I want to take my child to a zoo - are there any good ones? Expand Freedom for Animals does not support any zoo. Whilst we recognise some zoos have more obvious welfare issues than others, no zoo can recreate fully an animal’s natural habitat and without exception our investigations have uncovered worrying information in every zoo visited. Even with welfare concerns aside, we believe wild animals should be just that – wild - and not held for our entertainment. We believe they should have the right to experience their own lives in their natural environment, and this is what we should be aiming to protect.
But aren't zoos important for conservation? Expand Although many zoos claim to be centres of conservation in order to justify keeping animals in captivity, this is sadly not the case. We believe that zoos can be damaging to conservation efforts. Effective conservation is carried out by working in the animals’ natural habitat to protect individuals and entire ecosystems, stopping poachers and educating communities in the animals natural environment. Zoos claim to breed animals for eventual release to the wild but breeding programmes are primarily to ensure a captive population, not for reintroduction. In fact, captive breeding is considered by some conservation scientists to give a false impression that a species is safe so that destruction of habitat and wild populations can continue. In UK zoos, the vast majority of animals in captivity face no conservation threat in the wild. By focusing on zoos in Wales, we carried out research which unearthed that just 9% of animals held captive are endangered and 17% are threatened in the wild. It is time zoos were honest with the public and stopped using conservation claims as a veil for animal exploitation.
Are safari parks better than 'traditional' zoos? Expand Although sometimes offering larger enclosures to animals, safari parks are essentially zoos with the same issues and animal welfare/rights problems. For example, Woburn Safari Park was keeping its lions locked into small enclosures for 18 hours a day. A government zoo inspection report in 2010 said: “The animals were very crowded and there was no provision for individual feeding or sleeping areas. There was no visible environmental enrichment. Some of the lions exhibited skin wounds and multiple scars of various age, some fresh, some healed.” In late 2012, another safari park was shamed as West Midland Safari Park was exposed for providing white lion cubs to a notorious circus animal trainer, who sent them to a travelling circus in Japan. We fundamentally believe that wild animals should be wild, free to experience all the complexities of their own lives. We must consider that an animal living in the wild would be free to roam, in some animals cases they can travel for thousands of miles. They would be free to raise a family, forage, play, eat their natural foods and find a mate. They can go where they choose to when they want to. When they are kept captive for entertainment purposes, this is denied to them.
I don’t think that whales and dolphins should be in aquariums but what are the issues for other sea animals? Expand Aquatic animals like fish, octopus, crabs and turtles, are largely overlooked in wider campaigns on the industry, however they are just as deserving of our concern as other sentient beings. In captivity, their life of the ocean becomes one lived in a tank. A sad existence, unable to swim the depths of the sea with others of their kind. We have found animals with recurring health issues, facing immense stress, taken directly from the wild and a very high number of deaths.
Where can I see animals if not in captivity? Expand Seeing an animal in captivity simply does not compare to seeing it in the wild. We recognise that not everyone is in a position to travel, go on safari etc. Still, you can see many of our native animals in their natural habit here in the UK which can be a wonderful experience. This can be whale watching, bird walks, animal sanctuary open days and much more. Thanks to technological advances, there are other opportunities to learn about animals, from high quality documentaries to virtual reality experiences.
Do you want all animals to be banned from circuses- wild and domestic? Expand Yes, we would like to see all animals banned from circuses. However, our current campaign has focused on wild animals as a first step towards this goal.
I don’t think that wild animals should be in circuses but what are the issues for domestic animals? Expand Life in a circus is not the same as life in a home for dogs, cats, birds, horses and other domesticated animals. They are often forced to travel hundreds of miles and perform unnatural tricks for audiences. For example, horses are forced to carry numerous people on their backs and perform “dances” which puts dangerous pressure on their joints and ligaments, risking long-term health damage. We believe that no animal should be exploited for entertainment purposes.
Do you want to ban all animals from entertainment or just wild ones? Expand We believe there is absolutely no need for the exploitation of any animal for the benefit of our entertainment. With the amazing developments in CGI and VR technology, the need to display live animals decreases as time moves on and progressive technology can be used instead without harm to sentient beings.
I am undertaking a school/university project on animals in captivity, can you help? Expand You can find lots of information available on our website, including our educational resources. If you have any other questions, want a member of staff to feature in your documentary or arrange a school talk, please email us at [email protected]freedomforanimals.org.uk Please note that as a small UK-based charity, we can only provide information relating to animal issues in the UK.
Who should I make donations by cheque payable to? Expand Please make cheques or postal orders payable to the ‘Freedom for Animals’. We are still able to accept cheques made payable to our former name of the Captive Animals' Protection Society and we are identified under both names on the charity commission website.Thank you!