Expert: Stephen Vantassel - 3/11/2011

Question
I'm writing an article on zoo's, concentrating on conservation, research, education, and animal welfare, which i believe are all linked.
I can comprehend conservation programs such as born free and the one at antelope park working, they have vast space to house the lions whilst they are in their care. They then move to huge enclosures where they have to hunt and live naturally other than the fence which surrounds and protects them. The next step is to release their offspring into the wild, they are literally born wild.
I cannot however comprehend how zoo breeding programs work!! They do not have the space for the animals whilst in their care and they certainly don't have the space to semi release them into a huge controlled enclosure where they can live naturally, hunting prey etc.
How do these programs work?
Thank you in advance.

Answer
Your question assumes a number of elements that are ungrounded. Who said that the zoo's lack sufficient space for breeding programs? Zoos are not natural so even if they have acreage they are still unnatural, if they were natural they wouldn't be zoos.

I concur that you need to do some research. I would suggest you contact the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE. It is a world leader in captive breeding programs.

Be sure in your research you sharply distinguish animal welfare from animal rights. I fear that this distinction is not exactly clear, based on your questions.