Born free... Or at least, they should have been.

                    There's nothing that quite compares to a day at the zoo.


You've got all these animals - from the small meerkat to the long-necked giraffe - right in front of your eyes. Instead of having to traveling all over the world to see these amazing creatures, they've all been conveniently placed within walking distance.

But I admit.

I have conflicted feelings about Zoos.

Part of me loves the fact that I get to see these animals alive and moving, instead of stuffed or skinned. I love how I can watch them in action... The way their muscles move and the way they flick their tails and the way they sway when they walk. I love studying the slopes of their back, the way their ears curve, and the way their feet are shaped. I could easily sit in front of a single exhibit for an hour, just watching an animal.

                           But I can't help but think,
                                          this isn't their home.




I get this burst of sadness, knowing these animals will never know true freedom. They've been taken from their natural habitat and put on display for the entertainment of humans.

Granted, they'll never have to hunt for their food again.
They'll never have to worry about being killed by another predator.
They get to live a much longer life then that of their wild counterparts.

But... Is it really living? Are they happy with their captivity?

Most of these animals were either born in the company of humans, or were saved from injury or disease and were unable to be released back into their primitive habitat.

So we're doing them a favor, right?

Yeah. They're in captivity for their own good. We're trying to help them. We're doing what's best for them.

But the truth is, we wouldn't have to take care of these animals in captivity if we would take care of them in the wild.




We cut down their forests. We take away their food supply. We invade their territory. We kill them for killing our sheep, even though we're the ones responsible for their starvation. We poach them for their beautiful coats. We kill them because we label them as pests.


                                      We kill them because they intimidate us.
                             We kill them because they are powerful and mighty.                               
                                  We kill them because they are wild and free.
                               
                             


I fear that one day, the only way we will be able to view these alluring and magnificent creatures is behind glass windows and fences.




If that ever happened...

                    It would be sick.







                               And incredibly, unbelievably sad.