Zoos all over the UK have been counting their “stock” in recent weeks, but to unhappy animals forced to spend their lives in captivity, this audit is more like a prisoner roll call.
Animals in zoos are denied the opportunity to fulfil even their most basic instincts. Every single decision, including when to eat, what to eat, who to mate with, and when to sleep, is made for them. Some are forced to perform tricks day after day, while others are kept in enclosures far too small for them. Stories abound of animals’ fear and mistrust of zookeepers, such as the gorilla at Twycross Zoo who refuses to let humans near her newborn baby. “Surplus” animals are routinely killed. And no matter how they’re treated, all animals in zoos are forced to spend their lives as living exhibits.