Tattoos and Zoos (21 Jul 2004)
Until recently, many zoos were modelled on Victorian conceptions of the zoological garden, and were seen as a way of educating their visitors about the science of their plants and animals. But during the second half of the 20th century, the debate around animal rights meant that people started to question the ethics of exhibiting wild animals, in what many regarded as restrictive, cruel enclosures.
New zoos across the world have responded to the criticisms by claiming they are important sites for conservation. But how much is this true? And what do zoos say about us?
Article URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/thinkingallowed_20040721.shtml
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