It will never fulfil our aim to end the keeping of animals for entertainment. But as zoos are forced to close, their animals may be passed to dealers or private collections, or simply abandoned, as zoo owners try to avoid the expense of ensuring long term welfare. Zoo Check will campaign for displayed animals to properly cared for. All current zoo legislation improves rather than prohibits zoo, so we have to use these laws to ensure a higher standard of individual welfare of the animals, to curtail the growth of the zoo industry, and to reduce the number of zoos. Protect in the wild Long term, Zoo Check wants to end the traditional menagerie zoo, and encourage the zoo industry to redirect their efforts and money towards real conservation, based in the wild.
Common sense suggests that animals breed successfully when protected in their natural habitats.
This might seem obvious, but it is something the zoo industry would rather not admit because their view of conservation is based on animals in captivity not in the wild. Modern zoos have existed for 200 years, and for their advocates to admit they are wrong and that captivity will never save our wonderful wildlife would be a quantum leap in belief, a perceived loss of face. Zoos started to claim a 'conservation' role some 40-50 years ago when public opinion first began to question animal captivity. Now public support is again faltering as this 'conservation' claim is being challenged. Zoos are now fighting for their survival trying to meet the expectation of a more informed, discerning and critical public.