I Blog Poetry and Prose

Zoos

Fiḍál (Grace), 17 Qudrat (Power) 175 B.E. - Tuesday, November 20, 2018

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30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS  (13+) WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus #1786069 by Fivesixer

SeaWorld. Good? Bad? Ugly? What is your opinion of zoos and aquariums?

As long as zoos and aquariums do a good job of educating the public about the animals in them, I have no problem. Zoos and aquariums are supposed to be educational tools that give information about the creatures, their lives in the wild, and how to protect them. I don't like seeing animals in cages that confine them, and don't reflect--in some small way--their natural habitat in the wild.

"Zoo animals are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild."
Jack Hanna

In 2012, I wrote "Incident at a Roadside Zoo" , Terzanelle, using the word prompts: Tiger, artist, witnesses, and zookeeper. I don't remember which contest I wrote it for. Anyone reading this poem, may think that I don't care for zoos. This isn't necessarily true, the zoos I dislike are the privately owned zoos that are well overseen by animal control, the SPCA, or a wildlife expert. Animals in zoos need humane treatment. Many of the wild animals in zoos, today, have been bred and raised in captivity, which means there is little chance that they can be returned to the wild. Therefore, we need to treat them with respect and care because we, humans, are the ones who took their ancestor out of the wild.