Wolves Euthanized at French Zoo After Escaping Enclosure

​www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59786665

A pack of 9 wolves escaped their enclosure at a French zoo, forcing its closure temporarily to address security concerns. According to reports, there were very few patrons at the zoo during the escape but unfortunately, four out of the nine wolves had to be killed after displaying "aggressive behaviour". The remaining five wolves were brought back to their enclosure without incident. The wolves had only just been brought to the zoo so to have escaped so quickly, it's quite apparent the zoo needs to address lackluster security. This is the second time the zoo was forced to close; the first time was in regards to animal welfare concerns that were dropped soon after.

There's a Bigger Picture Here!

Earlier in the week I reported on an incident in Florida where a tiger had to be euthanized at a zoo after a worker stuck his arm inside the enclosure and was attacked. Now, I'm reporting on a pack of wolves that had to be shot and killed to protect humans, are we seeing a pattern? Animals in zoos are not safe because there are too many opportunities for humans to put them in danger. Whether it's through being irresponsible and entering enclosures or poorly kept enclosures that allow animals to escape, humans are the root of animal deaths in zoos. This has to change.

As these stories demonstrate, zoos are simply not safe for animals if we are going to allow humans to come in to contact with them. Zoos make claims that the animals they have on the premises are there for educational purposes, but children can just as easily read about them in books like the National Geographic for example. The educational aspect of housing these animals is kind of lost when they're constantly escaping or being shot and killed in order to protect patrons of the zoo. It's time to accept that zoos are simply unsafe for animals and should only be utilized for conservation. There's no reason that an endangered tiger or pack of wolves should be euthanized in a space they should be protected. It's ridiculous.

The only reason a zoo should have animals is because they are working with conservation organizations across the globe. If they're not helping to rehabilitate or repopulate a species, there's really no reason for them to have animals. These animals would be significantly better off at sanctuaries that are designed to keep them comfortable and safe for the rest of their lives if that were to be the intention. I believe that there are some accredited zoos that care deeply for the animals that they have on their premises, but I also believe that those same zoos profit heavily off of having these animals so it's a bit contradictory in my opinion. 

When you consider the many instances of animals escaping and being killed, it's abundantly clear that zoos need to step up their security if they're going to truly keep animals safe. I also believe it's time to put a ban on taking in more animals / breeding animals unless it is directly attributed to conservation. Zoos have the ability to help rehabilitate and aid in species conservation and should be only tasked with doing so. Allowing zoos to continue to profit off of animals in enclosures continues to put them in danger because humans are so unpredictable and without amped up security, will continue taunting animals, falling in their enclosures, and being attacked. These animals will continue to be unsafe until serious changes are made to prevent ANY instance of human endangerment that should result in the death of an animal.

Head to the link at the top of the post for the original story. What are your thoughts? Should we ban zoos from obtaining animals unless they are dong so for conservation?

HAPPY VEG