This One Photograph Tells You All You Need About The Sad State of Zoos.

As a kid you probably went to the zoo on school trips. And if you take a moment, you can probably conjure up fond memories of monkeys and elephants. But if you were to go to the zoo again now, I can guarantee your experience would be vastly different. As children, we focused so much on the animals that we probably didn’t notice their metal cages and concrete holding cells. In my memories, my favorite zoo animals somehow lived in their natural habitats in Africa, India, or South America. The truth is much harsher. Zoo animals are kept in squalid conditions, isolated and alone where they suffer from stress and depression.

This bear is a perfect example. This sad sight is seemingly out of another time. But unfortunately, the picture is from the not so distant past. The photo was taken by Peter Marlow at Russia’s Kaliningrad Zoo in 2001.

The bear was forced to live at the bottom of a concrete pit just so we visitors could catch a glimpse of its miserable life before they headed to the next attraction.

Peter Marlow/Magnum Photos

In 2016, this shouldn’t still be happening. We know too much about animals to allow them to live like this. Wild animals belong in their natural habits far from conditions depicted in this picture. And it seems strange that anyone would derive pleasure out of seeing animals in such a depressed state.

Unfortunately, though, not much has changed since this picture was taken. The video below shows that bears at the Kaliningrad Zoo are still mere entertainment as they stand on the edge of a platform and beg visitors to throw them apples. 

If you agree that wild animals should be allowed to live in their natural habitats, please share this article to raise awareness about the depressing living conditions of zoos. 

Newsner loves animals and believes in treating them with utmost respect. Please like if you do, too.