Throughout the poem, Hughes effectively captures the essence of the zoo as well as making clear his negative opinion of man for his arrogance; man believes nature is inferior, and zoos display this arrogance perfectly. Hughes does not hold man in high regard whatsoever, as he believes that man is under the impression that he is in control of nature but is destroying it, rather than celebrating it, with zoos. The location is exploited in such a way that we are able to clearly understand the writer's themes - nature's superiority and man's arrogance and cruelty towards nature - as well as to sympathise with the animals and feel contemptuous towards man for his cruelty.