Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse is the infliction by omission (animal neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon any non-human. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievement, such as killing animals for food or for their fur; opinions differ about the extent of cruelty. Cruelty to animals sometimes encompasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, defined as Zoosadism.
We chose to talk about living conditions of animals in some zoos.
Recently, in Albania, the authorities had closed the « safari park zoo » famous to be the « Hell's zoo » where animals are suffering and are victims of maltreatment and malnutrition.
In this zoo, animals live in small cage with poor hygiene: they are suffer from physical and psychological problems because of miserable living conditions, poor veterinary care and a lack of proper diet. A veterinarian sent to the spot, said that there are “the worst living conditions that he has ever seen”.
Unfortunately this is not the only zoo where animals are abused, there are many others...
However, there are zoos where the animals are in good health and seem happy :
For example we have visited the “animal park of the Pyrenées” in Argelès-Gazost. It is a zoological park in the mountains and there are different species. They are 400 representatives of wild species and 600 animals : mammals but also birds.
The animals are in enclaves (and not cages) and they have a lot of space to live. We can feed some animals like Marmots or Goats. It's a very good experience and the animals seem to feel comfortable in their environment.