Zoo director Severin Dressen on freedom: “Don’t the animals feel like they’re in a cage at the zoo?”

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The next generation almost never can please the previous generation. Comparison is always harmful to boys. Generation Z is also rarely treated well: “Unable to live without a smartphone, impatient, demanding” are just a few descriptions that can be found on the Internet. The latter, in particular, does not have to be only negative.

The zoo receives questions from the public almost every day, which we answer to the best of our knowledge and belief. But some time ago I received a letter in which students from the cantonal school of Aargau put together various questions that remained unanswered after visiting the zoo.

These questions went a little further than standard questions. They showed that the class had been intensely concerned with the ethical issues of animal husbandry and now, in keeping with their demanding character traits, demanded further explanation.

My interest was piqued and last Sunday we took the whole class to the zoo. These were impressive, inspiring and uplifting hours that we were able to spend together.

First of all, I was surprised that, despite the beautiful weather and the upcoming exam stage, the class was almost completely assembled. On the other hand, the class was enthusiastic, asked countless questions, asked questions, and challenged me. It was great to see how interested they were in the topic of animal husbandry and species conservation.

The theme that concerned Kanti’s students was the theme of “freedom.” Don’t animals feel like they’re caged in a zoo? The question is really twofold: 1. Are animals locked up in zoos? 2. Do you feel it?

The answer to question 1 is relatively clear: yes, animals in zoos have limited space. But this often happens in nature. At the border of the territory, everything is over for the tiger, because a rival is lurking on the other side. The monkey cannot leave his group, even fearing death, because he has no chance on his own. But the mouse does not move freely across the meadow, but scurries from place of protection to place of protection – otherwise it would almost certainly be fatal.

But even when animals recognize this limited space, does it bother them?

According to our current scientific understanding of animals, these needs are divided into five categories. B. health or nutrition, and zoos must comply with them. Sometimes this can be extremely difficult. The desire for freedom that we humans have is not one of them.

Our peacocks are a good example. If they had a human desire for freedom, they would have left the zoo long ago. But since all their needs such as food, sleep, space for sand and other peacocks are met by us, they have no motivation to migrate.

Even inside the zoo they occupy only a small area. For 30 years, the peacock has never wandered into the lower part of the zoo. But peacocks can also become “impatient and demanding” if they are denied access to our Zurich fries. For the first time, freedom-loving people and freedom-ignoring peacocks agree on this.

Source: Blick