By Dave Neale, via AnimalsAsia.org

To answer the question as to whether or not zoos serve a purpose is very difficult. Every zoo is different. For instance, in many cases visiting a zoo in countries such as China and Vietnam can be a very negative educational experience, where the conditions in which the animals are being kept are unacceptable. I know that the majority of the visitors do not understand that those conditions cause animals to suffer, but all they learn from their visit is that it is acceptable to keep animals in such deplorable conditions.