**TL;DR - Despite being a natural 'attraction' and fun experience for children and adults, zoos are prisons for animals and violate animal rights. Therefore, zoos should be banned**. An article on National Geographic quotes director of international programmes at PETA Mimi Bekhechi, who says that '[a]nimals in zoos suffer tremendously, both physically and mentally. They often display neurotic behaviour, like repetitive pacing, swaying, and bar biting', which is a direct violation of animal rights in the name of conservation claims. Animals are deprived of their freedom and natural environment in zoos due to being away from their natural habitat and confined to a space much more limited to what they would enjoy if they were free. James Nolan observes that 'the average lion or tiger has 18,000 times less space in captivity than it does in the wild; polar bears a million times less space', which is why animals exhibit problems in health and behaviour. Conservation issues should not be directed to creating more 'comfortable' zoos for animals. Rather, zoos should be banned and conservation should turn towards protecting and preserving the natural environment of animals so that they can live healthy lives. Zoos are the animal's prison, however ornate, beautiful and 'open' the cages may seem to the zoo's visitors. We have to be more sensitive towards animals. Alison Benjamin and Toby Moses from *The Guardian* invite us to think about this: *Even with those that look as though they might be having fun – the monkeys and penguins – just think how much more exciting it would be to see them swinging in the jungle, rather than in a cage, or hunting on the ice caps instead of being thrown fish at feeding time.* Animals should be free and zoos should be prohibited for acting against animal rights. Works Cited Benjamin Alison and Toby Moses, 'Should zoos be banned?' (2016) <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/01/should-zoos-be-banned-head-to-head> [accessed 16 February 2021]. Draven, James, 'Hot topic: Is it time for zoos to be banned?' (2019) <https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2017/05/hot-topic-it-time-zoos-be-banned> [accessed 16 February 2021]. Nolan, James, 'All the Reasons Why Zoos Should Be Banned' (2015) <https://www.vice.com/en/article/gqmvzx/why-we-should-close-all-zoos-778> [accessed 16 February 2021].

**TL;DR Zoos certainly have their issues, but completely banning them would also stop all of the preservation and conservation work that is put in to save animals that are going extinct as a result of human action.** Although I believe that zoos need to be dramatically altered in order to give their animals better living conditions and an overall improved quality of life, I think that the work that zoos do towards conservation of species justifies their existence. The modern zoo acts as a hub for the preservation of endangered species, as well as being a safe facility for animals who had previously been removed from their original habitats by those with malicious intent. It also acts as a necessary breeding ground for species that risk going extinct. Reintroduction Programmes, Breeding Programmes, and Conservation Projects that zoos participate in allow for species to be saved from extinction. Currently, 31 animal species which are classified as ‘Extinct in the Wild’ are being bred in captivity at zoos, with reintroduction into the wild underway for six of these species. According to the IUCN, conservation breeding and reintroduction have helped prevent the extinction of six out of 16 critically endangered bird species and nine out of 13 mammal species, including species previously classified as ‘Extinct in the Wild’. [1] I believe it is better to see these 'extinct' species within zoos as part of breeding programmes that aim to reintroduce the species into the wild, than to not see these species on the earth at all. Unlike previous establishments, the modern zoo is not only able to show the general population these animals but also helps to repopulate the earth with them in the future. However, any zoo which still exists today and does not do its part to protect its animals as well as wider animal conservation should not be considered as an approved facility and should be banned or reformed. [1] ‘Zoos and Endangered Species Conservation’, (https://www.treehugger.com/zoos-and-endangered-species-conservation-1182068#:~:text=Six%20Species%20Saved%20From%20Extinction%20by%20Zoos&text=As%20of%202017%2C%201%2C000%20animals,were%20living%20in%20zoo%20environments.)

**TLDR - Whilst I do believe zoos are a bad thing and we have far too many, I am mixed on whether we should get rid of them entirely** I don't tend to go to zoos because seeing an animal that should be roaming the African sahara but is instead about 1km left of the Morrisons car park just makes me sad. And I think there is absolutely something to be said about the fact we have taken these animals from their natural habitat and shoved them in small spaces for the benefit of an audience. However, I do think zoos have and do play an important role in conservation. We have to accept that we, as humans, have decimated the places that these animals call home. Poaching is rife, riverbeds are drying up as global warming heats up the planet, and deforestation is destroying the Amazon. These aren't things that are going to happen, but things that have, are, and will continue to happen. With that in mind, zoos have their part to play in raising awareness and empathy for these endangered animals. Being able to see and hear the creature (relatively) up close leads to greater empathy, as suddenly that lion is real and *percievable*. It isn't just an animal I have heard about and seen on TV, because I just saw one 40ft away from me. I think the way forward is to have less zoos, but make the ones that remain much larger. Provide more naturalistic habitats for every animal, and ensure they have enough space to roam. Now, whether that is feasible (usually zoos already have a lot of bought up buildings surrounding them) is another thing, but I think getting rid of them entirely would do more harm than good for the animals.