On Saturday, Stuart and I visited Ratanga Junction in Cape Town. It was great fun, we rode all sorts of roller coasters, got totally wet and tried to smash into each other in bumper cars. We were entertained the whole day.
There was one thing that got to me though, the many wild animals kept in small enclosures to entertain the public. These animals included vultures, macaws, snakes, crocodiles and even Andean Condors, with a lifespan of 50 years! Well, there's a whole debate about whether wild animals should be kept zoos and enclosures at all. But I wish to deal with the actual condition of these holding cells. If animals are going to be kept for our amusement and education, surely their enclosures should be as natural and spacious as possible, affording the animals some chance of expressing some of his/her natural instincts? A huge python for example was enclosed in a cage where he would never be able to extend himself to his full length. The condors, prized for their ability to sore on winds, would not be able to fly accross their cage. And in general the cages were drab, with bare natural covering to add interest and cover. Personally, I don't believe this is acceptable and have written a letter to Ratanga Junction asking them to explain themselves. I 'd like to hear what you think about animals in zoos and enclosures.
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