Are you aware that of around 6000 species only around 100 are involved in these so called International Breeding Programs?
Anyways, what I don't understand are your attempts at justifying something as cruel as this. What are the purposes of the zoo? Education? What a joke. I would understand if they were kept free, in their environment, but behind a cage they are nothing more than tools for our entertainment, and these animals certainly don't behave the way they would in the wilderness, so nothing valuable can be learned from this.
Instead of funding the construction of new zoos, people could use that money for the funding of natural reserves, where they can be properly educated about animals. Oh wait, zoos are justified! We can put there all the animals while we poach and destroy their natural habitats!
Of course that I'm aware of that. Having breeding and reintroduction programs for all species would be next to impossible. I wish all of the species could be involved, but alas, it cannot be. And some help is better than none. I don't understand your point in that statement.
Any decent zoo won't use cages. They use enclosed habitats, yes, but not cages. They have daily exercise routines, specialized diets and winter/night shelters. They also have toys and treats hidden inside of them. In any decent zoo, the animals aren't unhappy.
Do you really think I'd rather have zoos than natural reserves? Nothing, literally nothing, in life would make me happier. Well, there's one thing that would make me happier. Not needing them. But things are this way now, habiats lost, poaching and hunting. We can't change the past, but we can change the future. And unfortunately for you, zoos are primordial to reestablishing the natural order. Are you aware of the number of species that would now be lost without zoos? Yes, zoos were atrocities in the past, but most have evolved way past that. I agree, we don't need any more zoos, but negating their importance on conservation efforts isn't right. You are talking about them as if they were circuses. Now, those do need to go down. You said that we wouldn't need them if we hadn't endanger them in the first place. That's true, but as I stated above, we can't change the past. And in order to reestablish natural order, zoos are, I would say a necessary evil but most aren't evil, so I'll leave it in necessary.
My lifelong dream and goal is, and has been fo a looong time, to create or run a natural reserve. But zoos are a great way to educate and bring awareness to people, which unfortunately, in our society, would be hard to achieve otherwise. The next step is indeed turning zoos into natural reserves, but we still have a long way to go before that. So let's start by recognizing that zoos are important and most of them take great care of their animals and not satanize them, shall we?
Also, poaching and habitat destruction need to stop now. Virunga National Park is in great danger. This is the wildlife conservation issue we should be focused on. No, not because this isn't important, it is very important. I'm glad many people are getting involved in situations like this. That more people care than they did years ago. But because this natural reserve and its thousands of species are in great danger. We are talking about a whole ecosystem here. And a key one for that matter. If we don't do something the damages might be irreversible.
Unfortunately, yes you are being very idealistic. And there's nothing wring with that, I was the same way. But in this times it won't help. We need to be very objective, sometimes accept facts that we do not agree with but that are the best way of action. I'm profoundly sad for the giraffe, I really am. But if this saved it from future suffering and helps maintain a healthy line of genes for future giraffes I have to accept it was the best course of action. The only thing in which I do not agree with them was making it public. Now some crazy people have threatened to kill workers of the zoo, many not even related to this incident, and also suffered from death threats to their families.
The human being is a terrifying creature.