This is basically what a lot of actually good zoos do. And for threatened/endangered species, they work on breeding programs, often with other good zoos, to get individuals re-released into the wild to re-establish populations.

The zoo part of it all basically exists for awareness/fundraising for all of that - they let the public see and get to know/love the animals so they can see the importance of protecting/saving them, and generally only keep long-term any animals that just cannot be released, with the goal of actually minimizing the amount that they need to keep. I think that’s a good thing.

You can really see the difference in their behavior and in the enclosure designs and everything. For one, you can’t always see the animals, which is exactly how it should be. They’re allowed to hide when they want, are never alone except for animals that prefer to live alone (some lizards, etc.) Basically, zoos can be good. Captivity generally isn’t the best place for any wild animal, but given the amount that already exist there, there are a lot of zoos that are taking it in an ultimately good direction.

The problem is that there generally isn’t anywhere for them to go. Arguably euthanizing them would be kinder but I doubt most if any could be released to the wild or anything like that.

Love the bellbottoms on that one chicken.

“Dismissed as part of the lunacy”

You say it right here, the problem is the people dismissing legitimate topics as “part of the lunacy,” - the problem is the right painting things as lunacy when they’re not. Because of racism, generally. If they drown out anyone trying to discuss this shit, they don’t have to worry about someone in the middle listening long enough to realize they agree. Just paint it as crazy before anyone even gets to hear what they have to say.

See also: painting other very un-radical left wing ideas as radical to attempt to paint the average persons views as further right than they really are.