18/10/2025
| ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
For generations, zoos have been regarded as places where people, especially children, could learn about wildlife and encounter animals they might never see in the wild. Yet in recent years, the role of zoos in the Philippines has become an increasingly debated issue, with animal welfare groups calling for their phase-out. They argue that many zoos in the country lack the resources to provide even the most basic standards of care, space, and enrichment that animals need to live healthy lives. The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), one of the strongest voices in this debate, believes that instead of maintaining these facilities, the country should focus on creating rehabilitation centers that prioritize animal welfare and conservation. Since zoos in the country have not been serving their purpose, more effort should be put into protecting animals in their natural habitats and ensuring that future generations can see animals where they truly belong.
According to PAWS executive director Ana Cabrera, animals are miserable in zoos and should eventually be phased out. She emphasizes that efforts would be better directed toward initiatives that genuinely benefit both people and animals, such as tree planting and the creation of public parks, instead of keeping wild animals in captivity.
In line with this, PETA Asia Vice President for International Operations Jason Baker stated, after a recent visit to one of the zoos in the country, that many of the animals are housed in severely inadequate cages. Although all the enclosures at the facility urgently need upgrades, their biggest concern is the lack of space, which allows no freedom of movement for the monkeys, civets, and snakes.
This further supports the argument that most zoos in the country fail to meet even the minimum welfare standards, as the animals are kept in small cages, lack proper care, and often suffer instead of being protected. Rather than helping animals or teaching people about true wildlife, these zoos only add to the animalsโ hardship and give society the wrong idea of how they should really live.
Meanwhile, BBC Wildlife highlights a study of more than 50 mammal species, finding that in over 80 percent of cases, zoo animals live longer than their wild counterparts. Zoos and aquariums play a vital role in conservation, rehabilitation, and education for the animals that call these facilities home, and without them, certain species would cease to exist.
This shows that zoos can contribute to conservationโbut only when they are equipped with proper facilities. Unfortunately, this does not apply to zoos in the Philippines, which have repeatedly shown that they cannot meet the basic standards of care for the animals they keep in captivity. Animals are often maltreated, stripped of their natural behaviors, and confined in small cages.
Zoos in the Philippines have consistently failed to fulfill their purpose, offering neither proper care for animals nor meaningful education for people. Any form of conservation that causes animal suffering is nothing but exploitation. The better path forward is to strengthen the protection of animals in their natural habitats, where they can live freely and thrive. By focusing on true conservation, future generations will be able to witness wildlife as it should beโhealthy, active, and in the place where it rightfully belongs.
Phasing out zoos will not happen overnight, but with the persistent issues in the countryโs facilities, the need for change is clear. By putting more effort into creating sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers that safeguard animals in their natural habitats, conservation can become less about captivity and more about freedom, respect, and the true protection of wildlife.
Written by | JC Fel Antonia Vilo
Ilustration by | Guinevere Gagno
