The act of watching animals at the zoo can reveal a lot about human nature. Zoos have been present within human civilization for centuries. Despite the changes in their appearance and practices, their core function remains the same. In the following essay, I will reflect on my visit to the zoo and the deeper meaning I discovered during it.
Reflection
A few weeks ago I went to the local zoo. I have not been there in years so I thought it could be interesting to see how it changed since my last visit. The place remained as it was, however. It was well-maintained, and aside from a few exhibits being closed, no sign of disrepair or renovation could be seen. It was like the zoo was frozen in time. This thought made me consider the purpose of zoos. Before the invention of videography and photography, animals could only be seen in paintings or drawings. However, these depictions were not always accurate. Therefore, the only way to see a non-indigenous animal was to visit a zoo. It was an exotic experience. However, there is nothing exotic about animals in the modern age. The purpose of zoos seems to be stuck in time as much as their condition.
Conclusion
Zoos are a distinctly human invention. While animals are capable of collecting items, none of them keep other species in captivity only to observe it. In the modern era, zoos seem to have no real function due to videos and photographs of animals being freely available to the public. Perhaps, it is time to decrease the number of zoos in the world and start caring about wild animals.