Zoos: 10 Things You Didn’t Know (Part 2)

Maybe you think there’s not much to learn about something as commonplace as zoos. Surprisingly, there are a lot more strange things about them than previously thought. We already brought you some of those facts in part one of this fascinating article, now here is part two.

Number Five: Not All Zoos are Legal

There have been numerous illegal zoos owned by cartel members. They are considered to be symbols of wealth and power in that world, and at some of these underground businesses, it is not uncommon for enemies of the drug lords to be executed by being fed to tigers, or animals to be used for transporting drugs.

Number Four: Anti-Zoo Movements Exist All Over the World

Some people believe that zoos exist only for profit and the exploitation of wild animals. Though zoos claim to want to help certain species, these activists claim otherwise, saying that locking up exotic creatures is cruel and unethical and that these creatures only belong in one place; the wild. Anti-zoo demonstrations are not an uncommon occurrence in many parts of the world.

Number Three: A Bengal Tiger Once Went on A Murderous Rampage

At a San Francisco zoo, a four-year-old tiger named Tatiana once went crazy and attacked someone, and injured one other person. Though some speculation exists as to how the tiger escaped, no one knows for sure how she got out, since the wall she would have had to jump over was very high.

Number Two: Unusual Animal Friendships

A lot of animals exist in this world as natural enemies. Predators and prey can’t possibly be buddies can they? Think again. There have been incidents of unlikely but strong bonds between animals, such as a trio friendship involving a chimp, wolf, and tiger.

Number One: ‘Zoochosis’

Meant to sound similar to “psychosis”, this is a term coined by an anti-zoo movement and meant to explain symptoms of distress displayed by animals kept too long in captivity. Many of the symptoms of Zoochosis mimic behavior in mentally disturbed humans, such as pacing around aimlessly, or holding of the knees while rocking back and forth. We hope you enjoyed part two of this article.