Should animals be kept in zoos? That's a hot question after the SeaWorld tragedy. I think I may share in the debate for two good reasons: (1) We have a rabbit that freely lives in our home and (2) I come from the only country in the world - The Netherlands - where there is a political party for animals, de Partij voor de Dieren, that actually has two seats in parliament! This party only exists to fight for animal rights. I looked up their website and checked on their zoo policies. It turns out that they are very much against circuses where animals, according to de Partij voor de Dieren, are being abused. The party stands for a ban on circuses in the European Union. They are also against bull fights, though they don't happen in The Netherlands. However their position on zoos is rather moderate. It really depends on the kind of zoo. The party applauds zoos where animals are kept in "the most natural circumstances." Granted, a zoo will always be a zoo, but there are great modern examples where animals live in a habitat that very much resembles their natural world and that is, according to the party, a huge step forward compared to the past of animals living in smaller and quite unnatural enclosures.
Back to our rabbit. S/he (no idea!) came to live with us three months ago. We have had many rabbits over the years. I had a rabbit living with me while I was in college. We had many in a special rabbit garden - a real fun place - when our children were young. But we have never done so well as with FluFlu. S/he is fully toilet trained. S/he does love electrical wires, we've protected them from her/his sharp teeth, but other than that s/he respects our furniture and other belongings quite well. The most remarkable thing is that FluFlu goes out into the garden on his/her own and always returns. There are plenty of ways to get out of our garden, especially for a rabbit, but s/he does not venture these and keeps coming back for our company. Really, FluFlu comes close and sweetly licks our hands with his/her small tongue.
Now comes the big question: are we keeping FluFlu as a prisoner? Or are we living with him/her? As most animal activists are not against keeping dogs, I tend to conclude that we are doing great keeping a rabbit like a dog. It probably starts with respect. The almost natural zoos that the Dutch political party likes, show a lot of respect for animals and their privacy. Forcing animals to do tricks to get their food - as is done in environments like SeaWorld - is at the other side of the spectrum: no respect, no privacy. So we shouldn't go to institutions like that as Ric O'Barry, Flipper's former trainer argues.
This debate is not a simple one. Many people in our world live in very unnatural and challenging circumstances - third world slums or even in concrete suburbs. Some of these living environments are probably less respectful than the best examples of animals living in modern zoos. So I settle on respect as the key, deciding factor. Respect for each other. Respect for animals and the environment. Respect for little FluFlu in our home. And for the two Dutch parliamentarians who dedicate their political careers to the causes of animals.