When I saw this request I was extremely intrigued. What do I believe about animal freedom for those animals in zoos? I am a frequent zoo visitor, in fact, I visit the zoo so often I should become a tour guide. I love animals of all kinds and I find it soothing to be around them. However, I find a place like the Brookfield Zoo, where I am a frequent visitor, and a place like Sea World completely different.

I think that places like Sea World borderline on animal abuse. The purpose of the place is only recreational and the animals are not contained properly. I went to Sea World in San Diego when I was seven and my Uncle Brad told me that even then, I was outraged by how small the tank for the Orca Whales were. There were three huge whales sharing a tiny tank with several performances everyday. Then a few years later, there was an Orca that went rogue on its trainer at the Sea World in Ohio. This confirmed my belief that places like Sea World that were purely for enjoyment of people, were wrong. 

I've seen Orcas in the wild. They are huge and powerful and amazing whales and their biggest threat right now- humans. So with my belief that the whales at all the Sea Worlds are being abused by not having enough room, not living in large enough groups, and performing several times a day feeling validated, it's hard to understand how they can say it's for "conservation" of these animals when WE are these animals predators. 

Another problem was when the Monterey Bay Aquarium captured a Great White Shark. The shark lived for six weeks and died in captivity before it could be released back into the wild. This is kind of contradictory to my belief that research zoos are a good thing, but great whites are known to travel all over the world. They regulate their own body temperature so they are able to thrive in any oceanic environment. However, they cannot survive in captivity.

But yet, I still love the Brookfield Zoo, always have and probably always will. I believe they do good work there. Recently they took in a bottlenose dolphin, Ginger, who was hurt and nursed her back to health. Ginger is now back in the wild and doing well. The Brookfield is also home to a unique animal called the Okapi. The okapi is a highly endangered animal that is so close to extinction but thanks to the Brookfield Zoo's conservation efforts, there was an Okapi born last year. I believe it's better to have these amazing animals in captivity than have them extinct.