I don't think there is anything wrong with zoos. People don't realize that a lot of the reason why they exist is because for the most part, a lot of humans are taking away their environment and/or killing the animals. Most zoos work as hard as they can to not domesticate the animals. And in almost all cases it works. It would be very stressful for an animal to transition to the lifestyle of a zoo. But even more stressful to have machines tearing down their homes or ending up dead. Zoos also help endangered animals from going extinct, which is a result of humans. In a way, zoos take the responsibility for others actions when they take in an animal to try to help out its breed.

I believe that the "domestication" of animals kept in zoos is unfortunate, however, at the same time, I see it as the only viable way to protect them from us. It seems obvious to me that we are the greatest predator of all, and, while wildlife preserves are a great idea in theory, I think in practice they are just too open. It's impossible to completely protect animals in wildlife preserves from natural predators, much less poachers, etc., but in zoos animals are always protected from these threats. And it has been proven many times over that captive animals can be reacclimated to life in the wild when it is necessary. Also, zoos offer many people, particularly children, an opportunity to learn about many animals which they otherwise wouldn't have had any ability to study. This is obviously beneficial, in that it inspires children to learn as much as they can, and hopefully to help preserve the habitats and populations of the animals they love. We've all heard horror stories about the poor treatment of animals in zoos, and animals being cared for by unethical handlers, but I've never met a caretaker who worked at any zoo who didn't genuinely love animals and care about maintaining the overall health and well-being of their respective charges. As an example, I plan on going to school to become a herpetologist. I plan on using my degree to work at a zoo (at first) so that I can further education regarding reptiles and amphibians. I would like to disabuse many of their preconceived (and mistaken) notions regarding these beautiful creatures. So, overall, I'd have to say I absolutely agree that the benefits of zoos far outweigh the negative aspects. But that's just my opinion.