Do people care about animals in the zoos?

I work as a Zookeeper, and the previous answer was close-minded and uninformed. The animals that are housed in reputable zoos are healthy, engaged, and very, very happy. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums along with the USDA inspect AZA recognized zoos (of which there are around 229) regularly to ensure the health and emotional well-being of the animals in their care.

Some "zoos" treat their animals poorly, but that is not a reflection of all zoos. Not at all.

Zoos are extremely important, as it brings conservation to the surface for anyone who visits. Some of these animals actually don't have a habitat to go back to (tigers, white rhinos, elephants. etc.) and displaying them in a high quality zoo is a fantastic way of letting people who would never see them or care about them see them in all of their natural beauty, and even inspire some to become involved in their conservation.

The main purpose of a Zoo is to house animals that are endangered or threatened in order to maintain the species' existence if it ever becomes extinct in the wild. The visitors are an awesome perk, as they contribute to the funding, upkeep, diets, and renovations of the zoos they visit.

Ultimately it is important to realize that Zoos as a whole are an important asset to conservation, and organizations that black-ball ALL Zoos based on the actions of a few are doing far more damage to conservation of endangered species and habitats than the worst zoo that ever existed.

I hope that one day we will have a respect for nature and wildlife that eliminates the need for Zoos, and keeps all wildlife species stable instead of exploiting and killing them for unnecessary reasons, or just because they happen to be living where we want a parking lot to be. Until then, until we decide as a community to genuinely care how we decimate the biodiversity of the planet, Zoos will be an integral part of the conservation of the wildlife that we have threatened with our progress and expansion.

Support AZA recognized Zoos. Boycott the Zoos that are run by amateurs just to gain a profit.