
Queensland's horrific lion attack shows wild animals should not be kept for our amusement
The zoo, which keeps nine lions, has been operating for 20 years and had never experienced an incident such as this.
The victim was a relative of the zoo owner, Steve Robinson, who told the media the lions were not aggressive and the lioness was thought to be 'just playing'.
Although attacks like this are extremely rare, they are obviously of great concern.
The incident should prompt a rethink of our approach to wild animals in captivity, and whether it's morally acceptable – or safe – to keep them there at all.
Why do zoos exist?
Zoos, aquariums and other settings where wild animals are kept captive exist for two main reasons: human entertainment and profit-making.
Surveys show zoo visitors have a preference for large mammals such as elephants, primates and big cats.
Some animals are more tolerant of captivity conditions and exposure to humans than others.
Fish, for example, seem to respond more neutrally to human presence than most other species.
But a recent study found captive animals generally demonstrate abnormal behaviour more often than non-captive ones.
For most wild animals, captivity deprives them of the ability to engage in natural behaviour, which harms their welfare.
For example, free-living dolphins and whales have long-range migration patterns which require vast ocean spaces. They are also highly social and display complex communication behaviour.
Some countries have banned keeping dolphins and whales in captivity for entertainment because it causes the animals to suffer sensory deprivation and stress, among other harms.
Captiv e dolphins were once common in aquariums and marine parks across Australia.
But now only one facility, Sea World in Queensland, still breeds dolphins for entertainment.
And earlier this year, the last elephants at Perth Zoo were moved to a 12-hectare habitat in South Australia to improve their welfare.
Another important welfare question is whether the captive animal has 'agency' – that is, whether it can make choices as it would in the wild.
Can it choose, for example, which other animals it has relationships with? Or whether it has privacy?
Having control over such decisions enhances the quality of life for the captive animal.
It's important to note that some zoos can deliver positive outcomes for animals.
Many play an important conservation role, such as running captive breeding programs for endangered species.
An example is a long-running program across several Australian zoos and other organisations to recover populations of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.
The program has released more than 400 zoo-bred birds into the wild.
However, such conservation programs do not necessarily need to involve zoos to succeed.
Weighing up the risks
No matter how domesticated they might seem, some wild animals in captivity will always pose a risk to humans.
Their behaviour can be unpredictable and, as the recent Queensland example shows, even a 'playing' lioness can cause enormous physical harm to people.
Wild animals are called wild for a reason.
To be kept in captivity, most animals require training so they can be safely handled. The Darling Downs Zoo incident shows despite this precaution, things can still go wrong.
But humans will, understandably, always be fascinated by other animals, and want to see them up close.
So, what are the alternatives to zoos?
Open range-zoos, such as the one to which the Perth elephants were moved, can offer a better option for some animals.
Another option is to recreate the zoo experience using technology.
Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality can be used to create images of animals that look and seem real.
In Australia, examples include Brisbane's Hologram Zoo and a high-tech puppetry experience touring Australia which replicates a real shark dive.
Overseas, animatronic displays have been created to replace dolphin shows.
Questions about animals kept in captivity require us to consider how much risk to human safety we accept, and the extent to which we prioritise human amusement over animal welfare.
In searching for answers, we can start by asking whether we need zoos at all.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We haven't looked back': How these eight schools are turning around results
Two Central Coast schools – The Entrance Public and Budgewoi Public – were highlighted in a new report by The Grattan Institute, The Maths Guarantee, on how to boost maths performance in primary schools. Stitt credits teaching consistency and 'door-to-floor' class routines for the dramatic turnaround in behaviour. The school recorded 80 suspensions in 2020, last year that fell to 20. Just three suspensions have been issued in the first two terms of this year, he says. He recalls starting at the school in 2019, when 'classrooms would be trashed, we had violence. I was constantly at rooms getting turned over. We would have to evacuate the classrooms,' he says. Teachers became afraid to teach, he says. 'We had to draw a line.' 'Open plan learning didn't really work here. That free-range approach, the students didn't cope well. Kids were disengaged, we had kids facing all different ways. It can add to cognitive load too, so we did away with that and kids can focus on learning.' The change in teaching approach meant lessons became fast-paced and students were engaged. Teachers check for students' understanding as the lesson progresses, data is monitored carefully. Vocabulary classes were introduced to help students learn up to 400 'tier two' words a year. This year, for the first time, the school's year 3 reading, spelling and numeracy NAPLAN results are above the Australian average. The school is in the top 10 per cent of public schools for value-add data, the contribution a school makes to student learning. Five years ago, about 60 per cent of year 1 students at the school needed extra support with phonics, or identifying letter-sound combinations. Last year, it was 16 per cent. The eight Central Coast schools are also part of a grassroots group known as the Effective and Systematic Teaching Network (EAST) which writes lessons plans schools can use with the kindergarten to year 6 maths curriculum. Sam Higgins, a year 4 teacher at The Entrance who helped write the EAST maths resources, says providing lesson plans is especially useful for new teachers. 'When I started teaching I felt like I was really struggling. You're just left to your own devices, which can lead to a lead to a haphazard approach to teaching. Having shared resources gives you something to lean on,' Higgins said. But Stitt said while there is a high level of structure to the school day, 'there is a lot of room for individualism, warmth, and for the teachers to put their twist on things.' Jesmond Zammit, principal at Gorokan Public, said having a network of schools to share knowledge has helped improve student outcomes. 'We were all doing our own things within each individual school. Now we have a collective where the primary pedagogy is explicit teaching, and we have a laser focus on it,' Zammit said. 'We work together, we visit each other's schools.' At The Entrance and Gorokan Public, about 60 per cent of students come from the lowest socio-educational quartile. 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students make up 25 per cent of our 610 students. This year their year 5 NAPLAN reading results were off the charts, and well above statistically similar schools,' he said. 'It's been a real game changer for our students in terms of life opportunities. And if they go to another school in this area, then the learning is consistent.' Stitt said one of the major changes is that parents have confidence in the school. 'We get about 60 or 65 per cent at parent teacher interviews. Our aim over the next year is to increase that, really get more parent engagement because we know what a difference that can make.'

The Age
13 hours ago
- The Age
‘We haven't looked back': How these eight schools are turning around results
Two Central Coast schools – The Entrance Public and Budgewoi Public – were highlighted in a new report by The Grattan Institute, The Maths Guarantee, on how to boost maths performance in primary schools. Stitt credits teaching consistency and 'door-to-floor' class routines for the dramatic turnaround in behaviour. The school recorded 80 suspensions in 2020, last year that fell to 20. Just three suspensions have been issued in the first two terms of this year, he says. He recalls starting at the school in 2019, when 'classrooms would be trashed, we had violence. I was constantly at rooms getting turned over. We would have to evacuate the classrooms,' he says. Teachers became afraid to teach, he says. 'We had to draw a line.' 'Open plan learning didn't really work here. That free-range approach, the students didn't cope well. Kids were disengaged, we had kids facing all different ways. It can add to cognitive load too, so we did away with that and kids can focus on learning.' The change in teaching approach meant lessons became fast-paced and students were engaged. Teachers check for students' understanding as the lesson progresses, data is monitored carefully. Vocabulary classes were introduced to help students learn up to 400 'tier two' words a year. This year, for the first time, the school's year 3 reading, spelling and numeracy NAPLAN results are above the Australian average. The school is in the top 10 per cent of public schools for value-add data, the contribution a school makes to student learning. Five years ago, about 60 per cent of year 1 students at the school needed extra support with phonics, or identifying letter-sound combinations. Last year, it was 16 per cent. The eight Central Coast schools are also part of a grassroots group known as the Effective and Systematic Teaching Network (EAST) which writes lessons plans schools can use with the kindergarten to year 6 maths curriculum. Sam Higgins, a year 4 teacher at The Entrance who helped write the EAST maths resources, says providing lesson plans is especially useful for new teachers. 'When I started teaching I felt like I was really struggling. You're just left to your own devices, which can lead to a lead to a haphazard approach to teaching. Having shared resources gives you something to lean on,' Higgins said. But Stitt said while there is a high level of structure to the school day, 'there is a lot of room for individualism, warmth, and for the teachers to put their twist on things.' Jesmond Zammit, principal at Gorokan Public, said having a network of schools to share knowledge has helped improve student outcomes. 'We were all doing our own things within each individual school. Now we have a collective where the primary pedagogy is explicit teaching, and we have a laser focus on it,' Zammit said. 'We work together, we visit each other's schools.' At The Entrance and Gorokan Public, about 60 per cent of students come from the lowest socio-educational quartile. 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students make up 25 per cent of our 610 students. This year their year 5 NAPLAN reading results were off the charts, and well above statistically similar schools,' he said. 'It's been a real game changer for our students in terms of life opportunities. And if they go to another school in this area, then the learning is consistent.' Stitt said one of the major changes is that parents have confidence in the school. 'We get about 60 or 65 per cent at parent teacher interviews. Our aim over the next year is to increase that, really get more parent engagement because we know what a difference that can make.'

Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
I've travelled the world, and these are the 11 greatest breakfasts
I don't know about you, but I grew up eating cereal. Breakfast in many Australian homes and even restaurants can be a predictable affair, a bland offering of stuff with milk poured on it, or toast with things spread across it. Only when I started travelling the world did I discover a whole new approach to starting the day, one that could be savoury or sweet, that could slap you awake with bold flavour or warm you gently with subtlety and finesse. Breakfast doesn't have to come in a box with a cartoon character on the front. It can be a bowl of nourishing noodle soup, a plate of fiery salsa, a spread of steamed and fried delicacies. After many years traversing the globe and eating what the locals eat, these are my absolute favourite ways to kick off a day. Nasi Lemak, Malaysia The basics of nasi lemak would be good enough: rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaf, rich and decadent; dried baby anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, a boiled egg and spicy, pungent sambal to bring it together. Heaven. But then you get to add an accompanying dish, something like Malay-style chicken curry, or beef rendang, or a fried or grilled chicken leg, or even a fish curry, and you're in absolute nirvana. Chuck in a 'kopi C' – Malaysian coffee with condensed milk and sugar – and you're set for the day. Full English/Irish/Scottish I couldn't choose just one of these, so I've gone with three, given they're variations on a theme: a massive fry-up to start the day, a heart-warming, artery-clogging mass of classic British and Irish breakfast foods slapped together on a plate. All include eggs, usually fried, and bacon. A full English then has pork sausages, black pudding, maybe mushrooms or tomatoes, and fried bread. A full Scottish has a Lorne sausage, haggis and potato scones. A full Irish has both black pudding and white pudding and soda bread. All are killer breakfasts (in every way).