Morgan Pritchard- Can Zoos be Ethical?

 This weekend, I went to Maymont Park in Richmond. It is a 100-acre park with a petting zoo, animal exhibits, and beautiful Japanese and Italian gardens. I went a lot as a kid because I loved interacting with the animals and the scenery. Revisiting this park made me think about our class discussion on whether zoos were ethical. This is a difficult question to answer, but I kept it in mind while I visited and decided that it is moral in cases like Maymont Park.

The main concern people have with zoos is the animals’ well-being. Maymont’s website says it only has Virginia native species that have been rescued and are unfit to be released into the wild. I think this is a perfect example of what a zoo should look like. The animals are not in a small habitat made to look like a different climate. They are already accustomed to Virginia weather. 

I think zoos are also extremely important to educate people, especially children. Zoos offer kids a place to interact and learn about animals, their behaviors, and any environmental challenges they face. This can build public awareness of conservation issues and allow kids to make a connection with nature. The petting zoo at Maymont was full of young children petting and feeding the animals. Parents were answering questions like ‘What sound does this animal make?’ and ‘What animal is this?’ which fueled the kids' curiosity about wildlife. 

Maymont also does not profit off of ticket sales. It is completely free to enter. You just have to pay for animal food at the petting zoo. It also has no food vendors or souvenir shops. It really is just about seeing and enjoying nature. I think this makes Maymont ethical and a good example of an ideal zoo. This is because it prioritizes conservation, education, and animal welfare over profit.

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