The deaths at the Saint Louis Zoo is tragic, but animal deaths at zoos occur every year. Accidents, health problems, and just pain old age tend to be the results. While there are zoos around the world that have been known neglect animals the St Louis Zoo has always had a good reputation for animal care.

We often criticize zoos and say animals should be able to roam free in the wild. While I believe that myself, we must also look at the reality of the messed up world in which we live.

As I walk around the St Louis Zoo once a week on my normal photo and video work, I will stop to read the info signs on the animals. If you have read them and the ones at other zoos you will find usually in red lettering that most of the animals are “Threatened”, “Endangered”, “Critically Endangered”, or worse yet “Extinct”. All of these animals didn’t end up this way because of a few of them are in zoos, it is a direct cause of mankind poaching, hunting, and destruction of the animals home. In other words “WE” caused these animals to be endangered.

At the rate animals are losing ground in the wild, in decades to come, it is sad to say we might only see animals in the zoos. The breeding programs and conservation efforts like the Saint Louis Zoo is important for that reason. As the top species on this planet we have been responsible the destruction and extinction of many animals in the wild. Isn’t it about time we take the role to save the animals?

As for the Saint Louis Zoo, for us living here we should consider ourselves lucky and very fortunate that we have such a good zoo and it is free. Most zoos do have an entrance fee ranging from $5.00 to $45.00 dollars.

So while many people may be against zoos and the deaths of animals that occur for each animal that has died in a zoo, how many have died in the wild from poaching, illegal hunting, and destruction of habitat? So while you read this, an animal is probably dying in the wild at the stupidity of man.