Zoos shouldn’t be jails – let’s reimagine them and enjoy animals in the wild | Jules Howard

We shouldn’t let animals die in entertainment venues. Urban zoos where we could view wildlife through VR would reinforce the conservation message

It really is a damning report. Of more than 1,500 animals kept at Cumbria’s South Lakes Safari zoo between December 2013 and September 2016, 486 were found to have died. Emaciation, hypothermia, accidental electrocution, gastrointestinal infections, a decomposing squirrel monkey found behind a radiator, two dead snow leopards. At the same time, the zoo was hit with a £255,000 fine for health and safety breaches after one of its keepers was mauled by a Sumatran tiger.

Related: Calls for Cumbrian zoo to be shut after 486 animals die in four years

I've had moments in zoos when I have locked eyes with a captive gorilla and seen sadness or worse, utter contempt

Related: The Guardian view on zoos: respect our animal relatives | Editorial

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