People began to keep animals in zoos over 3,000 years ago, when the rulers of China opened an enormous zoo called Gardens of Intelligence. In many of the early zoos, animals were taught to perform for the visitors. This no longer becomes and it is accepted that the purpose of zoos is for people to see animals behaving naturally.
Today, most cities have a zoo or wildlife park. However, not everybody approves of zoos. People who think that zoos are a good idea say they provide us with the opportunity to learn about the natural world and be close to wild animals. Both of these would not be possible without zoos.
On the other hand, some people disapprove of zoos because they believe it is wrong to put animals in cages, and argue that in zoos which are not managed properly, animals live in dirty conditions and eat unsuitable food.