Maybe, but I have a particular dislike of zoos in general, so my opinion is heavily biased. 
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I recall going to some bad zoos as a child and have been to one or two much better zoos in the last decade or so. They are worlds apart.
Whether thereâs a place for them at all now is a whole separate question. Do people need the opportunity to see certain animals up close to appreciate why it might be worth helping to conserve them in their native environments?
Used to play golf next door to that zoo.
Used to hear the lions roar around 4pm as they were being fed.
Slightly off putting when you are taking your shot.
A spokeswoman said: âIn the cooler weather Dartmoor zooâs keepers occasionally do rope-pulling with their big cats for enrichment purposes. This type of activity, which is common at many zoos, is very important to keep the animals fit and healthy as it encourages exercise, which builds muscle mass.
âOver February half-term, the zoo is for the first time enabling a small number of visitors to join in with the keepers, to experience for themselves the strength of the animals and to learn more about these threatened species. The zoo is a charity and money raised from participation in the experience goes toward the zooâs conservation, education and research efforts to improve captive animal management and protect wild habitats that are being destroyed or lost.
âThe enrichment activity works by attaching meat to a rope, which is fed through to outside the animalsâ enclosure, and waiting until the animal picks it up. It is completely at the catâs discretion if they want to engage with the enrichment and they are not forced to participate in any way. The experience is just for a few minutes once a day and will alternate daily between our lion and tiger.â
I think the wealth of wildlife programmes available on TV can do that job more effectively by showing the causes of population decline such as habitat loss, hunting, climate change, etc.
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Oh, I donât know - could be interesting
I agree, zoos are âbetterâ than they used to be, although I would prefer to call them âless badâ but thereâs enough in this, fairly well balanced, documentary (video just down the page) for me to maintain my view that they can cause distress to the captive animals.
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You wouldnât want one of these up your trouser leg
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Didnât know bees lived that ling.
It was on a mead bender
Interesting
I am important, so I should be able to drink all of the booze
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Problem is it rarely works, saving the environments that is. Then you just get left with animals in zoos that will never have a natural environment to return to., No excuse for keeping many of the large African species in zoos, pure money makers.
No Canadian orders, fucking yanks.
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Do they post to the Northern Isles?
Our Gibbon could do with some company, he fucking hates the Pangolin.
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Why doesnât he just stick to the forest canopy then ? Oh, hang on.
VB
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Shatterhand ? I really hope he didnât.
VB
As the son of a railway/model railway fanatic this brought back fond memories of my dad. 
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