public as such they would make the zoo no money. It is possible for zoos to be more humane however if they: -only kept animals that will fair well in captivity i.e. animals not prone to stereotypical behavior, are willing to reproduce in captivity and maintain a normal weight. Unfortunately many of these animals aren't that interesting to watch, e.g. zebra, antelope, deer. -Allow the animal to satisfy behavior that they would normally do in the wild. For e.g. Cheetahs can be exercised by using the coursing hair they used to train grey hounds. -Have them be open range like this one

They use to be. In the 1700's and 1800's animals in zoos were terribly abused. They were kept in small cages all day long and given crappy food to eat. Now, they recieve a large area to live in and lots of good food. However, I think it is wrong that they are slowly domesticating them.