I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed when I saw the headline, "Gorilla Killed at Cincinnati Zoo After Child Climbs in Enclosure". My heart sank--I couldn't get myself to click on the article knowing that the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach would boil over into anger and disgust. 

After settling my emotions, I finally read one of the articles and all I kept thinking about was the persistent problem with zoos: wildlife in captivity, exploitation and people's lack of common sense, sensitivity and understanding. A lot of animal lovers are outraged by the mother of the child whose carelessness led to the child getting into the gorilla enclosure. However, the real issue here is the existence of zoos, which function first and foremost as a business, ultimately caring more about profit than safety and their animals.