Zoos, Mercy or Meanness?

The Lincoln Park Zoo, in the shadows of Chicago's downtown skyscrapers is 140 years old and America's most historic zoo. It's free to the public and offers hundreds of varieties of reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals, including this primate from Africa called the Drill. Because of poaching, the Drill is one of Africa's most endangered primates.

That said, I disdain zoos. Yes, they serve a purpose; education, research, reproduction and preservation, but I can't think of any worse torture than keeping a wild animal locked up in captivity for our amusement.

And even though the Lincoln Park Zoo simulates habitats fairly well like big boulders for the lions and rocky pools for the seals, the enclosures are still too small for the bigger species to exercise. As a result, I saw a lot of pacing, walking in circles and sleeping going on. All looked bored, depressed and terribly lonely. This abnormal behavior is called zoochosis and the result of years of confinement.