I Think the Zoo Is Sad

Today I have been in a zoo for the first time in thirty years or so. There are a a few animals that made me smile (penguins, tortoises, prairie dogs), but mostly the visit made me sad. Especially seeing big animals and birds languish in boredom was heartbreaking.

I really wonder what's the purpose of a zoo in these times where a mouse click may lead us to any kind of picture. Some may argue that in the zoo we see the 'real animals'. How can we see a real lion in a small terrain instead of his natural savannah?

The only thing I really enjoyed was seeing the amazed expressions of my nephews and nieces, and listen to sweet innocent questions like 'why are bears so big?'