World Animal Protection US’s Statement on Panda Breeding in Zoos

The modern zoo is, first and foremost, an entertainment venue. Only a small fraction of a zoo’s budget and resources go toward genuine conservation efforts. The goal of most captive breeding programs is to create more babies for zoos, attracting money and visitors. Almost none of these animals will ever know a life in the wild. As The New York Times investigation reveals with pandas, the methods to inseminate or breed animals can also be invasive and brutal. Instead of visiting zoos, we encourage people to visit legitimate animal sanctuaries or experience animals responsibly in the wild.