The key to saving exotic animals lies in saving their habitat, not removing them from it only to place them in an unnatural environment. This behaviour, referred to as zoochosis, is unheard of among animals in the wild but all too common among zoo inmates. In their real homes, these animals would be free to walk and run, choose lifetime companions and raise families. The purposeless existence of the animals. This is not conservation, and surely it is not education.
Zoos claim to educate people and preserve species, but they frequently fall short on both counts.
Most zoo enclosures are quite small, and labels provide little more information than the species' name, diet and natural range. The animals' normal behaviour is seldom discussed, much less observed, because their natural needs are seldom met. Natural hunting and mating behaviours are virtually eliminated by regulated feeding and breeding regimens. The animals are closely confined, lack privacy and have little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise, resulting in abnormal and self-destructive behaviour. A worldwide study of zoos conducted by The Born Free Foundation revealed that zoochosis is rampant in confined animals around the globe.