Zoos often claim to be modern-day arks, providing a safe and comfortable environment; make animals happy and satisfied; educate the world about wildlife; and saving species from the brink of extinction while conducting vital research into animal life. There is a moral presumption against keeping wild and defenseless animals in captivity. The zoo is a prison for animals condemned without trial. Either we have duties towards animals or we don't. I believe that we have a duty and responsibility towards animals and that we must provide them with respect and not neglect. Living conditions are crucial for an animal's survival. Captivity cannot begin to replicate what it means to be free. Living in a closed prison cell, animals cannot perform natural activities like running, moving, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a mate, and being with other people of their species (“Pitiful Prisons "). Zoos also cannot provide the space that animals have in the wild, especially for species that travel greater distances in their natural habitat. “Tigers and lions have approximately 18,000 times less space in zoos than in the wild. Polar bears have a million times less space” (10 Zoo Facts). The Federal Animal Welfare Act establishes only the most minimal standards regarding cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing, food and water. A zoo is not a place like home. The behavior of zoo animals reflects their feelings. Behavioral research conducted on zoo animals is controversial because nothing can be learned by studying animals raised in unnatural conditions. Environments trigger behaviors. The Born Free Foundation in the United Kingdom studied how animals feel about captivity by studying the middle of paper ......ess, 2002. Print.Naik, Bharati and Gumuchian, Marie-Louise. (2014). Danish zoo kills healthy giraffe and feeds its body to lions. Retrieved March 22, 2014. Nakate, Shashank. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Zoos.” Buzz. Buzzle.com, May 18, 2013. Web. March 24, 2014. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-zoos.html.Newkirk, Ingrid. (2009) PETA's Practical Guide to Animal Rights. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin.Rudy, Kathy. (2011) Loving animals. Towards a new defense of animals. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Singer, Peter. In defense of animals. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2006. Print.Zoos: Pitiful Prisons. PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Accessed March 22, 2014, from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals/Used-entertainment-factsheets/zoos-pitiful prisons/