America's Tangled Relationship with Zoos and the "Wild" Animals Within

Guest: Daniel Bender, Professor of History, University of Toronto, Scarborough Viewing animals in steel cages is kind of an odd way to learn about wildlife, but zoos have always played a key role in how Americans have learned about exotic creatures and their habitats. Zoos have increasingly become a battleground, however--an anachronism in the eyes of animal rights activists. But they're undeniably also a means of preserving threatened species. What is the zoo's role in modern society? Entertainment, preservation, or education?