Good post Kirsten. There are so many variables, that there really is no black or white, but common sense should prevail. Unfortunately, it doesn't most of the time.

Our pets - dogs and cats mostly - are domesticated - and can't really be classed with the animals we see in zoos or preserves and parks. I really believe that they are happy and safest where they are.

Many places for the "wild" animals now are so much more suited than the zoo environment. They have acres upon acres to run free and safely be enclosed within the confines of a given area, and people can ride thru and view them in a more natural setting, and they can be maintained to be healthy and well adjusted at the same time.

However - how do you give a mammoth creature like a killer whale a safe and comfortable place to live in confinement?? I don't believe it's possible, and it should never be done. Man is sacrificing this animal's health and well being for their own pleasures, and in turn he must be ready to suffer the consequences that will, and have already, come with it.