Philadelphia is My Home

05
Aug

Our Wild Backyard

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, General, Kids, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

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We often go the Philadelphia Zoo as we have maintained our yearly membership since my daughter was born.  I love taking her to the zoo and watching her face as she observes all those magnificent animals, most of which she has no clue how lucky she is to see in person.

If you read my personal blog Momish, then you probably know that I am somewhat of an animal lover and activist.  So, whenever I talk about going to the zoo or my zoo membership, I am often asked how I feel about animals in captivity. 

I think the Philadelphia Zoo is a shining example of how all zoos should be.  I think our zoo represents the minimal acceptance level of how animals should be treated and housed in a caged environment.  In other words, the Philly Zoo does it right.

I think there is a great advantage to zoos in that they educate the general public about exotic and domestic animals.  They infect visitors with an admiration and respect for all animal life.  They also are a wealth of information about the many plights and dangers facing animals all over the world, triggering a desire to help and care about them in a way that probably would have been overlooked or ignored.  In addition, if it weren’t for the efforts of major zoos across the world, I am convinced that many near extinct species would be long gone and reduced to a blurb in our history books.

That being said, I definitely hold a standard as to what I will support when it comes to caging and transporting wild animals away from their natural habitat.  I do think that the label “zoo” is too often abused.  There are so many rinky-dink “zoos” out there that are a disgrace to the human race and downright animal abuse.  They should be shut down. 

I know it takes loads of money and resources to properly house and maintain a respectful and humane zoo.  Such that only major cities with the proper financial backing would be able to have zoos.  Cities like Philadelphia, San Diego and New York.  And while it might be unfair to the rest of the country, my main response to that is tough sh*t.

It is inhumane and morally wrong to shove a bunch of chimpanzees into a two by four cage with a tree branch so that kids that live outside of a major city can have a substandard education and experience of a wild animal.

You should go to the Philadelphia Zoo if you haven’t been there in a while (the new Amur Tiger cubs should be open to the public by now).  You should take advantage of the good fortune you have to live in a city with wild animals right in your backyard.  Animals that are cared by the world’s top notch veterinarians, who’s housings were designed with the utmost of care and thought by top architects in the region and who thrive as a result of the many supports like myself.

The Philadelphia Zoo is not just the nation’s first zoo, but perhaps the nation’s finest as well.

<rant over>

So tell me, how do you feel about animals kept in zoos?  What do you think about the Philly Zoo?  When was the last time you were there?