@FinAmericano It's not a matter of 'getting in the way'. It's a matter of making sure the zoos have the best possible genes for the breeding programs. Like it or not zoos are trying to keep almost extinct animals alive in the desperate hope that their genes might somehow be put to good use in the wild some day. And zoos - at least in Denmark (I don't know if it's a problem in the US?) - don't lie about what they do with their animals when it comes to either sending them away or putting them down. There's no reason to lie about it. Zoos might have started out as entertainment for kings and queens, but today they're not just about entertaining anymore. They are used to maintain rare species that we are killing off out in the wild. They are used to educate the 'common man' about the different animals and why it's worth saving them.
Don't get me wrong. It's not a perfect solution by any means. Wild animals need way more space than what they have in most zoos. But that doesn't change the fact that the animal keepers do their utmost to make sure that every animal is capable of living a good life and many zoos - again: at least all the Danish - have very high standards in regard to taking care of the animals.
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@FinAmericano It's not a matter of 'getting in the way'. It's a matter of making sure the zoos have the best possible genes for the breeding programs. Like it or not zoos are trying to keep almost extinct animals alive in the desperate hope that their genes might somehow be put to good use in the wild some day. And zoos - at least in Denmark (I don't know if it's a problem in the US?) - don't lie about what they do with their animals when it comes to either sending them away or putting them down. There's no reason to lie about it. Zoos might have started out as entertainment for kings and queens, but today they're not just about entertaining anymore. They are used to maintain rare species that we are killing off out in the wild. They are used to educate the 'common man' about the different animals and why it's worth saving them.
Don't get me wrong. It's not a perfect solution by any means. Wild animals need way more space than what they have in most zoos. But that doesn't change the fact that the animal keepers do their utmost to make sure that every animal is capable of living a good life and many zoos - again: at least all the Danish - have very high standards in regard to taking care of the animals.