So there’s a lot of people out there who are like “I hate zoos they’re mean to animals” and like I hate /caged/ zoos. Some zoos are badass and super great. Like Gladys Porter Zoo. So here’s a whole thread why GPZ is the best and everyone should go there

Firstly, GPZ is one of the first habitat based zoos. This means that the animals are not in cages, they are in enclosures that mimic and are the appropriate size of their habitats in the wild. Not every animal is migratory so it’s not like they need the whole world to run around

When an animal is deemed inappropriate for the habitat they are living in, they find a new zoo for the animal to go to with the appropriate habitat. (I.e. we used to have a polar bear but it was decided that brownsville is too hot for one so they found it a better zoo to go to)

Another great thing about GPZ is that A LOT of the animals there are rescues. For example, the lions were rescued from drug lords, the tigers were being sold in a Walmart parking lot as cubs, one of the Galapagos tortoises was saved from a circus

These animals would have died in the hands of these people and would die if they were sent to the wild, so putting them in a safe and comfortable environment like a zoo is one of the most humane ways to keep them alive.

GPZ is also one of the BEST zoos in the WORLD for endangered species. We literally have the LAST Jentink’s duiker in the WHOLE WORLD. The zoo is literally the ONLY place where anyone can study it before it dies.

GPZ is also insane at breeding endangered species in order to keep the species alive. For example, we are one of few zoos in the world to have Pygmy hippos let alone have Pygmy hippos that breed as often as ours do. This is amazing bc then scientists can learn more about them to

Keep them safe and help the species get off the endangered list. The zoo is actually twice the size of what the public can visit, with the back being a place where breeding can take place and animal rehabilitation can happen.

GPZ is constantly trying to better itself for the animals and to make sure that learning is always possible. It has an amazing education center that is always working to educate the public on wild animals

This is especially great bc in a city with such a low socioeconomic status, learning about wild animals would be much more difficult. GPZ is always trying to get the community involved and to educate everyone on animals and animal conservation.

It has summer programs for kids which are super fun and some summers they’ll even offer free classes to kids in the community. How many kids can say that they’ve fed an alligator before? I have, and it was completely free. This is not something that happens everywhere

So if you’re gonna be fake woke and equate zoos to Sea World, shut up and do your gd research. Plenty of zoos are following GPZ’s lead, and need the visitation from people in order to continue helping animals. So research zoos before visiting, but don’t call all of them inhumane

I mean, live your life, but you’ll be missing out on some amazing and beautiful animals. And if you sleep on GPZ, then you’re missing out on one of the most beautiful places in the whole of Texas tbh.

So in conclusion, do your research, support humane zoos, be nice to animals, and go visit GPZ. Can you tell the zoo is my favorite place lol