Diarikom : Diariklub - Intermediate Text with Vocabulary - Animals in Zoos! - Zoos were not always the nicest places for animals!

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Diariklub - Intermediate Text with Vocabulary - Animals in Zoos! - Zoos were not always the nicest places for animals!

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A Visitor Taking a Photo of a Lion - by Nigel A JAMES

Animals in Zoos

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I liked trips to the zoo when I was a child. I still do! But, now it depends on the zoo. Some zoos are nice, others are not. And, looking back to my childhood, the zoo that I loved must have been a terrible place for the animals.

The cages were all very small; there was too little space for the animals. And, worse still, the elephants were all chained to the ground. But, I didn't understand the cruelty these animals were suffering. And, I thought that lions going round and round in circles for hours on end was a very funny trick. The animals must have been desperate!

So, what is a good zoo? Of course, I am no expert, but, I know that the zoo in Vienna is one of the best in the world. And, I have a very strange feeling that the animals can't get enough. It seems to be perfect. There are no minuscule cages; there are generous paddocks and enclosures instead. And, the elephants are no longer chained to the ground.

But, why do we need zoos? Is it to save animals from extinction? Or, is it because we simply love looking at animals? And, do animals really like living in captivity? Questions and questions and more questions. But, when I see animals and children smiling at each other when I visit the zoo in Vienna, I think animals prefer living in zoos. Especially Schönbrunn in Vienna!