Modern zoo enclosures designed to mimic animals’ natural habitats are widely considered a more humane way to house animals in captivity, but some scientists argue that these enclosures merely give the illusion of humane treatment, obscure the true plight of captive animals, and make dangerous encounters between animals and humans more likely. These “natural” enclosures “reflect our own fantasies about the animals we gawk at rather than the true needs of these nonhuman others.”
Link: Slate