Cruel to be kind

It is every zookeeper's nightmare. 

Early on Wednesday morning, five lions escaped their enclosure at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. The potential for a crisis was enormous. The lions could escape into the city. They could prey on other animals. And they could have attacked a group of overnight visitors sleeping 100m away.

Luckily, an alarm was raised soon after the escape. The lions were captured in minutes. No one was hurt, though a lion cub was tranquilisedGiven a drug that causes calm or sleep. . Zoo executive Simon Duffy said: "All animals are now safe and are being closely monitored."

It could have easily gone differently. Big cats can be very dangerous indeed. Last year in Chile, a tiger killed a safari park employee. In 2018, in North CarolinaA state in the USA., a lion killed a 22-year-old intern. And in 2016, a tiger in a Beijing zoo mauled one woman and killed another as they drove through their enclosure.

Yet despite the danger, people have kept wild animals in captivity for centuries. Ancient Egyptian wall carvings suggest that the pharaohsAncient Egyptian kings collected exotic animals. The Ancient Romans would send them to fight gladiators in amphitheatresAn open circular building with seats on all sides, used as a space for events. .¹ And the French king Louis XIV kept a menagerieA collection of animals for display. These have existed since there were people wealthy and powerful enough to collect animals. featuring 239 species of birds, 123 mammals and 10 amphibiansCold-blooded vertebrate animals such as frogs, that live on land and in water..

The first modern "zoological gardens" were developed in the 18th Century.² Scientists wanted to observe animal behaviour without having to travel across the world. But they also served to entertain the public. Today, around one million vertebrateAn animal that has a backbone or spine. animals live in captivity in about 10,000 zoos.

Some see themselves as at the forefront of conservationThe practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats., modern day Noah's Arks. They provide a safe space for endangered species. Some animals, such as the Arabian Oryx, the Black Soft-Shelled Turtle and the Corroboree Frog, are extinct in the wild but survive in zoos.

Sometimes they even return animals to the wild. In 1987, there were only 27 California Condors left. They were captured and bred before being released. The species is now thriving in nature.

As human activity and climate change damages the Earth's ecosystemsComplex networks of living things that rely on each other to survive., zoos can teach us to treasure the natural world. Captured animals, says zoo spokesman Robert O Wagner, become: "ambassadors for their kind still in the wild''.

Others disagree. Philosopher Peter Singer says: "The most important lesson they teach... is that it is acceptable to keep animals in captivity for human amusement."³

Some zoos treat animals as objects. In 2010, investigators at an English zoo found sick animals untreated and dead ones left to rot. Many zoos kill surplusExtra. animals to save space.

Even the best run zoos can damage animals. The largest enclosures are much smaller than many animals' natural habitats. Studies have found animals in zoos have shorter lifespans than those in the wild. They also exhibit more behavioural problems. 

To put a human behind bars for life is seen as a punishment for the worst crimes. Today, some ask how can we inflict the same on innocent creatures? Conservationist Jane Goodall claims: "Animals have personalities and minds and feelings." How would we feel about being locked up and gawkedStared. at?

Yes: The list of crimes by zoos against animals would fill volumes. They open animals to abuse. They cause animal distress. They spread disease. And they are a symbol of mankind's self-centredness.

No: No single animal is as important as the survival of an entire species. Some zoos may be cruel in the short term, but by allowing endangered species to survive and even thrive they serve the greater good.

Or... Before attacking zoos, we should stop the meat industry. Every year, humans eat 50 billion chickens, 1.5 billion pigs, 550 million sheep and 300 million cows. At least zoo animals are allowed to live.