Zoos and aquariums are major attractions for all ages, and for understandable reasons. Really, who did not love going to the zoo as a kid? Bears, lions, tigers, and monkeys of course are not animals that you get to see everyday, but in a zoo, you get that up-close opportunity. Many zoos are tourist attractions particularly for large cities, such as Chicago, where we have Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, as well as the Shedd Aquarium. These facilities are "educational" and family friendly. I, for one, used to adore going to the zoo. I loved to see the monkeys even though they smelled awful, I loved to see the big fuzzy bears, and even the teeny-tiny frogs in the amphibian house. What can I say?

I love animals.

Or, so I thought. Last year, I went to a small zoo located about 45 minuted from my hometown. Something about this zoo trip was different. I realized that all of these animals looked so sad. The one tiger the zoo had roared and paced anxiously throughout his tiny enclosure, and the monkeys laid on their fake, man-made branches with depressed eyes that were the size of saucers. Suddenly, it hit me. I thought, why on Earth am I here? Why am I paying money to see these animals who are absolutely miserable? Why am I supporting a business who profits off of these poor, helpless animals? The zoo industry is a business, it makes a profit from enclosing these animals who belong in their natural, wild habitats.

I realized that if I truly loved animals, I would not be at a zoo.

These animals do not deserve to spend their entire lives in captivity. Many zoos claim that they are helping animals and helping conservation efforts. But how? Animals in zoos have statistically shorter lifespans. Animals in zoos often demonstrate stereotypic neurotic behaviors as a result of being in captivity. These behaviors include pacing, swaying, biting on enclosure bars, or head bobbing. These animals are quite literally going insane. Animals in zoos, contrary to popular belief, are still brought in by illegal traffickers. Animals in zoos are also often bred, so that the offspring can live their entire lives imprisoned. Animals in zoos do not have adequate space to maintain a normal lifestyle. For example, elephants can and often do walk up to 30 miles a day. What zoo can they do that in? Zoos are not educational, most signs do not include anything more than the animal's name, their scientific name, and what region of the world they are naturally found. Animals in zoos and aquariums often perform "tricks", which they probably learned through food deprivation and other forms of abuse. Most animals are social creatures just like us, but in zoos, they are often kept isolated and left alone from their own kind.

So, what are zoos really helping? It's sure as hell not the animals.

If you really loved animals, you would help and support conservation efforts for their natural habitats, not support their imprisonment by attending zoos. If you really want to learn about wild animals, there are many ways to learn without visiting a zoo. There are documentaries on animals of all kinds and there is a lot to learn on the internet. I understand that some animals cannot return to the wild, after injury or illness, but that does not mean that they belong in a zoo, where they most likely will not receive proper care anyways. In that case, animals belong in proper rehabilitation centers and sanctuaries with experts who can help them, not in a zoo where they will be used for entertainment and profit.

The only ways that zoos can be stopped is if we stop buying tickets from them. There are also many online petitions to get zoos shut down. No animal belongs in a zoo, in captivity, suffering. Animals are much more intelligent and emotional than we tend to give them credit for. They can feel the pain, the depression, the insanity, and the hopelessness that comes from being in a zoo and living your life enclosed.

The zoo business is an industry that needs to be stopped, and the sooner, the better. Our entertainment is their lifetime of misery. The only place wild animals belong, is in the wild.