People often criticize zoos for keeping animals in unnatural conditions, where they are unhappy and exist just to entertain visitors and to generate profit. While this was true, no one- included me -would deny that at the beginning zoo was a place of entertainment, but now zoo is a place of education. It enables us to see wild animals that we would never otherwise get to see, it teaches us about the threats towards species, it pushes us to respect and protect animals because all our actions can affect them. _For example, visitors are encouraged to check the ‘green’ credentials of any tour company they may use before booking a holiday to islands with endangered species, such as the Komodo Dragon in Indonesia, or the Green Sea Turtle, whose shell is hunted to be a tourist souvenir._ Besides, the money zoos bring in is used to pay for the animals' food and care while funding breeding programmes, as well as the employees' wages. Some also go towards funding the protection of animals in the wild, and their habitats. One might argue that zoos are bad and cruel to animals. I would say that it is a too common statement to say so. Not all zoos are bad. I would be the first to admit that a few of these zoos exist but fortunately it is changing. Now, in developed countries, zoos are carefully regulated - the animals are kept in conditions as close to their natural habitat as possible, with plenty of space, good diets and immediate medical care if they need it. Every possible thing is done to ensure that they don't get bored. In fact most zoo animals live better than those homeless in the streets; they tend to live longer and are better feeded. So, Zoos can exist without being cruel towards animals, however, and so the fact that there are animal welfare problems with some zoos does not mean that all zoos should be shut down. It's also important to remember that animals are not taken from the wild and 'locked up in cages'. Animals in zoos are captive-bred - they were