I’ve been noticing a rise in anti-zoo and aquarium sediment in my social feed lately. As a person who is a biologist-in-training with a focus in conservation, please please please think critically while engaging these. If the zoo or aquarium is AZA certified they are giving animals the best care available and are spending some of that money on conservation and research. And no, that animal is not starving, being forced to perform, or abused. This is a zoo/aquarium, not a circus.
I saw one of my favorite activism accounts on instagram post a banner urging people to stop visiting zoos and aquariums since they use “only 3% of their budget for conservation” and are “depriving animals of their natural habitat”. They then suggested to go watch nature documentaries (that often leave out indigenous people and make certain places seem like “wonderlands untouched by human presence” dispute that not being true and, yknow, people actually living there or no longer living there due to colonization but that’s another post entirely). Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. You still need to use those funds to pay zookeepers, vets, and animal care so of course it’s not all going into conservation.
I know there are more important things going on in the world right now, but for some reason this very topic makes my blood boil.