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

📚 Pre-order my debut book ’This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You) here: 🌱 If you find my work valuable, you can become a regular supporter or make a one-off contribution through the following links (thank you!): & ✉️ Find out more about what I do & sign up to my newsletter: 📖 Download my FREE e-book: 🍃 Make the switch to vegan & get all of the support you need: Today’s video: When I was growing up, a day out at a zoo was one of my favourite activities. I loved seeing all the different animals and I never once questioned whether or not zoos were ethical, or if they actually did benefit the conservation of animals in the wild. Interestingly, I stopped going to zoos before I became a vegan, with the last zoo I visited being Barcelona Zoo. I had recently seen the movie Blackfish and had become passionate about the captivity of marine animals, but I hadn’t yet extended that concern to the captivity of terrestrial animals as well. However, as I was wandering around Barcelona Zoo I came across a bear enclosure, inside of which was a bear sat forlornly looking around. I followed the gaze of the bear as they looked at each of the walls of the enclosure and it suddenly hit me, these are wild animals being held captive. They have no agency, no chance of escape and no freedom. We are often sold the idea that animals are well-cared for and happy in zoos and that zoos do important conservation work, but is this actually true? As is the case with farmed animals, we often mistake the fact that the animals are given food, water and medication as constituting care. However, providing the basic requirements for an animal to survive hardly constitutes genuine care and appreciation for the best interests of the animals. It’s time to recognise zoos for what they really are, animal prisons that exist for the primary reason of making money. Today’s video is an in-depth look into the ethics of zoos, and the arguments that they use to justify their existence. Connect: 🌐 Find more content on Instagram: 🌐 Follow on Facebook: The Disclosure Podcast: 🎙️ iTunes: 🎙️ Spotify: 🎙️ RSS feed: All sources transcript: Huge thank you to @ryuji_chua and Karla for their amazing work at Surge Media!