Zoos claim that they have an important educational function. Is this true? In reality, most people go to zoos for entertainment. This is what sells the tickets and pays the bills. Zoos say they give people the opportunity to see the wonders of nature and its wild animals. In fact, they are showing us animals that have lost their dignity: animals with sad and empty eyes. The conditions under which animals are kept in zoos changes their behavior. Animals, like humans, are affected by then environment. After months and years in a cage without any interest, animals begin to lose their natural characteristics. Many animals in zoos get signs of "zoochosis”, abnormal behavior which includes endlessly pacing up and down and rocking from side to side. It is caused by lack of space, lack of interest, lack of company, and an unsuitable diet. Two polar bears in Bristol Zoo in England have heen confined in a small area for 28 years and show all the signs ol zoochosis. How can people observe wild animals under such conditions and believe that they are being educated? To learn about wild animals one must observe them in the wild where they live.