Five Ways to Make the Most of Your Zoo Experience

Entertaiment

Spending some time at the zoo is a great way to spend Entertaiment. Zoos have exhibits geared towards children, making them fun and educational for kids of all ages. There are many benefits of spending time in the zoo, too. Read on to learn more. Here are five ways to make the most of your time at the zoo:

Entertaiment is spent at a zoo

Despite the many positives associated with zoos, you may wonder how you can give back to the animals in the facility. After all, these animals are essentially being held captive and forced to entertain people, while their lives are miserable. It is also crucial to remember that the animals are being abused by humans, who are not responsible for their own well-being. While zoo workers may believe they are doing the right thing by treating animals with respect and dignity, their lack of experience will only leave you feeling sad.

Most people do not know this, but animals in zoos, pseudo-sanctuaries, traveling displays, and roadside menageries are essentially confined to barren enclosures. These deprived conditions lead to many neurotic behaviors and sometimes even self-harm. These animals have little to no control over their lives and are subjected to a life of fear. Sadly, this is how entertainment is spent at a zoo.

The way in which captive animals are treated plays a critical role in both the visitor experience and the welfare of the exhibited animals. In most cases, zoos encourage visitors to spend only a few seconds or minutes at each animal display, which doesn’t foster a healthy relationship with the animals. Rather than fostering empathy, most zoo visitors walk away without even knowing the names of the animals.

It is spent at a zoo

A zoo’s budget is not insignificant – anywhere from $5 million to $20 million per year. Depending on the size of the facility and the number of animals it cares for, this can be a substantial amount of money. But these zoos are not for profit organizations, so the money is not all for the animals themselves. In fact, the average American only spends $4 billion per year on zoos, so that doesn’t mean that the zoos are not making a profit.

According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), zoos contribute $17.2 billion in economic output annually. Zoos also generate $2.4 billion in before-and-after visitor spending, which supports more than 62,126 jobs in the United States. But these zoos spend far more than that. The money they generate from the zoos does more than provide jobs and support the zoos themselves.