i also don’t see zoos as like, a “necessary evil” that will go away when we’ve ended capitalism and learned to live more sustainable lives or whatever.
for starters, i don’t believe conservation is an issue that will ever end. for example, certain species are inherently more vulnerable to extinction, and those species may need a helping hand if disease or natural disaster strikes their populations. this is especially true of species with slow reproductive cycles or small populations, or extremely limited habitat. working with these animals and having a captive stock of them will be vital should something happen to their wild populations.
but also zoos serve another function beyond conservation, and that’s education. zoos offer people the ability to really connect with animals they may not ever see in the wild, whether because the animal is very secretive, it doesn’t live near the people visiting the zoo, or the people don’t have the ability to go out on hikes or whatever and observe them in the wild. it’s hard to become passionate about something that only exists in the abstract, and it’s hard to want to learn about something you have no concept of. people are also scared of things they don’t understand, which leads to conflict between humans and animals. good zoos create a space where people can safely observe happy and healthy animals and get to know them without either party being pushed past their limit. this fosters passion for, interest in, and respect for animals that people might not care or even know about otherwise.
That last paragraph ^^^
It deeply disturbs me the number of people who claim that… animatronics or VR or even nature documentaries can replace seeing an animal with your own eyes. Not that those things don’t have their place—they certainly do—but to see something, to understand that it’s real, is life-changing.
And, in an ironic twist, the same groups clamoring to replace zoo animals with robots are the ones who whole-heartedly believe that animals undergo the full spectrum of human experiences.