A day a the Zoo: Educational Family Fun or Cruelty?

One of the many hot topic issues in the vegan world is whether or not it is okay to visit zoos. When I was younger, my mother, myself, and my two friends and their mom would often go to a small local zoo to see the animals. I'll admit that as a child I loved seeing the animals and having the monkeys take treats out of my hand with their tails. I also visited a few larger zoos such as the Atlanta Zoo and the National Zoo in Washington DC. I, like most people, never stopped to think about whether or not it was fair to take wild animals out of their natural enviroment and put them into a confined space. Looking back, I remember seeing monkeys in barren cages and large animals like apes and giraffes in enclosures that were far too small for them. It makes me sick to think that I once gladly supported such cruelty. Fortunately, after I became a vegan I had my eyes opened and I am proud to say that I have not visited any zoos in over a year. If you or someone that you know is thinking about visiting a zoo, I urge you to take a look at http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/zoos.htm to see just how cruel zoos really are and a list of cruelty free ways that you can learn about animals.