I have mixed feelings about zoos. I know that its not good to have animals locked up in an artificial environment for us to gawp at, but then again I do like visiting the zoo to see my favourites (giraffes and fish).
I try and resist the temptation to anthropomorphise, but when you look at the apes and monkeys it is very hard to not identify with them. Seeing their eyes up close, they always seem to be sad. Just looking at the details of their faces and hands reinforces your belief in Darwinism.
Monkey World is a bit different to most zoos. It exists primarily to rescue animals, mostly from research labs or Spanish photographers. The circumstances mean that the animals would never survive in the wild after a life in a laboratory cage or a photographer’s cupboard, so the only way to look after them is to try and provide something as close as you can get to their natural habitat in a country with a climate significantly colder.
I’m sure they would be happy to do this behind closed doors, but have realised that the public will happily pay to come and see their animals, and that the money will enable them to continue their work. Whatever donations thay receive can only go so far towards meeting the running costs.
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