Why SHOULDN'T we support zoos and their conservation work?

[@ed.winters]

Today’s video is an in-depth look into the ethics of zoos, and the arguments that they use to justify their existence. Are animals happy in zoos? And even if they're not, isn't it all justifiable anyway because zoos do so much for conservation? 📚 Pre-order my debut book 'This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: earthlinged.org/orderbook Make my work possible by becoming a supporter of my activism here (thank you!): www.earthlinged.org/support FREE 122 page e-book: www.earthlinged.org/ebook
 Make the switch to vegan & get all of the support you need: switchtovegan.co.uk

[@darapgoat]

It’s jail for innocent animals

[@VeganV5912]

SIaves.. |||||||😈💵💷💴💶.....

[@VeganV5912]

.. Hitler and Stalin and Pol Pot, were Killing innocent souls. Bludgeoned to death... 👈 Hint hint 🤥🦠🍖🔴.... 🙄. Over a frigging 5 minute burger et cetera !!! 🐅🦒🔴🔫😈... CuIt🔴foIIowing !!!!! What a world we live in !!!!! Sick !!!! 🖕🔴.

[@Paraclef]

@@VeganV5912 were socialists, like mussolini, the communist party of china was created in france, in Shangaï by socialists. Far right, doesn't exist.

[@bum2billionaire5]

You pretty much cover all of the things that i think about as i evolve as a vegan, the unethical veganism thing where so many people call themselves vegan but they arent actually and now the zoo thing Next it would be great to talk about pets, pets are unethical unless adopted since they are bred and sold as products, stealing babies from their parents over and over, i killed so many pet fish as a child and i could simply get a refund for them, their lives did not matter unfortunately Ultimately the goal is to not have any pets left to adopt after we stop breeding them

[@fishfeelpain7764]

"People have never seen a humpback whale or a blue whale in captivity, and yet feel no less strongly about their protection than the animals they see in zoos." Well said.

[@AB-ft7ng]

I like to use a similar argument with dinosaurs. Dinosaurs have been extinct for 65 million years and yet kids are always excited to learn about them, view them in museums and if you presented photos, even most adults would have no problems recognizing different species. Most people probably know as much about a giraffe as they do a t-rex. Captivity for entertainment sake is purely selfish and unnecessary.

[@James-yj3rq]

@@AB-ft7ng this is why I view museums as the second best alternative to zoos or aquariums besides sanctuaries, I’d argue museums are even more educational than zoos because people aren’t focused on looking at the exhibit as much so they may be more akin to reading about it instead.A skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex isn’t moving around as opposed to a giraffe in the zoo so people generally just gawk at the animals and don’t bother learning about them anyways and instead just munch on popcorn

[@DARIO4Cq]

Many zoos use the charismatic animals (big cats, African animals, bears, apes, etc) to fund conservation for less likeable animals, (toads, insects, bats, salamanders, snakes) which people are less fond of. I disagree with the conditions many animals are housed in in zoos, but I do believe they're an important part of conservation efforts. They should absolutely do better though.

[@Limemill]

If zoos hadn’t built that connection to nature in general among kids, I kinda think people would absolutely give zero fucks about whales

[@cherch4625]

@@Limemill The question to ask then is if zoos are the only thing that gives kids or people a connection to nature?

[@baizhuwaitingroom7057]

As a kid I went to a zoo and saw a "dancing" elephant and thought it was cute. As you might guess, it was not a dance, it was a display of a mental disorder. Knowing what I do now, my memories of the few times I visited a zoo are traumatising and sickening rather than heartwarming. And oh boy, don't get me started on the wild bird rescue centres in my country...

[@somedude172]

i have a similar memory of the elephants. i thought it was hilarious at the time- i was with my aunt who is super judgmental and germaphobic as hell, and she always treated me like i was repulsive. so we're eating dipping dots next to the elephant exhibit, and all of a sudden they start throwing poop at each other- picking it up with their trunks and hurling it in the other's direction. my aunt had a complete meltdown because of the smell, but me and my cousin were cracking up. i still think its funny that my aunt didnt get to eat her dipping dots, especially now that im vegan. but all those happy memories are tainted by the fact that the animals were showing clear signs of distress and suffering, and my oblivious ass was having the best days of my life. i dont blame myself, i didnt even know "vegan" was a word at that point. but its so horrific to think about it that way. every time my family tries to talk me into going to the zoo, its all i can think about

[@debbied.9763]

What's the problem with bird rescue centres ?

[@_klc_]

@@debbied.9763 It probably depends on the country entirely. I visited a local one recently and all the birds were thriving there.

[@genericname8727]

@@debbied.9763 Maybe wild birds in small enclosures? Not being with a flock? Idk

[@shadycatz85]

when i was little, i saw a travelling elephant, that soon after became the last circus elephant as the nz government made it illegal. she was taken and sent to a zoo a few months after i saw her. just a few years later, at the zoo she was sent to because of the ban, she crushed a worker to death in her trunk. she was surrounded by an electric fence in that zoo, and it is theorised that she got shocked, then out of panic tried to protect the worker (who entered to calm her down when she shouldn't have, but was fatigued from overwork) but accidentally crushed her chest by grabbing her, then rolling her head on the ground with the worker in her trunk, the weight suffocated the woman. it turns out that the elephant had ptsd and constant panic attacks. shows the pure cruelty that led to the tragedy. luckily, the zoo saw the elephant as not responsible, and she wasn't killed. just 4 years after that attack, she died in san diego zoo, which is where she was sent after the attack. a sad life, and sad death due to human cruelty.

[@ShadowZZZ]

Basically: -The confined animals in zoos go mentally insane, only for our entertainment (is it worth it?) -Donating to direct Wildlife conservation orgs is more effective than donating to zoos, cause zoos profit from exploitation -If you want to learn about wild animals, you can also watch a nature documentary

[@vietnamd0820]

Good summation

[@harveyplantharvester1502]

Wildlife conservation groups are mostly comprised of HUNTERS.

[@viviana8577]

A university in my country is starting a zoo in the kampus. I hate it. We are campaigning against it bit who know what will happen

[@LeafProductions]

A good summarization of the cherry picked lies that this guy is feeding y’all lol

[@LeafProductions]

@@harveyplantharvester1502 Yeah, and I’d argue hunters care more about the natural world than anybody else lol. Not to be confused with poachers which is entirely different xoxo

[@Sarsaparillamann]

Given how smart elephants are, the infanticide is much more disturbing. Perhaps they realize the life of captivity that their newborn faces and instead chooses to end it right away?

[@jessievans2405]

Just like in the slave days...

[@servesyourightformuscat1219]

@@jessievans2405 lmao there is still slaves today, something tells me your thinking about one specific small example.

[@viviana8577]

You really might be onto something

[@jessievans2405]

@@servesyourightformuscat1219 yes, I was referring to that time of TransAtlantic slave trade. And for the human trafficking that goes on today, at least they have the decency to hide it. And at least, our governments evolved just enough to abolish and illegalize it.

[@bee_whisper]

Infanticide in elephants would more likely be due to post traumatic stress disorder which elephants have been know to display. Personally I don't feel like elephant's should be in captivity because of how problematic they are in captivity. The only reasoning I could argue is that they would be useful to study stress behaviour and see if any of the research could be applied to wild elephants that experience stress from poaching

[@SukiBells]

One would've thought that, after several lockdowns worldwide, the public in general would have a slightly better grasp of how it feels to be caged. Great video as always, Ed!

[@suicune2001]

There are MANY lessons people should have learned from COVID that didn't. It's very disappointing.

[@chloepeigne7104]

So did I!

[@HeteroflexibleMerus]

You overestimate people...

[@expertphotoart9308]

I think we should be very careful about comparing spending quality time in our beautiful homes with the horrific experience of being caged for your whole life.

[@chloepeigne7104]

@@expertphotoart9308 very true- I just hoped that maybe people would make the connection. Sadly not

[@ShermanKyle]

I grew to hate zoos as a child when it became blatantly apparent to me that animals there were unhappy, but I never could have fathomed that they were on psychiatric drugs as well. Good lord, the story about Marius the Giraffe is sickening.

[@johnho9546]

Marius the giraffe is well explained from the director of copenhagen zoo at the time, Marius is a genetically common giraffe, the animal collections which offered to take marius in got denied because the director felt as if the spaces offered could have been taken up by a more genetically diverse giraffe, which in turn creates a more healthy genetic population instead of creating a bottleneck genetic pool. Plus marius got fed to the big cats at the zoo, how is this any different to a horse or cow being culled for being fed to the big cats? both the cow and giraffe has equal intrinsic value, why is there not an uproar of the millions of cows slaughtered every year but instead to one individual giraffe?

[@kevinsaviro2708]

@@johnho9546 bruh how the fuck are you possibly defending shooting a giraffe, in a zoo, by zookeepers.

[@johnho9546]

@@kevinsaviro2708 Because if you want a healthy genetic pool in this species, then culling can be essential to prevent inbreeding depression which results in unhealthy population for the future. Culling marius isn't pleasent, I also like giraffes, but what different was this to shooting a cow to be fed to a lion?

[@the_chosen_one5642]

@@johnho9546 you dont need to shoot it in front of the public though

[@SpookyEggs]

@@johnho9546 maybe because a giraffe is an endangered species, and even if they aren’t a suitable spouse I don’t see the need to murder them, imagine if the same standard was applied to humans.

[@Pjvenom1985]

When I was younger I went to the zoo because I loved animals, now as an adult I won't visit a zoo because I love animals. What is a zoo but a prison for those who have done nothing wrong.🌱 Informative video, I remember on a school trip seeing a Polar bear in Dublin zoo that had gone mad in captivity, was heart breaking.☘

[@vegronica9006]

The year before I went vegan I visited the local (very small) zoo in my new city, and was heartbroken seeing the seal exhibit with three of them in a pool smaller than the swimming pool I grew up with. One was going in circles and another was just staring at a concrete wall floating in place. That's when I knew I was done.

[@Pjvenom1985]

@@vegronica9006 Never nice to see, fair play for going Vegan and aligning your ethics to actions!☘💚

[@ecovegangeek]

😭

[@theantiveganchannel3596]

maybe because they fed the bear a vegan diet..

[@emanuelrodriguez6822]

I hope the guy that shot and dismembered the giraffe gets kidnapped.

[@FranciscoAlvarezTV]

I’m battling the Mayagüez Zoo here in Puerto Rico where animals are dying as a result of neglect in an environment for which they’re not suited. These prisoners are sentenced to this perpetual jail for simply being non-human. This is no way to live. Please do not sponsor and rebel against zoos. #UntilEveryCageIsEmpty

[@unknownentity9468]

If there is a donation page for your cause please let me know

[@trashcarcass]

I just subbed to your YT. I have a series called Vegans across the World, on my channel. I interviewed Nataly (the AV Organizer for Guaynabo) and we talked about that zoo. I also just interviewed Georges Hayek (Lebanese Vegans) and he was talking about working on shutting down their zoo, in Lebanon. Please watch those if you can! I think you all might be able to strengthen your campaigns if you strategize, together? Thank you for battling the zoo!

[@FranciscoAlvarezTV]

@@trashcarcass Very cool! Happy to have you. I'll be dropping a HUGE video tomorrow on which I've been working on for a week. Nataly is great. Wish I could go cubing more often!

[@iammohdali8543]

Zoo's are the only prisons where all the prisoners are innocent. When I was a child I used to go to zoo's because I loved animals now I avoid zoo's because I love animals

[@cherch4625]

definitely gonna steal that last sentence. powerful

[@iammohdali8543]

@@cherch4625 feel free to " steal " it 😂. Yes Its powerful because at one time you were lied to and after that you have awakened and can see the truth

[@makarios5946]

Well, couldn’t confinements of farm animals also be considered such prisons? Except I guess that all prisoners there are abused even more and are on a death row…

[@iammohdali8543]

@@makarios5946 not really since In animal agriculture animals are enslaved for short period of time and the purpose is different than a prison. But all these innocent beings as you said are on death row without doing anything wrong

[@uncledaybkk]

Well said. I feel the exact same!

[@devsie11915]

We see this in humans too. Self soothing actions like rocking, swaying, shaking. It’s amazing how many qualities we share, and how we blatantly, purposefully ignore these similarities so that we can go on enjoying our outings and our burgers.

[@cesaralvesdemoraes3187]

They do be tasty tho

[@JonahNelson7]

Yes. We're meant to be in much more tribal conditions

[@frederikkurstein3878]

My mom just asked me if I wanted to go to the zoo with the family tomorrow. I said no and showed her this video. Her response was “well their enclosures have actually gotten a lot bigger.” You just can’t win.

[@atti_odyssey]

Then she goes, “propaganda “

[@AxelBertilDahlstrom]

Yeah. My mom had me go to a rodeo with here I think about 1 year, and a half ago. I thought it would be an opportunity to educate her, and then she refused to believe taking a calf by the horns, and throwing it to the ground with full body strength, and then tying it’s legs together with some rope was painful. It’s really quite sad that people just don’t care for others. We have been in this state of apathy for far too long. We really need to start putting ourselves in other people’s(animals are people, too) shoes.

[@atti_odyssey]

@@AxelBertilDahlstrom That sucks, no empathy. Btw, do you know if Safari Parks are also bad?

[@AxelBertilDahlstrom]

@@atti_odyssey Some safaris are like sanctuaries, and others allow hunting, and abuse. They are better than zoos, and aquariums to an extent. Also the animals become to the point where they cannot survive the wild as well. They also risk disease transferred from people.

[@atti_odyssey]

@@AxelBertilDahlstrom hmmm, thanks

[@vegangaze]

Zoos do indeed need to be talked about more

[@Assassin99584]

Hypocrite

[@Assassin99584]

@Assassin 9958 found another cult drone

[@LeafProductions]

About how great they are lol

[@alipetuniashow]

@@AM-tb4fn educate yourself instead of being extremely gullible

[@AM-tb4fn]

@@alipetuniashow why don't you educate urself first?

[@carmendexter1260]

I work at a bird of prey centre, everything done at said centre is for the animals. We have a small gift shop, all the money made in there goes directly back to the animals. The birds are flown regularly and cleaned out every day. We educate people on vultures and endangered birds. without fail after every vulture talk we do someone tell us that they never knew about vultures, and want to donate to save them. We all put our whole heart in to the centre. For many zoo keepers their work is their entire life. Not all zoo's are bad

[@emilysaysmeowx3]

💖💖💖 represent

[@wolfiemix]

Sure, but I think the birds would rather fly miles free anytime THEY want. Just watch a documentary, no need to lock up the animals unless they can't be released.

[@emilysaysmeowx3]

@@wolfiemix if a person never works with a bird of prey that is kept for education, how will they know how to help a wild bird of prey that’s injured? Having hands on experience with an educational raptor could help someone get trained to be able to help raptors that need rehab.

[@avalcrawford]

@@wolfiemix most raptor centers only keep injured birds (limbs/wings that are amputated, eye problems, neuro problems) or have been imprinted (where they bond to humans and can never be released). These birds can’t live in the wild, they will die.

[@陳嘉宇-y4q]

@@wolfiemix They will be dead if they are released since most of them are bred in captivity and has no experience of surviving in the wild , that’s why training is needed before releasing

[@DepthsOfBlues]

Ed probably is the BEST vegan activist who can explain the truth well and discusses the situation with good knowledge and arguments. All love Ed

[@viviana8577]

His videos are top notch in every aspect it's wild

[@dodonodens8802]

Yeah not like the extremes

[@dodonodens8802]

When you’re extreme You make everyone in your group and your cause a joke.

[@peterbigo9951]

Alan’s he does all this and still manages to be a hypocrite.

[@ASMRyouVEGANyet]

@@peterbigo9951 how? You can't make such a claim and then just leave without evidence.

[@nitantpandey882]

This makes me feel impatient, deeply sad ,and helpless. And I know part of what Ed knows via his videos. I can't imagine how you manage your mental state as you read and research for these videos, Ed. Much Respect!

[@Adelicows]

The more I realize how many people don't care, the more depressed and hopeless I feel. It is encouraging though to know how fast veganism is growing🌱💕😘

[@celiaymarc]

@@Adelicows Same here...

[@StefaniaYoga]

My thoughts and feelings precisely.

[@oilybrakes]

His whole channel is built upon this "coming of end" idea that many of us are very sensitive to. It is your everyday sensationalism as we see, say, with Greta Th. and so on. Pick something, make a one-sided end of day report on it and get views. That being said, I am not dismissing his infos completely but I also don't agree with much of what he has to say, just from a common sense point of view or as someone who just happens to know about the other side of the coin.

[@kevinsaviro2708]

Oh well… in a 100 years climate change has us all killed. Just 100 years and animals have to suffer no more. The sad part is, they will die due to climate change as well.

[@alisiademi]

Horses also exhibit zoochosis in barnyards and stalls. We don't talk about horse riding enough as vegans. Some vegans even think horse riding is fine and ok

[@chickpea734]

its definitely not

[@pussthepupanddonkeythedog5135]

Then they’re not vegan.

[@JojoWasa57]

They should show this video in all schools

[@USA1492]

Yes and then let the children out to be free too. 🙏

[@sia1036]

they should show all of Ed's videos in schools! they're so good.

[@ivanak7149]

Absolutely

[@Azarilh]

They should put it in front of zoos while pople are coming in the zoos.

[@James-yj3rq]

It’s too bad one of the first field trips they take school children is to a zoo... either that or a supermarket

[@Inciliusnebulifer]

I used to work at a well known, accredited AZA zoo in a quarantine department with critically endangered toads. One year we had an unplanned mating and we began to raise up the tadpoles into toadlets to release back into the wild. But the vet decided that they werent wanted because they hadn't planned that pairing and there just wasn't the funds to raise them up over a month( would have only cost a few bucks) so the toadlets were dumped en masse into a cup filled with toxins...they were dead within a minute. A critically endangered species that we claimed to be trying to help, killed because they took nature into their own hands in a department so poorly funded and out of the public eye that we couldn't get a replacement squeegee, but it's okay the zoo found money to get all the chimps new ipads

[@Redstoneprime316]

Accredited zoos actually care for the animals, so there was 100% some sort of reason the toadlets were euthanised.

[@lordofcaturn5491]

Loved the zoo as a child but once I became a teenager I could see how depressed these animals were and how unnatural it was and it pissed me off that people were making a profit from it. Haven’t been to a zoo since. Wonderful video as always Ed 💜

[@antipetaassociation4279]

in well managed zoos animals have huge naturalistic areas and do pretty well.

[@jinglangu8125]

There have different type of zoos in the world. I have seen several bad zoos in my travel. They can fall into two camps. Some zoos are bad though commercial ‘penny pinching’ and some are bad though ignorance (Dickinson, 2022). Fortunately, These zoo are changing and fewer and fewer exist nowadays. Closing zoos or not going to zoos may not be the best solution. The main solution is education. Zoos and aquariums have the opportunity to educate the public and inform them the plight of the animals in their original habitat and instill wildlife appreciation sense. We can not deny that zoos have do a lot of animal conservation.The animals can be ‘parked’ at the conservation zoos until they have ability to return back to the wild or have a chance survive in the natural environment (Science Daily, 2011).Every year the World Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s members have spend roughly US$350 million on conservation projects on the wild (Wild Welfare, n.d.). Additionally, Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo have strengthen endangered California condor population after 10 years working (Dickinson, 2022). Beside, to ensure survival for many threatened and endangered species in the planet, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) participate in Species Survival programs. For example, reintroduction programs, captive breeding, public education etc (Bove, 2021).

[@hyenaboy7504]

So, you're pissed that conservationists are making money?

[@Gmal51]

William Oscar Garvin: the problem is the animals don't have freedom because of the hunters killing them. That's why now people are keeping them in zoos to keep them safe from the hunters And if we didn't , I guarantee we We'll never get the chance to see the animals which I think that will happen And what do you have to say about that And what do you think about that.

[@R.S_Howell]

The same people who won't accept that zoos aren't good for animals are the same people who get pissed off when you tell them that you shouldn't feed ducks bread.

[@harveyplantharvester1502]

At least the ducks are free.

[@uspjehzvijezda4757]

Today's people are like zombies, they don't know who they are, Who is their Supreme Father, what they do here, where will they go soon, no any important thing of life they know, they threw that piece of bread to the swans and ducks and instantly, they forgot that they threw it.. Poor they...

[@viviana8577]

And probs the same people who got sick of being stuck at home. That was all of us

[@ASMRyouVEGANyet]

Weird equivalence. Anytime I've told someone not to feed ducks bread they thank me for the information.

[@peterbigo9951]

Just because it’s not very nutritious for them doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed them, we all eat stuff we shouldn’t. What’s the difference.

[@MayaPapayaa]

This is such important knowledge. Zoos are not happy places and I can't believe people still view them as such. But that's why information like this must be spread far and wide. Thanks for making this.

[@alipetuniashow]

You really are delusional, educate yourself on zoos and facilities before making dumb statements

[@yoyoyooo4735]

I get more and more depressive every year when i see how in generell animals suffer and especially elephants. I spend money every year to elephant organisations but it seems like even with all the years the organisations cant handle the decrease of elephant deaths. In the near future Elephants are the most in endangered animal on the plant. And the fact that these animals are so intelligent makes it even more hard because imagen you lost your family member or you are stuck in a mudwhole and you will die. And all the suffer because humans, i can understand people who hate other humans.

[@Gmal51]

WilliamOscarGarvin:guess what Even if animals get depressed, but guess what One thing I don't realize is that there already been hunted out in the wild by the poachers, if it wasn't forther zoos.I guarantee if we don't see animals alive todayWell, guess what? Even if animals get depressed, but guess what? One thing I don't realize is that there already been hunted out in the wild by the poachers, if it wasn't for the zoo I guarantee we don't see animals alive today So is that the way we want that to happen and release them out back out of the wild.

[@Gmal51]

William Oscar Garvin: plus animals will be extinct out the wild anyway, if it wasn't for people putting them in the zoo. So I guess that's the way we are going to go that way, allowing hunters to Hunt them if that's what you people argue about the zoo's being bad for the animals and what do You have to Say about that people. What do you at think about that? What should we do about them hunters

[@jaycahuenga6416]

The last time I was at the zoo is when I was in about 3rd grade. I never heard of anything called "zoochosia" then but I faintly remember some of the other animals were pacing around but of course I didn't understand then. Seeing videos like this is really an eye opener. It's like the animal version of a mental hospital/jail Saddening.

[@plantpowered269]

I am so ashamed with my earlier pictures with dolphins in captivity (((😥 Excellent video, very informative. Ed is the gift to humanity!

[@kathleenrenee58]

Don’t beat yourself up. When you know better, you do better. 😊

[@Capcommunist]

Auto like 👍🏽 How can a human not be moved by animals suffering like this? This is really sad. Full stop. Brings me such sorrow I just don’t understand how you could be aware of this suffering, see it, know it’s happening, yet still participate and contribute to the suffering.😔 Ed never stop your work. 🌱

[@fpcoleman57]

In 2005 I took my grandson to London Zoo at Regents Park. The only thing I really remember was when we were beside the thick glass barrier of the gorilla enclosure. We were surrounded by a large group of schoolchildren and some adults. On the other side of the glass was a gorilla sitting against a climbing structure no more than 3 metres away. The gorilla was staring at a fixed point some 4 to 5 metres in front of him. The thing that got me was the expression on his face. He was obviously severely depressed. I've never forgotten that!

[@TheFlippyNioa]

I really appreciate this video. I have had a complicated relationship with zoos for most of my life. I'm studying wildlife ecology, so for a long time it was my dream to work at a zoo. Until one day I went to an interview for an internship at one. It is the largest zoo in Wisconsin. It looked amazing from an outside perspective, but I was taken on a tour through the whole zoo. The overwinter cages were tiny, I walked into one of the buildings containing the animals and they were in cages the size of horse stalls, screaming. I looked to my left and saw body parts of a deer in a barrel (captive deer were free-ranging the zoo just outside the building..). After the whole tour I was shown the area in which rats were bred for food. They asked me if I would be comfortable killing rats each day by whacking their heads on the counter until death. I said no. That shook me a bit. Out of curiosity I wondered how anyone could stand doing an internship there, I mean, my professors recommended it to me. I emailed a previous intern and she told me that the whole thing was a horrible experience. She said the walk-through parakeet garden often had problems with guests stepping on the birds. The interns were told to stomp the birds to put them out of their misery if they were injured. After that whole experience I decided it is much too hard to figure out which zoos are "good" zoos and which zoos are exploitative and in it for only the money. Many of them look so beautiful from the outside, but the nature of capitalism encourages exploitation. Perhaps captivity is not inherently bad, but I cannot trust zoos anymore.

[@lbeschrich]

Omg, that's a horrific story.... I can't imagine doing that job either. 😢😢😢

[@eugenetswong]

That makes me genuinely sad. Thank you for sharing.

[@JunGotoVegan]

I understand that the general public is unaware and unconscious about animal agriculture as its practices are carried out in a closed system or “in the dark” but it’s disappointing that people don’t recognize the obvious and literal confinement and exploitation of animals when it is happening RIGHT IN FRONT of them at zoos. Activists and people really need to spread this message and awareness to break this moral hiatus in humanity.

[@justroberto5052]

In many conversations I’ve had with people they are always under the impression that zoos operate for the benefit of conservation, or at least it’s the common “justification” they use, propaganda runs deeeep.

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@justroberto5052 How do you think the California Condor and the Guam rail came back from extinction in the wild? How do you think tens of insects and herps came back from extinction in the wild or from being critically endangered? Who do you think has programs to teach farming to people in places where poaching is happening due to people needing to find a way to pay for food for their families? Who do you think takes in animals that were raised in apartments or in bathtubs that could never be returned to the wild? Who do you think takes in injured animals that wouldn't survive another day in their natural environments? Who do you think is basically the only people in the world that actually do something to help animals, their environments, and the ecosystem? Accredited zoos.

[@justroberto5052]

@@ipurpleu1668 a lot of that is government run programs.

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@justroberto5052 in zoos. Where else do you think they do it?

[@buddyguypalfriend]

@@ipurpleu1668 At national parks and actual legitimate sanctuaries. Facilities built for the wellbeing of the animals, not the entertainment and profit of humans.

[@MukulVyas5]

Great video as usual Ed. Animal exploitation and cruelty in zoos is often ignored.

[@1lizzieh]

I never realized how much conservation washing zoos did. With all the recent advances in animatronics, we really have no excuse to continue torturing real animals (not that we ever did).

[@Assassin99584]

Hypocrite

[@scrymnstrs1380]

Not only can we use animatronics, we can also use virtual reality.

[@Assassin99584]

@Assassin 9958 more cult drone nonsense

[@Assassin99584]

@Assassin 9958 nice projection cult drone

[@Assassin99584]

@Assassin 9958 more vegan cult insanity

[@lucifernazaedi]

I’m going to add this: it *depends* on many factors if a zoo is good or bad. In fact, there is no black and white answer. (Imagine that!) Zoos can be bad if the enclosures are way too small for the animal (like if you put a lion in a small kennel or a snake in a container where it can’t stretch out), and if there’s no enrichments in their area (like rocks and plants according to the animal). It can also obviously be bad if the animals aren’t properly taken care of as well as if the animals were just captured from the wild (unless for exceptions). Zoos can also be good for many reasons. Zoos can help stop extinction in a species which has happened many times before. They also are the best option for captive-bred animals since that’s all they know and if you put them in the wild, they will most certainly die. And animals can be happy and healthy (which in many zoos actually are) if they are being properly taken care of and have a sizable living environment. Zoos can also be very educational for children and adults. Of course there’s more that could be discussed but you shouldn’t take something and give it a black and white answer since that’s just not the reality. Zoos can be very bad and zoos can also be very good. It *depends*

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@okayum This video is extremely bias and by someone with no authority to be speaking about conservation. Do you really think that bringing back animals, such as the Guam rail and California Condor, from extinction in the wild isn't a good enough reason? Do you think bringing back hundreds of insects and herps came from extinction in the wild or from being critically endangered isn't good enough? Do you think having programs to teach farming to people in places where poaching is happening due to people needing to find a way to pay for food for their families isn't good enough? Do you think taking in animals that were raised in apartments or in bathtubs that could never be returned to the wild isn't good enough? Do you think taking in injured animals that wouldn't survive another day in their natural environments isn't good enough? Every argument in this video was bias. I agree there are terrible zoos in the world and that it's important to target those zoos. However, bashing places that are making a difference hurts them. Zoos, even accredited ones, get little funding and all of it goes back to the animals, education programs, and conservation. We need visitors to make a difference! That is why there is money involved. It's quite sad that you believe points made by an amateur with no credentials over the biologists, zoologists, and wildlife scientists that work in and with zoos.

[@okayum]

@@ipurpleu1668 I've been thinking about this all day and yeah you're right, shouldn't have commented

[@Gekumatz]

@@okayum nah hes right.

[@antipetaassociation4279]

very true

[@Meandmybigback]

@@ipurpleu1668 Oh wow i agree with you a 100%

[@5calia]

So well done, thank you! I kept my daughter home today from a zoo field trip. We just watched this together and learned so much. We'll be following up with letters to the school. This afternoon we're visiting a farm animal sanctuary instead and we'll be bringing home some rescue hens so it will be a special day ✨ thanks for being part of it

[@Redstoneprime316]

Does the sanctuary have lions, wolves, hyenas, foxes, and red pandas?

[@fiftyf00tqueenie42]

The story about Maurice the giraffe almost made me throw up. Poor baby. The danger of zoos is that people who love animals don’t think about the animals being there day after day or year after year. They see them for 5/10 minutes and take a picture and move on. It breaks my heart.

[@lolly5453]

This broke me, I want to cry for these poor animals 💔 I’ve heard of the horrors these captive animals endure, but still didn’t know the half of it - the truth is even more horrific than I could’ve imagined. Wtf is wrong with people, treating animals in these disgusting, degrading and damaging ways? When will we learn to leave the animals TF alone? 😓😓😓 That day cannot come soon enough.

[@viviana8577]

I teared up too

[@johnho9546]

Not all zoos are bad, I know a list of zoos which its animals exhibit normal behaviours as seen in its wild conspecifics. A lot of zoos provide environmental enrichment which help stimulate naturalistic behaviours and increases its activity time budget. Furthermore, I've seen an abundance of zoos which its enclosures are well designed and have done a great job of replicating its wild form. Zoos have come a long way from its first generation of enclosure design of metal bars and concrete floors - these can still be seen in many countries where the main focus of terrible conditions are. But currently, lots of modern zoos have come a long way in their enclosure design in which their as naturalistic as possible and helps meet the behavioural and physiological needs of the animals in its collections.

[@ipurpleu1668]

Zoos do not treat animals in disgusting, degrading, and damaging ways. At least accredited institutions don't. These animals have better care, food, and healthcare than most humans do. They have more room than what is even seen by the public and live very stress-free lives. Studies show that most animals live longer under human care and that they have lower stress-levels under human care. Professional human care! And here is also the thing, there is no wild for these animals! Everyone keeps saying things like 'they belong in the wild', 'put them back in the wild', etc. There is barely a wild to put these animals back into. And if there is, they do! Zoos are responsible for bringing back MULTIPLE species from extinction in the wild. For example, the Guam rail has been extinct in the wild for over 20 years and thanks to accredited zoos, they are back in the wild with a sustainable populations. Same with California Condors and many other species. Of course there are bad zoos, I am 100% for speaking out about places that harm and abuse their animals. But simplifing it into this black and white situation is just wrong.

[@antipetaassociation4279]

not all zoos are bad

[@Penguinstudios123]

@@johnho9546 watch the video again. Every good point of a zoo can be done with a sanctuary instead. Zoos are just for human entertainment, exploiting animals

[@AaronMetallion]

This channel is why I went vegan 5 years ago, but I cannot begin to describe how far this channel has come since. It is absolutely the greatest educational resource for any new and aspiring vegan. It tackles such a host of issues, every myth / argument against veganism, and presents it in the most logical, rational, and factual manner. Ed, I'm just so proud of you. I don't have vegan friends, and my family doesn't support my decisions at all, but I find solace in this channel. Thank you for all you do for the animals. I can't wait to read your book

[@barbwirefence4673]

Thank you for being vegan, my friend🙏💚

[@ipurpleu1668]

Why are you believing points made by an amateur with no credentials over the biologists, zoologists, and wildlife scientists that work in and with zoos?

[@helenageerts2115]

@@ipurpleu1668biologists, zoologists and wildlife scientists aren’t saying anything different, they’re just keeping there mouth shut about this topic.

[@velvetsunshine11]

I am so happy this video was made. More videos and awareness on the cruelty of zoos and aquariums need to be made and shared

[@ImGoingCrazyAbouThis]

As someone who has been vegan for only a year now, your videos are so incredibly insightful also when it comes to topics beside consuming animal products. I really wasn't sure how I felt about zoos, as I had not really done research on it before. Never would I have thought that the condition these zoo animals live in were this dire; that so many are killed, are on psychiatric drugs and die so much earlier then their wilde life counterparts. Thank you for educating me!

[@kaijuvegan]

Another efficient, visually stunning, and expertly put together edit. Learned a lot from this, and definitely want to check out that book. Thanks. 💚👏

[@viviana8577]

Ikr, his videos are beyond professional. It feels a huge crew made this.

[@themotions5967]

Not really it had a lot wrong that I already addressed As someone studying zoology, animal behavior, animal husbandry, and welfare you have either misrepresented or downright not given full information on most of the topics of concern you covered in this video. This is disappointing to say the least considering you have such a large platform and people looking to you for accurate perspective . I and going to Andrews some of the topics of conversation brought up and address them in a full light so you as well as the audience can revaluate the conclusions you have drawn here Starting with “zoochosis” which is not even a realistic term to describe stereotypical behaviors as they happen for wildly different positive and negative reasons for various animals it’s not just the same for every species and it’s not just “cause captivity” Have you ever noticed that most animals seem doing these behaviors are in poorly designed or ill structured/outdated habitats, or belong to small for profit zoos that aren’t welfare accredited facilities. It’s because stress related stereotypical behaviors aren’t simply a issue of a animal not in its natural habitat but of poor habitat design. Their are many animals that live lives free of stereotypical behavior in properly designed habitats But shockingly enough many stereotypical behaviors aren’t even necessarily negative. Many stereotypical behaviors are actually associated more with excitement or keepers interaction pacing or running is also behavior synonymous with keeper interaction and yes as I said excitement or even curiosity As for reintroduction and conservation programs and contributions it’s not just the direct conservation programs and reintroduction programs zoos fund directly but the ones they co fund, supply research for, and supply specialist to assist with. Also reintroduction that were either started or contributed by zoos are not rare in fact AZA zoos contribute or aid most of the larger integration conservation efforts the USA participates in As far as education not only are they educating the public, but with education of specialist, and the education value of research they are doing and public resourced made available to larger conservation institutions. As far as lifespans go I will agree not many facilities keep elephants or cetaceans well. In fact only a select few do it anywhere near properly. However have you looked at the captive lifespans for animals such as lions, tigers, bears, primates, and ungulates? They are much higher than wild lifespans some are doubled even tripled. Even with elephants and cetaceans not normally meeting Their wild lifespans in zoos their are many zoos and aquariums that have these same animals exceeding their lifespans under new care guidelines and standards. “Elephants roam large distances in the wild” yes they do, but not as a physics need to exercise, elephants roam to follow seasonal food and water supplies. Areas that have dense food and water supplies have generations of elephants staying in the same smaller area without ever migrating. Also it has been proven that enrichment programs are better for animals physically and mentally than just large spaces. There are elephants in sanctuaries with insanely large areas to roam, and they show more stress related stereotypical behavior than elephants in zoological facilities because of poor enrichment programs. The same goes with cetaceans in sea side sanctuaries and sea pens, many even die due to complication and self harm related to poor mental health due to a lack of enrichment programs. “Elephants are taken from the wild” They have been for zoological facility programs in the US it’s true, but the animals involved were problem males, males taken from games reserves, and females and caves that were seized from the animal illegal trade or separated from their herds. They didn’t just fly in and take random wild elephants most of the animals they took would have died if left were they were As far as inbreeding goes. I can’t speak of the EAZA but the AZA has a dna track and register for all animals they breed. Inbreeding hasn’t been a factor in decades. Same goes to killing animals the AZA doesn’t do this they have locos relationships with sanctuaries when surplus animals are to be had, but normally breeding programs are highly regulated Alter and only done when approved by a board of animal welfare specialist. “Most animals in zoos aren’t endangered” true however many of not all have endangered and critically endangered populations that face local extinction “1$ to a conservation is better than 1$ to a zoo” Not necessarily true or entirely the entire story. When someone buys a AZA zoo ticket they aren’t just supporting conservation organizations the zoos donate to they are funding rescue vet programs, conservation, rescue, and rehab programs the zoo takes on as a independent facility, local research, local conservation, and the education and research he of student biologist, ecologist, vets, and animal behaviorist. Also most of the footage shown here were from smaller or poorly ran facilities. I don’t want to believe this was intentionally manipulative imagery to assist your side of the debate, so I will say this it is on us to advocate for proper zoological and marine zoological gardens. This means not only AZA/EAZA accredited, but welfare accredited facilities, that have open information regarding all rescue work, rehab work, donations to conservation/research, have their own educational programs, conservation programs, and public research, are constantly improving animal care standards as part of their stated mission, and ones who have a legitimate history in doing these things. In short zoos are not what they used to be if you lion at zoos 60 years ago you will see abuse, and exploitation, but that isn’t what the necessarily are today and defiantly not what they hope to be in the future. Be a advocate for improvement, change, and evolution zoos and aquariums are on a decent track and do a lot of good if we can push them to become something h even better and even more than they are now the possibilities are endless Look up the wilds in Ohio they are a sister location of Cincinnati zoo they keep large mammals and carnivores in open sanctuary like conditions, look up Nashville zoo who has some of the best animal care standards for the species they keep in the us including all sanctuaries and zoos. Give Tennessee Aquarium a look they have immense natural environments for even their smallest animals many of their local fish species are in a bio dome that is a Appalachian riverside that has a weather system and seasons, most of their larger animals are rescues, and many of the smaller ones are bred in house for research active programs

[@Molscheira]

I'd be so happy if Ed got a Netflix deal or sth similar to further the reach of these important messages!

[@digitalobserved]

Once again, this series is phenomenal in it's execution, and I fully support it. Unfortunately it results in me feeling more and more hopeless for humanity and my place in it. I guess it's the price I pay for being informed about the nature of reality.

[@themotions5967]

Not really it has a lot wrong Here’s a list I addressed As someone studying zoology, animal behavior, animal husbandry, and welfare you have either misrepresented or downright not given full information on most of the topics of concern you covered in this video. This is disappointing to say the least considering you have such a large platform and people looking to you for accurate perspective . I and going to Andrews some of the topics of conversation brought up and address them in a full light so you as well as the audience can revaluate the conclusions you have drawn here Starting with “zoochosis” which is not even a realistic term to describe stereotypical behaviors as they happen for wildly different positive and negative reasons for various animals it’s not just the same for every species and it’s not just “cause captivity” Have you ever noticed that most animals seem doing these behaviors are in poorly designed or ill structured/outdated habitats, or belong to small for profit zoos that aren’t welfare accredited facilities. It’s because stress related stereotypical behaviors aren’t simply a issue of a animal not in its natural habitat but of poor habitat design. Their are many animals that live lives free of stereotypical behavior in properly designed habitats But shockingly enough many stereotypical behaviors aren’t even necessarily negative. Many stereotypical behaviors are actually associated more with excitement or keepers interaction pacing or running is also behavior synonymous with keeper interaction and yes as I said excitement or even curiosity As for reintroduction and conservation programs and contributions it’s not just the direct conservation programs and reintroduction programs zoos fund directly but the ones they co fund, supply research for, and supply specialist to assist with. Also reintroduction that were either started or contributed by zoos are not rare in fact AZA zoos contribute or aid most of the larger integration conservation efforts the USA participates in As far as education not only are they educating the public, but with education of specialist, and the education value of research they are doing and public resourced made available to larger conservation institutions. As far as lifespans go I will agree not many facilities keep elephants or cetaceans well. In fact only a select few do it anywhere near properly. However have you looked at the captive lifespans for animals such as lions, tigers, bears, primates, and ungulates? They are much higher than wild lifespans some are doubled even tripled. Even with elephants and cetaceans not normally meeting Their wild lifespans in zoos their are many zoos and aquariums that have these same animals exceeding their lifespans under new care guidelines and standards. “Elephants roam large distances in the wild” yes they do, but not as a physics need to exercise, elephants roam to follow seasonal food and water supplies. Areas that have dense food and water supplies have generations of elephants staying in the same smaller area without ever migrating. Also it has been proven that enrichment programs are better for animals physically and mentally than just large spaces. There are elephants in sanctuaries with insanely large areas to roam, and they show more stress related stereotypical behavior than elephants in zoological facilities because of poor enrichment programs. The same goes with cetaceans in sea side sanctuaries and sea pens, many even die due to complication and self harm related to poor mental health due to a lack of enrichment programs. “Elephants are taken from the wild” They have been for zoological facility programs in the US it’s true, but the animals involved were problem males, males taken from games reserves, and females and caves that were seized from the animal illegal trade or separated from their herds. They didn’t just fly in and take random wild elephants most of the animals they took would have died if left were they were As far as inbreeding goes. I can’t speak of the EAZA but the AZA has a dna track and register for all animals they breed. Inbreeding hasn’t been a factor in decades. Same goes to killing animals the AZA doesn’t do this they have locos relationships with sanctuaries when surplus animals are to be had, but normally breeding programs are highly regulated Alter and only done when approved by a board of animal welfare specialist. “Most animals in zoos aren’t endangered” true however many of not all have endangered and critically endangered populations that face local extinction “1$ to a conservation is better than 1$ to a zoo” Not necessarily true or entirely the entire story. When someone buys a AZA zoo ticket they aren’t just supporting conservation organizations the zoos donate to they are funding rescue vet programs, conservation, rescue, and rehab programs the zoo takes on as a independent facility, local research, local conservation, and the education and research he of student biologist, ecologist, vets, and animal behaviorist. Also most of the footage shown here were from smaller or poorly ran facilities. I don’t want to believe this was intentionally manipulative imagery to assist your side of the debate, so I will say this it is on us to advocate for proper zoological and marine zoological gardens. This means not only AZA/EAZA accredited, but welfare accredited facilities, that have open information regarding all rescue work, rehab work, donations to conservation/research, have their own educational programs, conservation programs, and public research, are constantly improving animal care standards as part of their stated mission, and ones who have a legitimate history in doing these things. In short zoos are not what they used to be if you lion at zoos 60 years ago you will see abuse, and exploitation, but that isn’t what the necessarily are today and defiantly not what they hope to be in the future. Be a advocate for improvement, change, and evolution zoos and aquariums are on a decent track and do a lot of good if we can push them to become something h even better and even more than they are now the possibilities are endless Look up the wilds in Ohio they are a sister location of Cincinnati zoo they keep large mammals and carnivores in open sanctuary like conditions, look up Nashville zoo who has some of the best animal care standards for the species they keep in the us including all sanctuaries and zoos. Give Tennessee Aquarium a look they have immense natural environments for even their smallest animals many of their local fish species are in a bio dome that is a Appalachian riverside that has a weather system and seasons, most of their larger animals are rescues, and many of the smaller ones are bred in house for research active programs

[@conradkorbol]

Look up how much zoos help insects. Then look up how much guys like this donate to help insects. You will realize that people like him are full of shit.

[@michiel1162]

Stop blindly believing a yt video and do some critical drinking for yourself

[@spinoguy9775]

You make some really good point but i also think you take it to the extreme: Not all zoos prioritize the captive breeding over the wellfare of the animals and many take care of the animals even if they can no longer reproduce: my local zoo keept his old rhino until it pass of old age; they even save some springbok that were going to be shot down because of incompatible gene pool; the same zoo have a successful breeding programm for their cople of bearded vulture whose chicks have been successfully returned to the wild. The reason many zoos can’t reproduce ad many critically endangered animals its because of their critically endangered and not easy to obtain or maintain, because of certain features or diet Yes, many animals kept in zoos are not threatened, but they are also individual that are injured or can’t be released in the wild Also i dont think its fare saying that captive breeding program have low success, there are many animals saved from extinction by captive breeding: California condor, Addax, Scimitar oryx, Spix’s macaw and Père David’s deer that are extint in the wild and only survive in captivity Heck, look at giant panda and the result of their captive breeding program That been said, i agree that certain animals are not suited for the life in captivity, especially intelligent animals like whale, dolphins, elephants, and the majority of the big ape (or at least they have to be kept in a suited habitat), but i don’t think national reserve are impeccable either, a poacher can sneake easily under the radar of ranger in a vast area even if its a protected area, and protected area can’t save animals from climate change, drought or illness So I think we SHOULDN’T antagonize ALL zoo but begin to distinguish which ones really care about animal protection and the one that are open only to take profit

[@bvegannow1936]

All zoos are bad cuz the animals Wana be free. Injured animals can go to a rehabilitation center who only keeps animals who are so sick or injured that they will likely die quickly if released, and try to fix the animals so they can be released. Breeding animals shouldn't be allowed. They don't Wana be locked up. They often do not want their private parts touched. If an endangered animals wants to breed it should be their choice free in the wild, not humans choice. just cuz a species isn't as intelligent doesn't mean it's ok to lock that species up. would u rather be locked in prison for life for your own safety? No. Would u rather live a long life locked in a prison cell, or a short life free? Most probably choose short free life. No one likes being locked up against their will... I prefer they be free than be saved from extinction. Why do u care if they r extincted or not?, Especially if they r just going to sit in a zoo, they arnt benifiting the environment or ecology in a zoo. If putting them in a zoo to protect them from poachers then your going to release them back into the wild, it's better to just protect the wild endangered animals from poachers and from people damageing the animals wild habitat they need to live in the first place. Donate to wild life rangers who do that instead of supporting zoos. Promote veganism cuz animal agriculture is a leading cause of animal endangerment and extinction by farmers taking over and damageing the animals wild habitat and killing endangered animals who may eat their livestock or crops. Don't lock up the victim which is the animal. Lock up the criminal which is the poacher. But many zoos have no intention of ever putting them back into the wild cuz they care about money cuz zoos are for entertainment, plus they sometimes make up excuses like the animal is to dumb or tame torward humans to put in the wild, but it can be trained to live in the wild, there r various cases of people training animals born in capitivity who were socialized to humans to go live in the wild successfully.

[@crispyshallots668]

@@bvegannow1936 I wouldn’t use ‘farmers take away native animal’s habitat to farm animals’ as an argument to go vegan considering some of the ‘essential’ vegan foods like avocados and almonds are notorious for this.

[@pearllady8959]

@@bvegannow1936 zoo can be beneficial like example pandas. Pandas is bad at breeding yet parenting. They breed once 2 year and Give birth 1 offspring. If they give birth twin they only care 1 of it and ignore rest. Without zoo this can drive them to extinction.

[@vela_pulsars]

To be fair, there are hunters that snuck in a zoo for some trophies a few years ago in France.

[@RedQuill13]

@@bvegannow1936 I think you're missing the point here... I understand what you mean about an animal not wanting to mate and reproduce, but if it means the extinction for them not to do so, it must be done to ensure they are there in the long run. And I understand your point of them not effecting the ecology from within a zoo, but the reintroduction of their offspring will effect the environment. Repopulation efforts are already being done for grey wolves, black bears, and mountain lions in missouri to curb the deer population. When humans first fully settled in the area, these large carnivores and omnivores were hunted and displaced. Thus deer have become a pest to us as they arent able to be trimmed down all the way, even with yearly hunting. So, the reintroduction of a species is vital. It is also being done with animals that were bred in captivity but released into the wild. And I think that's a great thing. Not only for the large predators, but for the deer as well. Over population leads to illnesses spreading more easily and famine spreading quickly. Not to mention public safety, especially when it comes to car accidents caused by the deer. So a lower population means the remaining population will be happier. And all of this can happen due to captive breeding programs.

[@EPrice282]

Fantastic video Ed. Hope this gets shared widely. I was always torn about zoo's since i was taking on board what the zoo's themselves would say about their own ethics. Think i know which side of the fence i'm on now

[@veganly.ever.after.]

perfect!! my daughter's teacher has a field trip to the zoo this year.. and i was looking for a video i could show him to change his mind. I"m hoping we can instead take the kids to an animal sanctuary. This is exactly what i was looking for! as always, the best speaker for the animals!! Thanks Ed!

[@Franz19970]

I spend 24 days in solidarity confinement in jail. Where you are in a small cell with the lights on 24/7. With nothing to distract you. Also just get a suicide blanket instead of clothes. The guy in the cell next to me would scream on top of his lungs. It was obvious he was in a psychotic state. I'm sure such conditions are bad for animals too. Even if they are not so extreme

[@Azarilh]

« Oh hey, let'z go having fun watching depressed individuals in prisons and then let's have dinner eating other individuals while having so much fun! :D » This is the logic of the majority of people... and most of them don't even realise it. I'm so done with life...

[@verdantis9960]

I feel you. :c

[@theotheseaeagle]

Most zoos keep track of the individuals they are breeding, in order to prevent inbreeding and take related animals to other zoos if there’s a threat of inbreeding

[@RoxxieDymond]

This makes me sick. I want to throw up. I haven't supported a zoo in over 3 years but this makes me wants to start protests and boycotts in my city. Houston's Zoo is pretty huge & I've never wanted it to come down more.

[@ipurpleu1668]

Why are believing a amateur with no credentials on the topic over the biologists, zoologists, and wildlife scientists that studied for years who work in and with accredited zoos?

[@aurasphereDavid]

The human being is the craziest animal that ever was and will be on Earth

[@downwithtrudeau]

People do similar things when they're locked up in jail.

[@youroriginalhealth]

Great reporting Ed! Yeah, indeed, horrible confined spaces for animals that need to roam FREE! But, I see the day coming where they all finally be closed and where the youth of tomorrow will see and learn about exotic animals through holograms, as this technology is rapidly improving. Costa Rica, a small nation in central America, has already banned animals to be in captivity, like zoos and circuses! So, a step in the right direction. And when it comes to conservation, we need to put our resources together to fund the protection of Earth's natural habitats, a more kind and natural way to preserve our beautiful creatures! Let's maintain HOPE!

[@lemurlover7975]

Wow :) That is so cool about Costa Rica :)

[@Ryodraco]

Honestly a lot of this video sounds more convincing as an argument against the keeping of animal species that don't do well in zoos rather than an argument to get rid of zoos. After all it's been well documented most animals live longer and healthier lives in captivity than in the wild, yet the video focuses on a select few species that don't.

[@cornsockgabz]

The species that live longer in zoos are typically those with a short life span, high reproductive rate and high mortality in the wild. Species with a slower pace of life (i.e. a long life span, low reproduction rate and low mortality in the wild) benefit less from captivity in terms of longevity; in such species, there is probably less potential for a reduction in mortality. Besides that, it was mentioned in the video how they are medicating animals due to the intense stress of the supposed "wellbeing" that is being given to them by the zoos. I would argue that saying "longer _and_ healthier" is not really accurate considering mental health is more complex than the simple removal of threats in lieu of a sanitised and caged environment. I think also the main reason Ed focuses on these animals, is because those are the ones which attract the most people to zoos, and the footage speaks for itself.

[@Ryodraco]

@@cornsockgabz certainly, but claiming zoos deny an animal mental health ignores all the ways good zoos address this through variousforms of enrichment and exercise. Not to mention all the stresses of life in the wild that animals in zoos don't have to deal with.

[@LibRoseITM]

Arrgh this issue is so hard for me. Its hard to say to my 3 year old "no more zoos for you" and know that she could go on to not remembering having ever been to a zoo. On the other hand we tell her "we don't drink cows milk, it's for the baby cows", "we don't eat chicken because it's not nice to hurt chickens.". So we're doing the same thing with her food. Why is it so hard for me to reconsile never taking her to a zoo again? Thanks for educating us with this Ed, it's a really well done video :)

[@雷-t3j]

If you do enough research you could probably find a zoo that is not terrible for the animals and take her there. Some animals can deal with captivity better, and going to zoo's with animals from the area or at least climate you're in would help. Researching more about how much space the animals get and what the conditions are could end up finding a great zoo. Even if the vast majority of zoo's are terrible, especially in situations where they're trying to keep large tropical animals in small cold cages, you'll never know if you don't try and find out.

[@annearocho6707]

Elephants are so intelligent, I wonder if the in captivity infanticide happens because they don't want their child to grow up there

[@babeena_gt_3645]

I hate zoos and circuses and stupid petting zoos in fares. These poor innocent animals deserve to be free.

[@drakestallworth3621]

But they can’t be freed. Idk how it is in Europe but here in the states, zoo animals are all unreleasable

[@reedclippings8991]

So grateful you took the time to approach this! This is the most comprehensive argument for this point I've seen online. I had to do a lot of research before choosing not to attend an AZA zoo with my friends about a month ago. This would have saved me, and surely will save many others, a ton of time.

[@themotions5967]

He was entirely wrong about AZA zoos All animals in AZA facilities are either rescues, rehab cases, members of vital research programs, or members of accredited species survival programs The funding these facilities raise goes to conservation efforts, research, rehabilitation, rescue, animal care, sprocket medical expenses and the education. And did if. Of future professionals in these fields. As for the video he had a lot blatantly wrong See here As someone studying zoology, animal behavior, animal husbandry, and welfare you have either misrepresented or downright not given full information on most of the topics of concern you covered in this video. This is disappointing to say the least considering you have such a large platform and people looking to you for accurate perspective . I and going to Andrews some of the topics of conversation brought up and address them in a full light so you as well as the audience can revaluate the conclusions you have drawn here Starting with “zoochosis” which is not even a realistic term to describe stereotypical behaviors as they happen for wildly different positive and negative reasons for various animals it’s not just the same for every species and it’s not just “cause captivity” Have you ever noticed that most animals seem doing these behaviors are in poorly designed or ill structured/outdated habitats, or belong to small for profit zoos that aren’t welfare accredited facilities. It’s because stress related stereotypical behaviors aren’t simply a issue of a animal not in its natural habitat but of poor habitat design. Their are many animals that live lives free of stereotypical behavior in properly designed habitats But shockingly enough many stereotypical behaviors aren’t even necessarily negative. Many stereotypical behaviors are actually associated more with excitement or keepers interaction pacing or running is also behavior synonymous with keeper interaction and yes as I said excitement or even curiosity As for reintroduction and conservation programs and contributions it’s not just the direct conservation programs and reintroduction programs zoos fund directly but the ones they co fund, supply research for, and supply specialist to assist with. Also reintroduction that were either started or contributed by zoos are not rare in fact AZA zoos contribute or aid most of the larger integration conservation efforts the USA participates in As far as education not only are they educating the public, but with education of specialist, and the education value of research they are doing and public resourced made available to larger conservation institutions. As far as lifespans go I will agree not many facilities keep elephants or cetaceans well. In fact only a select few do it anywhere near properly. However have you looked at the captive lifespans for animals such as lions, tigers, bears, primates, and ungulates? They are much higher than wild lifespans some are doubled even tripled. Even with elephants and cetaceans not normally meeting Their wild lifespans in zoos their are many zoos and aquariums that have these same animals exceeding their lifespans under new care guidelines and standards. “Elephants roam large distances in the wild” yes they do, but not as a physics need to exercise, elephants roam to follow seasonal food and water supplies. Areas that have dense food and water supplies have generations of elephants staying in the same smaller area without ever migrating. Also it has been proven that enrichment programs are better for animals physically and mentally than just large spaces. There are elephants in sanctuaries with insanely large areas to roam, and they show more stress related stereotypical behavior than elephants in zoological facilities because of poor enrichment programs. The same goes with cetaceans in sea side sanctuaries and sea pens, many even die due to complication and self harm related to poor mental health due to a lack of enrichment programs. “Elephants are taken from the wild” They have been for zoological facility programs in the US it’s true, but the animals involved were problem males, males taken from games reserves, and females and caves that were seized from the animal illegal trade or separated from their herds. They didn’t just fly in and take random wild elephants most of the animals they took would have died if left were they were As far as inbreeding goes. I can’t speak of the EAZA but the AZA has a dna track and register for all animals they breed. Inbreeding hasn’t been a factor in decades. Same goes to killing animals the AZA doesn’t do this they have locos relationships with sanctuaries when surplus animals are to be had, but normally breeding programs are highly regulated Alter and only done when approved by a board of animal welfare specialist. “Most animals in zoos aren’t endangered” true however many of not all have endangered and critically endangered populations that face local extinction “1$ to a conservation is better than 1$ to a zoo” Not necessarily true or entirely the entire story. When someone buys a AZA zoo ticket they aren’t just supporting conservation organizations the zoos donate to they are funding rescue vet programs, conservation, rescue, and rehab programs the zoo takes on as a independent facility, local research, local conservation, and the education and research he of student biologist, ecologist, vets, and animal behaviorist. Also most of the footage shown here were from smaller or poorly ran facilities. I don’t want to believe this was intentionally manipulative imagery to assist your side of the debate, so I will say this it is on us to advocate for proper zoological and marine zoological gardens. This means not only AZA/EAZA accredited, but welfare accredited facilities, that have open information regarding all rescue work, rehab work, donations to conservation/research, have their own educational programs, conservation programs, and public research, are constantly improving animal care standards as part of their stated mission, and ones who have a legitimate history in doing these things. In short zoos are not what they used to be if you lion at zoos 60 years ago you will see abuse, and exploitation, but that isn’t what the necessarily are today and defiantly not what they hope to be in the future. Be a advocate for improvement, change, and evolution zoos and aquariums are on a decent track and do a lot of good if we can push them to become something h even better and even more than they are now the possibilities are endless Look up the wilds in Ohio they are a sister location of Cincinnati zoo they keep large mammals and carnivores in open sanctuary like conditions, look up Nashville zoo who has some of the best animal care standards for the species they keep in the us including all sanctuaries and zoos. Give Tennessee Aquarium a look they have immense natural environments for even their smallest animals many of their local fish species are in a bio dome that is a Appalachian riverside that has a weather system and seasons, most of their larger animals are rescues, and many of the smaller ones are bred in house for research active programs

[@ipurpleu1668]

Why are you believing points made by an amateur with no credentials over the biologists, zoologists, and wildlife scientists that work in and with zoos?

[@anavideos2445]

Nowadays, I still like zoos and I think they should be maintained in our society, but mostly as a place where we can do breeding programs to save and endangered specie or/and be the home of animals that had some some injury and can't live by their own anymore. There are good zoos out there, but of course, they are few when compared to the "zoos" that take advantage of their animals.

[@GTSE2005]

True

[@rahtsnake144]

ive asked this question several times on the discord. thanks for addressing it and blowing it out of the water with information as usual. the veil has been lifted.

[@esmay3612]

There is one thing in the Rhenen zoo in the Netherlands that I do support and that is the bear forest, it's a big forest like enclosure where visitors can parcely walk above to view the bears, and all of the bears are rescued and can't be returned into the wild usually because they where used as dancing bears. I think zoo's should do more things like this, and be more like a rescue they will still have animals and can educate people about them but the animals will be there more to recover to eventually be released or just to stay there until they are old because they can't go back into the wild (mostly trafficked animals or big cats that are held as pets)

[@JustTrumpeeh]

As a vegan of over 3 years I've always had my doubts about zoos. I've never paid admittance for one since turning vegan, but shamefully I have allowed others to pay for me to visit as part of a family outing. I've always struggled to explain why as a vegan visiting zoos is against our beliefs. The issue I have is that when you visit the likes of Longleat here in the UK, they're very heavy on the whole 'conservation' idea and when you arrive everyone else does the whole "look, they're a friendly, honest zoo". It's hard to argue, when you compare to the likes you'd find in poorer parts of the world, where conditions are much worse for the animals. However, this video has completely convinced me not to accept any excuse for what goes on behind the scenes. People don't see past the beauty of the creatures in front of them. They take a photo and move on, not considering how the animal feels about being confined for life. An excellent video, as always. 🌿

[@LeafProductions]

the examples used in this video are cherry picked to show you the worst examples from the shittiest zoos lmao, go to an aza zoo and see how happy the animals are there, how well they’re cared for. don’t let this poison dilute your mind lol

[@peterbigo9951]

What’s the alternative to zoo’s, there’s no mention in this video. Just pointing out the obvious with no solutions. Dumb video.

[@JustTrumpeeh]

@@LeafProductions triggered.

[@JustTrumpeeh]

@@peterbigo9951 Sanctuaries?

[@cloudysensation8406]

@@peterbigo9951 Is having an alternative to enjoying looking at animals, really more important to you than the cruelty that happens to them for it? That's extremely selfish and harmful. These individuals deserve to not be exploited just for entertainment, whether there's an alternative or not. The solution is to stop funding them so they shut down.

[@marcoaurelioa.4394]

Chilling. Thanks for educating us.

[@Joe_exe_07]

Thankyou for educating on this issue....this was much needed...

[@FuzzyGecko]

I keep getting invited to farm shows...the last one i forced myself to brought me to tears. Havnt been able to go to a zoo in years ether. I love reptiles, i want to build a huge tank just for geckos but i cant make myself go to a reptile show or pet store to get one cause seeing them in the tiny plastic container just upsets me so much. Now im the proud parent of many happy roaches, worms, and rollie pollies.

[@bo_trilly]

Just read your book "30 Non-Vegan Excuses and How to Respond to Them" and loved it! Please make it an audiobook!!!

[@NolongerUsedChannel35]

Zoos are ethical, well some are. Some aren't this video talks about the bad ones, or Roadside zoos. And applies it to all zoos.

[@elisenieuwe4649]

Okay, this was way more disturbing than I expected. Damn. I loved going to zoo's most of my life but when I noticed the stress behaviour in multiple animals in the last zoo I visited, it changed them for me. I felt like I was watching abuse and it left me feeling disturbed. Haven't gone in years now. Watching this video makes zoo's way more shocking than I thought they were.

[@themotions5967]

This video got a lot wrong. A made a list of it as a zoologist As someone studying zoology, animal behavior, animal husbandry, and welfare you have either misrepresented or downright not given full information on most of the topics of concern you covered in this video. This is disappointing to say the least considering you have such a large platform and people looking to you for accurate perspective . I and going to Andrews some of the topics of conversation brought up and address them in a full light so you as well as the audience can revaluate the conclusions you have drawn here Starting with “zoochosis” which is not even a realistic term to describe stereotypical behaviors as they happen for wildly different positive and negative reasons for various animals it’s not just the same for every species and it’s not just “cause captivity” Have you ever noticed that most animals seem doing these behaviors are in poorly designed or ill structured/outdated habitats, or belong to small for profit zoos that aren’t welfare accredited facilities. It’s because stress related stereotypical behaviors aren’t simply a issue of a animal not in its natural habitat but of poor habitat design. Their are many animals that live lives free of stereotypical behavior in properly designed habitats But shockingly enough many stereotypical behaviors aren’t even necessarily negative. Many stereotypical behaviors are actually associated more with excitement or keepers interaction pacing or running is also behavior synonymous with keeper interaction and yes as I said excitement or even curiosity As for reintroduction and conservation programs and contributions it’s not just the direct conservation programs and reintroduction programs zoos fund directly but the ones they co fund, supply research for, and supply specialist to assist with. Also reintroduction that were either started or contributed by zoos are not rare in fact AZA zoos contribute or aid most of the larger integration conservation efforts the USA participates in As far as education not only are they educating the public, but with education of specialist, and the education value of research they are doing and public resourced made available to larger conservation institutions. As far as lifespans go I will agree not many facilities keep elephants or cetaceans well. In fact only a select few do it anywhere near properly. However have you looked at the captive lifespans for animals such as lions, tigers, bears, primates, and ungulates? They are much higher than wild lifespans some are doubled even tripled. Even with elephants and cetaceans not normally meeting Their wild lifespans in zoos their are many zoos and aquariums that have these same animals exceeding their lifespans under new care guidelines and standards. “Elephants roam large distances in the wild” yes they do, but not as a physics need to exercise, elephants roam to follow seasonal food and water supplies. Areas that have dense food and water supplies have generations of elephants staying in the same smaller area without ever migrating. Also it has been proven that enrichment programs are better for animals physically and mentally than just large spaces. There are elephants in sanctuaries with insanely large areas to roam, and they show more stress related stereotypical behavior than elephants in zoological facilities because of poor enrichment programs. The same goes with cetaceans in sea side sanctuaries and sea pens, many even die due to complication and self harm related to poor mental health due to a lack of enrichment programs. “Elephants are taken from the wild” They have been for zoological facility programs in the US it’s true, but the animals involved were problem males, males taken from games reserves, and females and caves that were seized from the animal illegal trade or separated from their herds. They didn’t just fly in and take random wild elephants most of the animals they took would have died if left were they were As far as inbreeding goes. I can’t speak of the EAZA but the AZA has a dna track and register for all animals they breed. Inbreeding hasn’t been a factor in decades. Same goes to killing animals the AZA doesn’t do this they have locos relationships with sanctuaries when surplus animals are to be had, but normally breeding programs are highly regulated Alter and only done when approved by a board of animal welfare specialist. “Most animals in zoos aren’t endangered” true however many of not all have endangered and critically endangered populations that face local extinction “1$ to a conservation is better than 1$ to a zoo” Not necessarily true or entirely the entire story. When someone buys a AZA zoo ticket they aren’t just supporting conservation organizations the zoos donate to they are funding rescue vet programs, conservation, rescue, and rehab programs the zoo takes on as a independent facility, local research, local conservation, and the education and research he of student biologist, ecologist, vets, and animal behaviorist. Also most of the footage shown here were from smaller or poorly ran facilities. I don’t want to believe this was intentionally manipulative imagery to assist your side of the debate, so I will say this it is on us to advocate for proper zoological and marine zoological gardens. This means not only AZA/EAZA accredited, but welfare accredited facilities, that have open information regarding all rescue work, rehab work, donations to conservation/research, have their own educational programs, conservation programs, and public research, are constantly improving animal care standards as part of their stated mission, and ones who have a legitimate history in doing these things. In short zoos are not what they used to be if you lion at zoos 60 years ago you will see abuse, and exploitation, but that isn’t what the necessarily are today and defiantly not what they hope to be in the future. Be a advocate for improvement, change, and evolution zoos and aquariums are on a decent track and do a lot of good if we can push them to become something h even better and even more than they are now the possibilities are endless Look up the wilds in Ohio they are a sister location of Cincinnati zoo they keep large mammals and carnivores in open sanctuary like conditions, look up Nashville zoo who has some of the best animal care standards for the species they keep in the us including all sanctuaries and zoos. Give Tennessee Aquarium a look they have immense natural environments for even their smallest animals many of their local fish species are in a bio dome that is a Appalachian riverside that has a weather system and seasons, most of their larger animals are rescues, and many of the smaller ones are bred in house for research active programs

[@wolfiemix]

@@themotions5967 Your a zoologist so your point is automatically biased. I will listen to anyone but you, a person contributing to animal abuse and exploitation. You like zoos, so of course you'll defend it. Ugh

[@catatomiccomets8246]

@@wolfiemix Zoology (zoologists) is the study of animals, both alive and extinct, in regards to their biology and the way they interact with their environments. The word "zoo" means "animal" in Greek, which is where the term is derived from. It's a broad branch of biology that covers animals in general, not just animals in zoos.

[@wolfiemix]

@@catatomiccomets8246 Sure, I get that, but they still believe in locking up poor animals in cages for human entertainment.

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@wolfiemix Zoos are responsible for bringing back MULTIPLE species from extinction in the wild. For example, the Guam rail has been extinct in the wild for over 20 years and thanks to accredited zoos, they are back in the wild with a sustainable populations. Same with California Condors and many other species. Of course there are bad zoos, I am 100% for speaking out about places that harm and abuse their animals. But simplifing it into this black and white situation is just wrong. Why are you trying to fight against the ONE thing in the world that is actually making a change for animals and their environments?

[@AlyssonAugusto]

We really need to talk about {insert here another form of animal abuse that people often don't realize that this is abuse}.

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

Meet the real enemy: The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 💖 Share far and wide!

[@Assassin99584]

Abuse tho Hypocrite

[@athreetoeds1oth21]

I want to point out several things: 1) At 1:29 the giraffes at that zoo are only in that place 24/7 during the cold weather months, but come the warm weather months those giraffes are always outdoors with PLENTY OF space to roam around. 2) Speaking of giraffes, in the case of that one giraffe that was killed at the Copenhagen Zoo, other zoos in Europe offered to take in that giraffe, but officials at the Copenhagen Zoo still decided to put the giraffe down. What followed after the giraffe's death was in a way educational to the visitors that day for they must have learned about the Anatomy and Physiology of giraffes and how they work, and instead of letting all that meat go to waste, was given to the lions to also educate people that nothing goes to waste in nature. 3) In the case of those four lions being killed at the Copenhagen Zoo in order to make way for a new male lion for breeding purposes, this DOES happen in the wild whenever male lions take over a pride after defeating the resident males. The first thing that they do afterwards is kill the cubs of the previous males in order to get the females to sire their own cubs, and seeing as how 2 of the lions that were killed at the Copenhagen Zoo were cubs, that explains everything. If Copenhagen Zoo officials were to put the new male lion with the current male lion and his cubs, you bet that all hell would've broken lose where the former resident would have been severely injured and his cubs killed by the new male; and let's not forget that nobody wants to see animals killing each other in accredited zoos. 4) The thing with inbreeding in zoos goes way back before animals were properly kept in captivity in ways that denied inbreeding, for this was a time when zoos were viewed more as having as many animal species as possible in order to boast their menageries; and the time that I'm talking about is prior to the 21st century. In order to to aquire as animals as possible, zoos in the past kept their animals in exhibits that were no bigger than many people's bedrooms. But when we started to learn more that were more to animals than just having them on display for people to gawk at, the exhibits at zoos became bigger and appeared more natural to where they are today. Unfortunately, the decades, or even centuries, of inbreeding are still being felt, and will take many more years, even decades to correct. 5) Although the vast majority of animal species in zoos aren't endangered or critically endangered, the purpose of zoos is to show people how biologically diverse the world that we live in is, even if not every animal species is endangered or critically endangered. 6) In regards to animals being taken out of the wild, what are reasons why those animals had to be taken out of the wild and placed in zoos. What if they were causing problems to local communities or if their habitats were about to destroyed, and if they weren't placed into zoos would have either died or have been killed. But once those animals are placed in zoos, they ambassadors for their species and to educate people about problems that got them placed in zoos in the first place, with the hope that others like them won't meet the same fate, as long as people have becomes educated and made aware of their plights in the wild and make reasonable choices to preserve what we have left on this planet. 7) In terms of the amount of money that zoos give to conservation organizations, zoos still need money to care for their animals by providing them with nutrition, health, and removing their waste products, which of course requires people to do, which also means that the employees ( zookeepers ) must be paid for their services or else the animals won't be properly cared for. 8) As for animal species that you don't see in zoos, like Humpback and Blue Whales, which were mentioned in the video, when people are inspired to see the animal species that you DO SEE in zoos in their natural habitats, that is when they see the ones that you DON'T SEE in zoos, and those people then become inspired to help preserve those animals too. 9) This I feel is the MOST IMPORTANT REASON WHY WE HAVE ZOOS. For most people, they will never have the time or money to see many of the animal species that they see often in zoos in the wild, considering that many animal species in zoos are naturally found half a world away ( on the other side of the world ). So zoos offer people a chance to see these animals up close and in person all while not spending a lot of money and traveling very far; and I know that this comes at the cost of the animals' freedoms, but seeing a wild animal up close and in person can be very life changing, as it has for me. So much so that zoos are what actually inspired my love and desire for the natural world. So in hind sight, zoos are what I call a necessary evil. It is only hoped that the animals in zoos actually inspire people to care about our world. Now true watching nature documentaries also inspires us to converse the natural world, it still doesn't beat seeing those animals up close and in person.

[@yunamchill9169]

Thank you for being SMART!! I could kiss you!

[@quetzilla762]

I'm not defending the video, but why was the giraffe put down instead of being sent to a different zoo? That sounds odd to me

[@athreetoeds1oth21]

@@quetzilla762 It would seem as though that Copenhagen Zoo officials wanted to give zoo visitors an educational lecture on the Anatomy and Physiology of giraffes. Which is why they dissected the giraffe in front of all of those visitors, and instead of letting all that meat go to waste, was fed to the zoo's lions, which are the only known natural predator of giraffes.

[@shaydenismat7786]

@@athreetoeds1oth21 You could do the same thing with graphs and models lol

[@athreetoeds1oth21]

@@shaydenismat7786 True, but then again, they wanted to give visitors a more immersive, hands - on experience by actually seeing the inner workings of a giraffe in person. Sometimes graphs and models don't do justice when learning about the Anatomy and Physiology of a living thing.

[@helenageerts2115]

When a giraf is killed, it’s a huge newsstory, when a cow is killed, there is cheering…

[@alishabsteinberger949]

thank you so much for this video Ed!! It’s super important information, and definitely something that’s not super obvious. Thanks so much for exposing these industries, and educating the public!

[@Assassin99584]

Lying to the public*

[@Butterflyneverlands]

I used to love going to the zoo because I “loved” animals… and ate them too. Such disconnect! Then I became a vegetarian… then I fully woke up to reality and became vegan. I strongly believe that unless under extreme I will be vegan forever.

[@daniellynch3724]

Here's an idea. Every time someone invites me to a zoo I'll donate $5 to conservation. Have any recommendations for an organization?

[@lemurlover7975]

how about Conservation International or The Audubon Society?

[@RSHongKong]

Great video, really summarised some things I already believed and opened my eyes to other things that I didn't.

[@sanazmani4610]

I made a comment last month on a video of a tiger giving birth in a zoo and everyone was commenting on how beautiful it is and i got so manyyy people attacking me telling me to shut up! so many people are in favor of zoos... your video is very important and very much needed . I wish that people other than vegans watch it

[@bvegannow1936]

Maybe tell them why would they think it's beautiful to see innocent animals locked in a little cell when they Wana be free?

[@goji5887]

1:35 I remember hearing about those chimps last year, made me sad their lives had to end that way. It's so weird seeing you quote a news article about the city I grew up in, which normally doesn't really get talked about outside the NL. Small world indeed! Makes me feel that much more connected to your content and its relevance.

[@DominionMovementDotOrg]

imagine what horrors are being perpetrated behind the scenes if this is how bad what we are allowed to find out about is

[@KP-us5pq]

Zoos are such a sad place. Why do humans have to be so selfish.

[@Assassin99584]

Hypocrite

[@Assassin99584]

@Anon Anon that’s about as intelligent as it gets from the vegan cult

[@Assassin99584]

@Anon Anon 😂

[@DonC876]

I think the amount of money per visitor spent on conservation by zoos maybe isn't the best way of illustrating the effect that this does or does not have. It would've been more interesting to know how many percent of the zoos profits go towards conservation. I mean 80cents per visitor could be 5% or 90% of their profits, so it's hard to judge their actual efforts in that. I guess those numbers were probably hard to come by. Great Video as alway @Earthling Ed

[@karpter9184]

It would be a very hard number to acquire. As a generalization, zoo admission is usually around $30, so if you're ignoring any merchandise, food, or premium ticket sales, it would be about 3% of income.

[@MMM-cj5th]

You are such a good public speaker. I would love to see you take on some other social issues as well, such as environmental justice or civil rights. A ton of people were influenced to go vegan because of your very convincing tedtalk, I think you could really make a difference in many other issues as well if you chose to.

[@tanyagarcia3721]

There was a polar bear at the Denver zoo that was pacing and such like what you were saying. They put a sign up saying they knew about that only they didn't know why that was happening

[@EmmaHitgirl]

Next week i'll celebrate my 1 year being vegan anniversary . So much thanks to you for all your amazing work, which was a big part of me getting there. Love your work Ed, so looking forward to your book, which i've pre ordered.

[@lilysmith7833]

Yet another brilliant video Ed, well done to you and your team xxx

[@dombutler920]

I appreciate the sentiment here but I just can't agree. A HUGE problem that occurs when people speak about zoo animals is the anthropomorphisation of the animals. Apes aren't "sad and depressed" they just have a face that looks like that, and the videos you showed at the start of animals pacing are almost all from non-accredited roadside zoos. Additionally, whilst yes some enclosures may not be good enough, zoos have changed fundamentally in the last 30 or so years, with enclosures being upgraded and made better. The nature documentaries are great but how many people support conservation charities as a result of watching a David Attenborough? I garuntee those documentaries do less for raising money for wildlife charities than a zoo does. Every animal is losing habitat. If you don't see that then you must be blindly optimistic. Yes, not every animal is critically endangered, but cheetahs are listed as vulnerable and there's only 7000 left in the wild with 500 cubs poached a year. Lion populations have halved in 30 years. Breeding programmes are there to have a population in reserve to supplement the wild population. The Amur Leopard numbered 35 about 15 years ago, now it nears 100 but with a risk of inbreeding going on. Carefully managed breeding programmes help eliminate the risk of inbreeding in zoos, animals can't do that in the wild! Imagine the island of Sumatra got hit by a tsunami, and all the wildlife was wiped out. Without zoos all those animals are gone forever. Yes in an ideal world, zoos wouldn't be necessary, but the world is one hell of a mess right now with poaching rife, climate change ruining ecological cycles, humans doing whatever the hell they want. If there's no wild for them to be then they'll go extinct! Let the accredited zoos get better, and target the roadside zoos and private collections before you go after places that do raise money, and don't tarnish them with the same brush.

[@dombutler920]

@Sleazy Humanity depends if we are an endangered species or not, if we were bound for extinction at the hands of these robots then yeah. I completely agree not every species needs to be kept in captivity. Orcas, meerkats, anything listed as least concern etc. However the threatened species on this planet are being cut down in swathes, and that is ONLY down to humans. We are at fault for putting animals in the situation where a life in a good and enriching zoo is safer than in the wild

[@alipetuniashow]

Finally someone who knows what they are talking about

[@bvegannow1936]

It's obvious like almost all zoo animals are often sad and depressed. So u also think human inmates r not sad and depressed? But even if u can't see that, they want to be free. Just like u would want to be free. If u gave them the choice they would choose freedom. That's all that pretty much matters thats why zoos should be shut down. I've been to zoos, the animals looked depressed. They were large exspesnive zoos. They never encouraged anyone to donate to wildlife chairties. If wildlife chairties are better than zoos, then the zoos shouldn't exist. U don't need a zoo to get people to donate to wildlife chairties. Zoos should just shut down, put their animals in the wild, and if they want they can encourage the public to donate to protect animals in the wild instead. They r loosing habitat mostly cuz animal agriculture. So if u care u should encourage everyone to eat plant based and do so yourself. It's better to just protect them in the wild so they can breed in the wild. The animals don't Wana be locked up and often don't want their private parts touched. U probably wouldn't Wana be locked up with someone u don't Wana breed with who's trying to breed with u. Wild Animals should have the choice if they Wana breed or not in the wild, it should not be the humans choice. Zoos r not nessicary. But if they were it better to just let the animals go extinct. Why not? Animals have been going extinct maybe before humans existed and still r going extincted, yet humans population keeps going up. I prefer they be free than be saved from extinction. Why do u care if they r extincted or not?, Especially if they r just going to sit in a zoo, they arnt benifiting the environment or ecology in a zoo. If putting them in a zoo to protect them from poachers then your going to release them back into the wild, it's better to just protect the wild endangered animals from poachers and from people damageing the animals wild habitat they need to live in the first place. Donate to wild life rangers who do that instead of supporting zoos. Promote veganism cuz animal agriculture is a leading cause of animal endangerment and extinction by farmers taking over and damageing the animals wild habitat and killing endangered animals who may eat their livestock or crops. Don't lock up the victim which is the animal. Lock up the criminal which is the poacher. But many zoos have no intention of ever putting them back into the wild cuz they care about money cuz zoos are for entertainment, plus they sometimes make up excuses like the animal is to dumb or tame torward humans to put in the wild, but it can be trained to live in the wild, there r various cases of people training animals born in capitivity who were socialized to humans to go live in the wild successfully.

[@maryjane_sendnu_des]

Thank you very much I fully agree with you

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@bvegannow1936 How would you identify a depressed or sad animals from the opposite side of a barrier? You see an animal sleeping, it is sleeping. You see an animals resting, it is resting. Animals do not run around all day. They are active when they are hunting, being chased by predators, or, with some species as young, playing around. Besides that, they rest or bond with group members if they are an animal that belong in a group. Also, most animals are active in the morning and when it's chillier out. Most zoos don't even open until 9 or 10 and most guests don't come until noon, when most animals are already having their mid-day naps. Stress-levels of animals in zoos have been studied to be significantly lower than animals in the wild. If they were 'depressed and sad', that wouldn't be the case. And what do you mean 'most zoos don't have any intention to putting them back in the wild'? Accredited zoos have put 100s of animals back into the wild! Hundreds of animals have been saved from extinction due to zoos. Just one example, the Guam rail went extinct in the wild over 20 years ago, but zoos were able to reintroduce them. They became the second bird to ever be saved from extinction in the wild. And there are tens of species of insects and herps that have also been. People just don't care about insect and herps so they don't know about how much zoos are actually helping them and their environments. Are you seriously saying you would rather just have them extinct? And that you don't care? You should care! There is a difference between an animals naturally going extinct and humans forcing them to, which is what is happening with every species of animal in the world. Even animals on the 'least concern' list are still at great risk due to deforestation, agriculture expansion, poaching, pollution, and many other things! Each species on this earth is a part of the ecosystem and affects it, including affecting people. The health of the environment affects humans and the same goes the other way around. You are clearing extremely uneducated. This is the problem with most people today, they don't care about saving the only planet we have!

[@VeganSemihCyprus33]

Meet the real enemy: The Connections (2021) [short documentary] 💖 Share far and wide!

[@JM-ze2nh]

Absolutely brilliant video! Been looking for something to share about zoos for years. Thanks Ed, loving that you are back doing these informative videos.

[@ipurpleu1668]

Why are you believing points made by an amateur with no credentials over the biologists, zoologists, and wildlife scientists that work in and with zoos?

[@JM-ze2nh]

@@ipurpleu1668 Hi there, thanks for asking - I am not going by Ed, I just happen to know he’s right - never assume things!! I only endorse what I have properly examined (both sides) Years of talking to such people and looking hard at the arguments. It’s a slam dunk no brainer - you only have to spend a few hours with an animal to see that cages and zoos are wrong. We have so many problems that conversationists zoos etc say they are helping to solve because of what humans have done to the earth, destroying the habitat of many animals for example. If you truly know animals and money isn’t involved it’s clear as day. Why don’t you do a quick google search find some peer reviewed studies and the like and see what you think. If you have already and believe zoos to be acceptable then we will have to respectfully agree to disagree :)

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@JM-ze2nh As a guest, you can’t understand anything about an animal. I have studied animal behavior for six years and worked with them for longer, and I still couldn’t claim to understand an animal I met “a couple hours ago”. I also fail to understand how you don’t believe in their conservation work. The Guam rail was literally put back into the wild and became the second bird taken off the extinct in the wild list thanks to zoos, same with the California Condor. Hundreds of insects, fish, and herps have been saved from extinction also because of zoos. It’s just because its not the “big cute” animals that people don’t care. If you cared about conservation, you would support AACREDITED zoos!

[@antipetaassociation4279]

@@JM-ze2nh Maybe you have been to rodeside zoos In AZA zoos animals have naturalistic huge areas. most animals are usually just sleeping. also most leading animals exierts such as Jane Goodall Sir David Attenborough and Dian Fossey agree that zoos play an important role in conservation.

[@nasiatsekouras170]

Thank you Earthling Ed. It’s so obvious, if people just stop thinking about their enjoyment for a moment and look at these precious animals faces..They are very sad. It’s obvious being in these places is killing them inside 💔 The murder of the giraffe broke my heart, precious child 💔 Disgusting ‘humans’ getting away with the worst, vile acts in the world 😡 ‘Humans’ are the reason for the most heart wrenching suffering in the world. Being vegan, not being a part of any form of animal exploitation and abuse and speaking up for our fellow animals who are the most oppressed beings due to the ‘human’ species is so important!

[@weddingdjrobsoundz1042]

I'm so happy to support your work and be a patreon. Thank you for making this eye-opening video!

[@ipurpleu1668]

Why are you believing points made by an amateur with no credentials over the biologists, zoologists, and wildlife scientists that work in and with zoos?

[@weddingdjrobsoundz1042]

@@ipurpleu1668 Because his points are valid. I'm happy to listen to, and consider counterarguments.

[@ipurpleu1668]

@@weddingdjrobsoundz1042 His points weren’t really valid though. A lot of it was exaggerated or about roadside zoos. Looking at accredited zoos, animals actually have been seen to have lower stress levels than in the wild. Stress is the only thing that can really be equated to “happiness” when looking at animals. A lot of his “facts” and videos and such were about unaccredited zoos, which I 100% agree with not supporting. But acting as if all zoos are like that is really harmful because zoos do a lot for conservation and wildlife. They are actually one of the few organizations do anything for wildlife. For example, they have brought hundreds of animals back from extinction in the wild and critically endangered. Recently, thanks for the National Zoo and National Aviary in the USA, Guam rails became the second bird to ever come back to extinction in the wild! Right after the California Condor, which did so also through zoos. I think one of the biggest issues I’ve encountered with people thinking zoos don’t do as much as they do has to do with what we all “ charismatic megafauna”, AKA animals that people come to the zoos to see, such as elephants, lions, zebras, monkeys, etc. Most of these animals that people love so much are mammals. Mammals live long lives and generally do not reproduce as quickly as birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and fish do. Animals are reproduce quicker are easier to re-release and reintroduce back into the wild because they can quickly creat sustainable population. But sadly, people don’t care about these animals. They care more about the charismatic megafauna. So in turn, people think zoos do nothing for conservation because it’s a lot more difficult to for large mammals, even though we try. But having these animals are still important because at least it’s progress and it brings in visitors. And those visitors, by paying for entry or giving donations, are helping all these other species that people don’t care about. So I agree that it can look like we don’t do much, but behind-the-scenes we do so much. It’s just no that interesting because it’s not cute animals all the time.

[@weddingdjrobsoundz1042]

@@ipurpleu1668 Thanks for sharing that and it brings nuance to the story. I don't have the knowledge to judge but I would be curious to hear Ed's response to your points.

[@ilikeoptter]

I used to love zoos. Hell, I used to work at The Bronx Zoo. But that was a long time ago. The truth is I worked at a fancy prison. I loved the animals. And I turned a blind eye. Thanks for telling the truth and exposing the hypocrisy. When we know better, we do better. You're my hero.

[@ajpadley]

I had always believed in the conservation efforts of zoos, but it seems like I should donate my entry fee to a real conservation effort and watch Planet Earth to see beautiful creatures!

[@bvegannow1936]

Donate to wild life rangers who protect endangered species in the wild and their wild habitat and Promote veganism cuz animal agriculture is a leading cause of animal endangerment and extinction by farmers taking over and damageing the animals wild habitat and killing endangered animals who may eat their livestock or crops. I would rather an animal be free than be saved from extinction. Why care if they go extincted especially if they r in a zoo they r doing nothing to help the environment or ecology. And many zoos have no intention of relaseing them cuz they care about money zoos r for entertainment. Or they might say the animal is to dumb or tame to humans to release but there r many cases of people training animals who were born in capivity and tame to humans to successfully live in the wild. Lock up the poachers not the animals.

[@NolongerUsedChannel35]

@@bvegannow1936 Your grammar was so bad I couldn't finish your comment.

[@loicjikko]

the statistics comparing the Kenyan rangers' budget to British zoos is incredible. Really hit a striking point there - this is a really informative video!

[@bvegannow1936]

Tell people instead of supporting zoos to Donate to wild life rangers who protect wild endangered animals in the wild and their wild habitat. Promote veganism cuz animal agriculture is a leading cause of animal endangerment and extinction by farmers taking over and damageing the animals wild habitat and killing endangered animals who may eat their livestock or crops.

[@tiyahirani4995]

Thank you Ed for raising this awareness! It’s so important Those animals are so beautiful

[@Philares66]

When I was younger, my mother always refused point blank to take me to a zoo. I never understood why and then when I was growing up I realised what an absolute sham, hellhole they really are.

[@Abbad1579]

You must not live near good zoos.

[@straberryshinigami15g97]

Would you want to be in a cage?

[@NolongerUsedChannel35]

@@straberryshinigami15g97 Modern zoo exhibits are not cages, they are bigger.

[@juve0nile]

Zoos and aquariums are sad, sad places. Something I heard a long time ago: “Zoos are no place for children”. They should be no place for animals either… Thanks for putting the message out there 🌱🐘🐯

[@harveyplantharvester1502]

Animals in captivity are lies and propaganda for children but torture and death for the animals.

[@johnho9546]

Not all zoos are bad, I know a list of zoos which its animals exhibit normal behaviours as seen in its wild conspecifics. A lot of zoos provide environmental enrichment which help stimulate naturalistic behaviours and increases its activity time budget. Furthermore, I've seen an abundance of zoos which its enclosures are well designed and have done a great job of replicating its wild form. Zoos have come a long way from its first generation of enclosure design of metal bars and concrete floors - these can still be seen in many countries where the main focus of terrible conditions are. But currently, lots of modern zoos have come a long way in their enclosure design in which their as naturalistic as possible and helps meet the behavioural and physiological needs of the animals in its collections.

[@revolution1237]

@@harveyplantharvester1502 You really need to take normal pills, 'cause you're not well.

[@harveyplantharvester1502]

@@revolution1237 Oh, yes, being normal means having no empathy for other sentient beings. Oops, I just described a psychopath.

[@revolution1237]

@@harveyplantharvester1502 Well, I'm certainly not, but I'm sure you are, though tbh, you and I don't know each other.

[@eddiemasa77]

Love how well you present and make it so easy to understand

[@smudge8882]

Wow I had no idea about any of this. I haven't been to a zoo since I had a field trip to one in elementary school, but now I know for certain I'll never go again

[@shreyas.loves.plants]

beleive it or not, when i was 10 years old, and was at a zoo. I actually had seen hyenas, jackals, monkeys do the head swinging, bobbing thing ! now i know that those were signs of zoochosis !!! i will never support this cruel industry ever again 💔

[@ilovesustainableenergy9563]

I used to love going to zoos and never thought about how bored the animals must feel slowly going insane in captivity. I would like to see some economic solutions for how the money generated from zoos could be made elsewhere.

[@ipurpleu1668]

Animals in zoos are not bored. At least in accredited zoos. One of the main pillars of an accredited zoo is using enrichment, which keeps animals stimulated, both physically and mentally. There is also no evidence that shows animals, with proper enrichment in accredited zoos, 'going insane'. We need to stop anthropomorphizing animals. We see too many people see an animal laying down and claim they are "bored". No, animals just lay down sometimes. Most animals are pretty inactive, even in the wild. If they are not hunting or running for predators, they are usually resting or bonding with their group members. But people think they are more active because we only see the 'active' parts of their lives in documentaries because that's the interesting part. Many animals are also more active in the morning, when the zoos isn't even open yet or when no one is there because the zoo usually gets busy around noon, when most animals are already onto their mid-day naps. The closest thing to 'happiness' we can objectively study is stress levels. And studies have shown that animals in accredited zoos have SIGNIFICANTLY lower stress levels than in the wild. Of course it is not ideal to keep animals in human care, but it's also the only choice. Even though people love to cry about 'putting them back in the wild', there is NO wild to put animals back into. Even all of the 'wild' people see in documentaries in Africa are wildlife reserves the majority of the time, which work with zoos to protect animals and their environments. You should trust science over a random person point-of-view.

[@GoVeganForTheAnimal]

Zoos are horrific. My sister worked at one because she wanted to help animals and ended up quitting because she saw how much suffering it involved to the individuals she wanted to help

[@siutheyoutubeexplorer4494]

Inviting people to not go to these places is absolutely not a solution. Many animals and species will die and disappear because of this. The solution is the evolution of zoos. Zoos need to expands their enclosure and to change the treatment of the animals they are keeping. Keeping animals in captivity is ok as long as we replicate enough of their habitat. They don't need a whole continent to live

[@ashleighbaker2193]

I love this. My friend begged me to go to Longleat (uk) and at every single enclosure I couldn't help but question if that was all the room they had, in disbelief they didn't get to go anywhere else! This was back in 2019 and I still feel guilty, never again! People who make fun of vegans will never understand that deep pain you feel for all animals!

[@Assassin99584]

Hypocrite

[@MrNothing12340987]

This is just straight-up quality journalism. Beliefs aside, you have to respect the due diligence that Earthling Ed brings