I, the undersigned, do hereby request to support the movement to have the Zoo of Acadiana closed down, and the animals relocated to a wildlife sanctuary.
One of the guiding reasons why Zoosiana should be closed down is the fact that these animals are better off in their natural ecosystems than in captivity. Zoosiana provides a small confined area for the animals to live in while most of these animals are used to vast amounts of land. The alligator exhibit, for example, was one of the most disturbing. "Full-grown" alligators were no bigger than the babies you would find in the swamps. Their cage was the size of an average bathroom for not just one, but TWO alligators.
Not only are these animal enclosures extremely small, but they are also filthy. The drinking water provided for the animals looks like it has never been replaced and is covered in trash. The animals look malnourished, bored, and miserable. Barren concrete and metal bars are all the tigers and bears will know for their entire lives. Not to mention the amount of rats in all areas of the zoo, both dead and alive, put off a rancid smell not caused by the animals.
For the vast majority of us, a zoo is our first and perhaps only introduction to a living "wild" animal.
If Zoosiana is teaching children anything, it's that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable. If people would like to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary. A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild. I am writing this petition in hopes that people will stand up for these animals, and help them get re-located to a sanctuary where they can have the freedom they deserve to live naturally of the land as intended.
