The tragic, if necessary, killing of a gorilla who grabbed a trespassing child at the Cincinnati zoo is a reminder that zoos are a relic of the past that should be done away with. Historically, in a different world, they provided a rare chance for people to see rare animals. Today there are other, better ways to see the world’s ever shrinking number of great creatures. Zoos are cages; cages are prisons; animals do not deserve it. Zoo keeping is big business; there are 10,000 of them worldwide, and about 150 in the U.S. (revenue from the latter is $5 billion annually); the truth is that all of this space and income perpetuates animal cruelty.
--TOM TIEDE