Throughout history, humans have always been beneficiaries of animals. Animals are an integral part of our lives because they are our food source, a means of transportation, entertainment and even our good company. Although it is and always has been “natural” to take advantage of the presence of animals, humans have gradually formed attitudes that take the utilization of animals for granted. In short, humans have placed themselves at the top of the nature pyramid. Specifically, the brutality and selfishness of people are observed in zoos, where animals are displayed to entertain for the eyes of people. 

Modern zoos were originally a symbol of royalty. However, zoos have been endowed market value because of the rising interest in zoology, natural science, and increasing consumer demand. Zoos were known to have educational value to scholars and children since they provide a safe environment to resolve their curiosity. What was otherwise impossible in the past was made possible as wild animals with violent threats could be observed closely without much risk. Also, zoos were known to play an important role in preserving endangered animals because they protect animals from dangerous factors. 

However, none of these goals seems persuasive. Animals in zoos do not have complete educational value because caged animals do not exhibit natural behaviors. Animals have to be seen under the entire ecosystem and in their natural habitat in order to be observed accurately. Of course, it is nearly impossible to formulate a purely natural environment within human civilization. Due to realistic limitations, the condition under which animals are observed should be adjusted to reflect the figure of nature as much as possible, or else scholars and curious individuals gain nothing more than a distorted view on the wildlife. 

The argument that zoos can protect endangered animals lacks plausibility as well. In fact, it is quite ironic that we are now “protecting” the animals when humans were the main agent that put them in danger. Although animals can be protected in zoos away from risk factors such as pollution and indiscriminate hunting, the possibility that a specific species is going to survive in the long run is very small because they are rarely prepared to be released into the wild.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals has reported in 1994 that only 0.12 percent of zoos worldwide are involved in captive breeding and wildlife conservation. Not only that, only 2 percent of the animals kept in zoos are enlisted as endangered species. This proves that the number of “protected” animals is way too small to maintain the entire population and that their release does not make a big difference in the ecosystem. What needs to be intact should remain intact as much as possible.

What can be an alternative to zoos? It is definitely not easy to ignore consumers’ demand in the market economy society. Consumers want real educational value, and animals deserve better than a small cage and limited radius of activity. In this sense, the environment where animals are observed must be changed. The safari is the very place that can satisfy the needs of humans and ensure a pleasant condition for the animals as well. The zoo is an artificial place where animals enter an enclosed habitat that humans have formulated. It fakes out the real side of what’s natural. In contrast, the safari is a journey, where humans enter the real habitat of animals. 

Going on a safari might bring up the question regarding safety. Also, experiencing the real safari requires people to take a trip to Africa, which is absent of any artificial settings. However, the modern safari has systematic instructions to ensure a safe trip for tourists, and people are giving variations to safaris so that it is applicable and manageable in approachable locations.

It is true that zoos cannot be banned from operation because they have significant market value. However, if they are running with the goal of educating people and preserving animals but not achieving any of those goals, it is in need of urgent transformation. Nature should not reflect the greed of humans. Let animals be who they are.