Wild Animals in Captivity

When Rob Laidlaw was a child his trips to the zoo left him with feelings of sadness because the animals held in captivity were kept in less than optimum conditions. Caged birds had no room to fly, monkeys were kept in small cages and there was a sad looking silverback gorilla that never failed to capture his attention. He "sat alone in a dark, concrete room behind steel bars and thick glass . . . with nothing for him to climb or play with." Rob, now the director of Zoocheck Canada, is determined to make a difference in the lives of these animals. When animals are held in captivity, they do not act the same as those in their natural habitats and their lives are "completely dependent on people" and oftentimes exhibit very abnormal and unnatural behaviors (stereotypies). Other animals like elephants can develop infections in their feet and arthritis from standing on unnaturally hard surfaces and their inability to be able to rove long distances at will like they normally do in the wild. This book discusses and compares the differences, both mental and physical, between animals in the wild and those held in captivity. Meet Maggie, Keiko, Yupi, Wanda, Winky and learn about their fates. Read about the Five Freedoms animals should have and about the horrifying instances when they don't. This is a riveting book and brings to light issues few adults are aware of, let alone young people. It is thorough, fascinating, alarming and the photographs almost insist the reader take a stance on the issue of keeping wild animals in captivity. With the emergence of the progressive zookeeper and people like Rob Laidlaw perhaps things will change. Would you like green algae growing in your hair? How about a case of unnecessary foot rot? Frank Buck didn't do us any favors when he started selling animals to zoos in the 1920s.

Reviewed by Sara McGinn (age 9) for Reader Views (11/08) Rob Laidlaw's "Wild Animals in Captivity" describes his experience going to zoos all around the world to investigate the conditions of how the animals are held in captivity. The author talks about the problems that captive animals face. Small cages, not having room to roam, and boredom are some examples. Mr. Laidlaw also talks about captive animals not being able to choose how to spend their lives. The zookeepers decide how deep the animals can swim, how high they can fly or if they can fly at all, and how far they can walk. He discusses natural behaviors and unnatural behaviors such as pacing, swimming in circles, climbing in loops, and sleeping the days away. He also lists "Five Freedoms" he says are important for all captive animals to have. This book made me sad because of how some zoos are treating the animals by only offering small cages for them to live in. But I did enjoy the stories that had happy endings! The author also did a wonderful job teaching kids about animals living in captivity and was very successful in making this book educational! He also lists ten ways readers can help animals in captivity. My favorite part of this book is when the author said that some zoos are putting toys and furniture to make the animals' lives more interesting. I learned a lot more about animals in captivity and thought the "Five Freedoms" were important to know. I also enjoyed reading about different animals like polar bears, elephants, orcas, and gorillas. It was also neat to read about different kinds of zoos like public zoos, wild animal parks, aquariums, marine parks, and roadside zoos. Rob Laidlaw's "Wild Animals in Captivity" is written for kids and that is definitely right! I would recommend it to others who care about animals like I do.

Written for young people ages 8-12, Wild Animals in Captivity is an educational children's picturebook about what the lives of animals in captivity are really like. Author and founder of the wildlife protection organization Zoocheck Canada explains how to tell the difference between zoos that confine wild animals in dismal conditions unlike their real habitat, and progressive zoos that treat captive wild animals with compassion and respect. Illustrated with eye-catching color photography throughout, Wild Animals in Captivity encourages young readers to think long and hard about zoos, and closes with ten ways to help captive wild animals such as "Support wildlife sanctuaries that provide permanent homes for retired or neglected animals. Research the facility first because some places just call themselves sanctuaries. Real sanctuaries care for animals for the rest of their lives." Highly recommended.

Rob Laidlaw does a brilliant job of explaining the plight of captive animals through his stories, while not offending even the most sensitive children. As a mother of a young child, I was thrilled to find this book and share it with my child.