As a child, there is nothing more magical than the moment a giraffe's slimy, soft tongue begins to tip a cracker out of little hands. Or the enchanting moment when a penguin reacts to the movement of light arms. Thousands of smiles appear during a trip to the zoo. However, while these smiles may seem like an accurate representation of the zoo, some people may see something different; a vision of lonely, cold animals in an unfamiliar and foreign environment. In the 1800s, when zoos began to become popular, the primary function was entertainment. However, as time has passed, many zoos have realized that their function should be more about education and conservation. As many zoos have adopted this new motto of making a beneficial change for animals in zoos and in the wild, sadly some have not. The simple matter of a couple of bad zoos has created a lot of discussion about whether zoos are building structures or not. Although controversies over zoos have continued since they opened, new regulations and concepts could be the solution for zoos to benefit both animals and visitors. During the early stages of zoo history, when zoos began to become popular, animals were treated with little respect and were forced into confined enclosures with limited mobility and movement. Because of this knowledge and stories continually passed down, the negative aspects of zoos have created a buildup of people against the idea of ​​zoos. Because of bad zoos and memories of the past, many opponents of zoos believe that zoos still use animals solely as puppet shows and nothing more. Other opponents of the zoo also take issue with animal welfare and express their concerns about repetitive animal behavior caused by s...... middle of paper ... and systems, which could end up being even more beneficial to animals and visitors than anyone could have thought. Works Cited Braverman, Irus. “Looking at zoos.” Cultural Studies 25.6 (2011): 809-842. Premier of academic research. Network. November 14, 2013.Draper, Chris and Stephen Harris. “The assessment of animal welfare in British zoos by government-appointed inspectors.” Animals (2076-2615) 2.4 (2012): 507-528. Premier of academic research. Network. 14 November 2013. Fravel, Laua. "Critics question zoos' commitment to conservation." National geographic. National Geographic Society, November 13, 2003. Web. November 21, 2013. Langlois, Jill. “The cheetah could become extinct by 2030.” GlobalPost. Np, 24 April 2013. Web. 01 December 2013. Russo, Cristina. "Can you care about an animal you've never seen? The zoo's role in education and conservation." SciEd. Np, 11 March 2013. Web. 18 November. 2013.