I have long been morally opposed to zoos. That was...

I have long been morally opposed to zoos. That was half a lifetime ago. I thought I was taking a superior moral stance in saying "these animals need not be caged!" How foolish I was. Yes it is true some zoos are worse off than others, but many (if not most) are dedicated to conservation and education. As I was blessed with a child and he grew and showed interest in animals we visited zoos. I felt iffy during my first visit in adulthood thinking about how better off these animals might be in the wild. And then I visited another zoo, much larger, and remarked at how well the grounds were kept. And then another (and others) before finally making my way to San Diego Zoo. San Diego Zoo truly is the greatest zoo I have walked. It's large to be sure. You will traverse much land to see all the animals here (though even if you spend an entire day here you might be hard pressed to see everything you want). The habitats are varied and spacious. The many employees and volunteers you'll come across are helpful if not well versed on many of the animals there. I never felt uncomfortable for myself or for any of the animals held in captivity. For sure it seems like a lovely place to live. And if I, in my excitement, ever managed to fall into a predator's habitat and only had a few minutes before I was discovered and promptly disposed of by said predator I would still think to myself "this is a lovely place to be."