MAY I, through your columns, speak in favour of zoos.

I would ask the people who are supposed to be animal lovers if they really understand the use of zoos and safari parks of the world, because, without these places, a lot of the animals they claim to want to protect would be made extinct.

Also, zoos or safari parks are educational for young children as these places are the only places where they are likely ever to see these animals and enjoy the different species that still live in our world.

I wonder if the people who say "close the zoos" have ever, as a child, visited the zoos and if they remember the enjoyment they had watching the animals and learning about them and their habits and where they came from. I know I did and also my grandson does, so stop being "killjoys" and leave these places open for the children of the world.

I would recommend that instead of lobbying for the closure of zoos it would be better to lobby for the removal of these prods and goads along with the people who use these instruments as zoos are zoos and not circuses and the animals should not be expected to perform tricks. My knowledge of animals is that love, care and understanding are the best way to win the affection of them, and ill treatment gets you nowhere.

So let's make zoos and safari parks better places for the animals to live and not close them down.

RR Evans,

Kildare Avenue

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