Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

On the one hand, there are many projects in existence in zoological parks around the world where species facing extinction have been successfully bred in captivity and their numbers increased substantially.

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is important for ensuring the survival of animals under threat from poaching and the destruction of their natural environments. A good example of

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is the golden lion tamarin from Brazil which nearly died out because of logging and mining activities that are destroying its habitat. Today, a

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of wild golden lion tamarins were raised in captivity.

On the other hand

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, a significant percentage of

zoos

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house their animals in cramped cages with very little space to move around or behave naturally.

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can lead to them becoming distressed and depressed as well as suffering physically through lack of exercise. A friend of mine recently visited a wildlife park while on holiday abroad and was very upset to see lions pacing up and down in a narrow, bare pen and eagles in enclosures so small that they were unable to fly.