“The Case Against Zoos” in New York Times Opinion

New York Times Opinion has an excellent article on why Zoos Are Bad for Animals, written by Emma Marris, the author of the forthcoming book “Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World.”

In it she specifically makes the case for elephants:

Elephants are particularly unhappy in zoos, given their great size, social nature and cognitive complexity. Many suffer from arthritis and other joint problems from standing on hard surfaces; elephants kept alone become desperately lonely; and all zoo elephants suffer mentally from being cooped up in tiny yards while their free-ranging cousins walk up to 50 miles a day. Zoo elephants tend to die young. At least 20 zoos in the United States have already ended their elephant exhibits in part because of ethical concerns about keeping the species captive.

The author makes an excellent case for retiring huge exotic animals to refuges and developing the resulting space for showcasing flora. We wholeheartedly agree, and additionally propose that other options that combine entertainment with education such as animatronic shows, virtual reality experiences, etc. can also supplement the zoo-going experience.

The comments section is also full of a lot of insight and several accounts of negative experience at zoos.

We hope that Oregon Zoo and the decision makers at Oregon Metro see the writing on the wall that is so clear to the majority of us.