The Birmingham Zoo......How Sad :(

I moved to Helena, Alabama almost a year ago. I had never been to the Birmingham Zoo. My family and I went yesterday and I found it very sad. The enclosures were minimal, and not at all what they should have been. The animals looked bored and possibly even sick. The worst part about this zoo is that they housed animals that thrive in a pack, group or family alone. The male lion was alone, no other lions. He should of had at least two females. The male gorilla was alone, he should of been with a group of three to four females. There was another male gorilla they rotated him out with, but neither had any females. They rotated the two males out because they would fight if they were together. The male orangutang was alone, he also should of had at least one female. The worst was the elephant. I am not sure if it was a male or a female. But it was alone. It was pacing in circles and dragging it's trunk on the ground. Pacing for animal is a sign of extreme distress. Elephants suffer greatly from being alone. Some will starve themselves even. This made me sick to my stomach. Luckily it made my husband sick as well( I have educated him about animal rights over the years)so we left shortly after. Our kids liked it, but they are kids. So I will never go to this zoo again. As far as I am concerned if you cannot do right by your animals, give them to a zoo that can. Animals are not just for human enjoyment and too look at, it is far more enjoyable to see an animal that is happy and it's life closely resembling what it would have in the wild. I found the Birmingham zoo's treatment of animals to be like a circus. And a circus is just pure evil. Anyway this is all. So if you are in Birmingham and looking for a fun an educational experience avoid the Birmingham Zoo, unless you want an experience in how to treat animals badly.

JN