I'm thinking about visiting a zoo in the future, but have concerns about the ethical treatment of the animals. Have zoos changed much, to be safer and more comfortable for animals overall?
I'm thinking about visiting a zoo in the future, but have concerns about the ethical treatment of the animals. Have zoos changed much, to be safer and more comfortable for animals overall?
user
Human:  There's been a lot of improvements in zoo conditions since the early 20th century, when zoos began to be regulated by law.  As well as better zoos that treat animals better, there's also great efforts to avoid keeping wild animals in captivity at all: many of the animals currently in zoos came from the exotic pet trade, or from "exotic" regions of the world that are difficult for researchers to visit.
assistant
I've heard that some new laws have been passed, to help with big cats especially. It seems they can be exploited quite a bit, especially in the southern U.S.
user