More zoos in the UK are facing financial troubles, new figures show, with 40% having raised concerns about financial pressures since 2022.
As awareness grows of the cruelty of keeping animals in captivity, more people are staying away from commercial zoos.
This is good news in the long run: no living being should be taken from their natural environment and displayed for the profits of others. Yet, the near-term impact could be a further lowering of standards if zoos try to sure up their finances by cutting more corners on animal welfare.
Zoos are outdated and cruel
The problems with zoos are well known. Wild animals belong in the wild, not in cages and enclosures that cannot meet their natural needs.
Negative effects on the mental and physical health of animals kept in zoos include pacing, over-grooming, hair-pulling, feather-plucking, eating disorders and self harm. Zoos also reinforce speciesism by teaching visitors that animals exist for our entertainment.
As current financial woes highlight, zoos are businesses driven by the prusuit of profits. This commercial pressure risks further worsening animal welfare.
Phase out zoos
In the past three years, two in five zoos have expressed concerns about their financial situation, according to research by the BBC.
The difficulties stem from higher costs, notably for staff and energy. Cost-of-living pressures may also be putting pressure on visitor numbers.
Even so, there is a bigger story: more than half of Britons surveyed by YouGov say that the keeping of large animals in captivity should be phased out. Other polls have returned even higher majorities with one in 2023 finding 76% are in favour of this phasing out.
Even more strikingly, almost one in four Britons support the outright abolition of zoos. (This may also be understated, as the survey’s design seems to mix zoos and sanctuaries in some questions.)
Dangers ahead for animal welfare
As zoos look to cut costs, animal advocates are concerned that standards of care will slip ever lower.
In December 2025, Dutch leisure company Libéma bought Paignton and Newquay zoos, which had both run into financial challenges. Since taking the helm, new owner Dirk Lips has announced plans to bring in new animals to turn the failing businesses around.
“You have to renew your zoos every year,” he told the BBC ominously, “so that you stay attractive.”
Visit a vegan animal sanctuary
Unlike zoos, animal sanctuaries offer hope for a better world. Rather than to make money, these sanctuaries exist to care for rescued animals.
A visit to vegan sanctuary can open any visitor’s eyes to the individuality of each rescued being. Find out more: Big list of vegan animal sanctuaries in the UK
Featured image credit: Ira Moon/ We Animals
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