>Because those emotions were created for a social environment with similar beings.

So maybe to research a creature better it would be beneficial to experience the emotions.

>A physical zoo can be as big as reserve or even a planet. Terraforming is still cheaper than planet simulation.

If we were to be a simulation, you have no idea what is cheap or not in the world that is creating our simulation.

>You clearly underestimate how energy intensive full quantum level simulations are.

You seem to be too confident in your ability to predict the motivations of something that you have no to very limited experience with.