Thought to Exist in the Wild: Awakening from the Nightmare of Zoos - Softcover

Finally, someone has the courage to question zoos. Animals in zoos are not ambassadors teaching us about the natural world, they're unwilling prisoners, teaching us how we as humans seem to need to dominate every living being on the planet. This is a brave book and a much needed voice on behalf of the animals.--Bill Maher, Comedian, Host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Mahe

To counter most books being written about zoos that present zoos favorably, never questioning their very existence, activist Jensen and photographer Karen Tweedy-Holmes produce their examination of what zoos are and what their effect is on their animal inmates and the human animals who observe them. Jensen writes in a deliberately polemical style, challenging the reader with language that is in turn sarcastic and poetic but always urgent and angry: 'A zoo is a nightmare taking shape in concrete and steel.' Tweedy-Holmes' photos, in stark black and white, are views of animals in obvious incarceration--bars or mesh often obscure the view; cement-formed pools, rocks, ledges, or walls predominate; doors, walls, and buildings hint at unnatural enclosures; and the animals are all obviously captive. Captions give the species and where they are found in the wild, though not which zoo is illustrated (photographer's note at the end lists them). A good choice for presenting the other side in the moral debate about zoos.--Booklist

An impassioned argument for the dissolution of zoos... an intelligent, well-organized debate, written in a conversational tone that engages the reader while tackling a subject encompassing psychological, social, and environmental issues... (Jensen) writes with a conviction that leads readers to think deeply about what their own beliefs are about zoos.--Foreword Reviews

This sensitive and thought-provoking volume by ecological activist and author Jensen (A Language Older Than Words) and photographer Tweedy-Holmes raises more questions than it answers but compels nonetheless. Are we our brother's keeper? And, if so, just who (or what) is our brother? The book is not about conditions in which animals are held captive; instead, it explores the question of why animals are held captive at all as Jensen examines the who, what, and why of animal captivity, balancing the historical facts with his own strong personal experiences and beliefs. There is little tolerance for differing views, and in this aspect, this work fits the publisher's aim of 'creating unique voices on behalf of those who are unseen, ignored or disregarded by society.' Its strength and objectivity comes from Tweedy-Holmes's photographs that depict animals as contained, confined, and imprisoned. Shot at some of the finest zoos in the world, these pictures do not exhibit or exploit an animal's sufferings or even display them in degrading conditions. Tweedy-Holmes simply allows viewers to form their own conclusions. A beautifully constructed if polemical work, this text is recommended for large public and academic animal rights collections.--Library Journal

Provides a history of zoos, examines the faults of zoos, and argues for their dissolution.