One has only to visit a zoo to think about this question seriously. A thoughtful person can clearly see that caged animals are unhappy, restless and sometimes even mistreated. They may receive food and water regularly, but in exchange they lose the most precious gift of all — freedom. When humans commit crimes, they are sent to prison. Animals, without any fault of theirs, are locked behind bars in zoos. Isn’t this unfair?

Keeping animals in cages is an outdated idea. Animals need open spaces to move, play and hunt naturally. A zoo does not provide these needs. Day after day, crowds of people pass by and children often tease or disturb the helpless creatures, making life more stressful for them.

In many zoos, the condition is even worse. Animals are sometimes neglected, kept in dirty surroundings and confined to small spaces. Many of them struggle to survive in such unnatural conditions and slowly die longing for their freedom. Careless visitors also throw harmful items like plastic into the cages, which can cause serious health problems or even death.

At the same time, there is another side to this issue. If animals are left completely in the wild, poachers may kill them for their skin, horns, or meat. This can lead to the extinction of rare and endangered species. In the natural world, animals help maintain the balance of the ecosystem. But once humans interfere, the danger of imbalance and destruction increases.

Zoos are also argued to be educational. Not everyone can afford to travel on safaris or visit distant forests. Zoos make it possible for students, researchers and the public to see animals closely and learn more about them. But surely, there must be a better way to achieve this.

The best solution is to create wildlife sanctuaries and national parks where animals can roam freely in natural surroundings, safe from hunters and cruelty. Such protected areas should be well-maintained, with strict laws against poaching. Visitors should be allowed to observe animals from a safe distance, without disturbing them. In this way, both animals and humans will benefit. Animals will live with dignity and humans will still get to enjoy and learn from the beauty of the animal kingdom.