10 Reasons Zoos Are Bad for the Planet

8. Not Enough Work to Fight Endangerment
Zoos have been around for quite some time. Nearly 400 years of wildlife parks, 
safaris, and nature parks, and too many of these man-made forms of captivity 
have done next to nothing to fight against or reverse the decline of endangered 
species. In fact, “the rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated by 
experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the 
natural 
extinction rate” 
(rate if humans weren’t in existence). Obviously, that cannot 
and should not be attributed entirely to zoos. But they certainly play at least 
some role.
Unlike past mass extinctions that were caused by outside factors, the cause this 
time is the result of one species: humans. So, instead of attempting to create a 
narrative based around zoos, conservationists must protect endangered animals 
where they belong: the wild.
9. “Surplus” Animals Killed

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The idea that zoos actually carry out the killing of animals may come as a 
surprise, but it’s very much become routine in most zoos. A “surplus animal” is 
one that has “made its genetic contribution to a managed population and is not 
essential for future scientific studies or to maintain social-group stability or 
traditions.” In other words, if a zoo already has more than enough male 
chimpanzees or female giraffes, it’ll make the decision to either sell or euthanize 
an animal. These animals have already bred with several partners and, in a way, 
produced their own replacements. Lifetime care is not something that’s in the 
zoo’s business model.
A country that has taken euthanizing zoo animals to an extreme level of 
callousness is Denmark. In 2014, zoo patrons witnessed a healthy giraffe shot by 
“conservationists” and then dissected in front of the public. The poor giraffe 
was eventually fed to the zoo’s lions. This wasn’t a one-time thing. The next day, 
the public was treated to the dissection of a “surplus lion” who was killed the 
past year and frozen. Children called out “liver” as the long butcher knives 
removed its intestines. Educational, but frightening nonetheless.