Zoos Are the ‘Pitts’ for Animals

Each spring, zoos churn out baby animals like banks churn out big holiday bonuses for executives—but Average Joe and Jane don’t grumble about tiger cubs. They simply coo at the babies.

Leave it to a PETA member wearing a tiger mask and holding a cardboard sign reading, “Pittsburgh Zoo Made Me Homeless,” to bring home the point: Zoos should stop breeding animals and instead reinvent themselves as “rescue zoos.”

This fellow may be sitting, but he’s also standing—standing up for exotic animals, that is. Tens of thousands of tigers, bears, and other exotic animals languish in shoddy roadside attractions, back yards, and basements because the authorities who seize them have no place to put them.

Our “tiger” welcomed dozens of visitors to learn about how zoos are cruel to animals both inside and outside their facilities. After reading our leaflets, the security guards nodded their heads in agreement.

Written by Karin Bennett