The Zoo

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 13

The Zoo

Sir, —1 see by to-day’s paper that several new consignments of “wild beasts” are to arrive shortly at the Newtown Zoo —bison, black bear, monkeys, a leopard, etc. Apparently the zoo is once again to have added to it more sad living captives to ensure a satisfactory bolstering up of revenue for the city council. Is there any reason, other than this, that can be given as an excuse for taking wild animals from their natural surroundings and inflicting on. them the misery of a journey in close confinement by eea and land, often in the (to them) airless holds of ships, for human beings to gaze at in the confinement of a zoo? . . The "educational” excuse wears steadily thinner in the light of film and photo-, graphic advancement. The general pub-, lie likes a zoo —yes—and willingly pays to see it, and so adds steadily to the re-' venue of the city council; but then, the general public does not think or analyse very much where its own amusements are concerned. It is optimistic, if it thinks at all, and hopes things are “all right.”But to anyone who really loves animals, the cruelty of the whole sad business is. paramount. Who can gauge the mental misery (apart from the physical misery) of dumb beasts? You have only to see the expression in the ej;e of a lost dog to realise in small degree the suffering that must inevitably be inflicted on wild beasts brought into captivity., I would that others with influence and high conviction would take this matter up.—l am, etc.. MjL.T. Wellington, August 18.