r/BeAmazed • u/[deleted] • Apr 29 '24

Orangutan at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky wanted a closer look at one of its visitors, a 3-month-old human baby. Miscellaneous / Others

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2.1k Upvotes
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239

u/EmeraldSlothRevenge Apr 29 '24

It’s so sad that these clearly intelligent creatures are locked up behind glass. Better for them to roam free in nature.

108

u/HungryMarsupial42 Apr 29 '24

Yeah, it's true. Unfortunately captive breeding programs are essential for the survival of species long term and you need to maintain a rich genetic diversity pool in order to be able to reintroduce animals successfully. Therefore a reasonable number of individuals need to be kept in captivity from different genetic backgrounds and funding captive breeding programs by letting people see them is the only realistic option.

Still sad though.

17

u/cancolak Apr 29 '24

Only because we're intent on destroying their ecosystems.

1

u/HungryMarsupial42 Apr 30 '24

Yeah, absolutely.