Unlike making animals give rides to tourists, engaging in behavioral work with zoo animals like Gina does has real benefits.

For example, it enables vets and staff members to take better care of the animals and learn more about their behavior and biology.

Zoos and sanctuaries can also offer a safe haven for trafficked wildlife.

In 1973 lawmakers passed the Endangered Species Act, which generally prohibits the capturing and selling of threatened and endangered animals-though to be clear, the government grants permits for certain scientific research and efforts related to the propagation or survival of endangered species.

And for threatened species, the government allows permits for zoo exhibition and other educational purposes.

When an illegal trading operation gets infiltrated, the perpetrators face legal consequences, but sometimes the captured animals have been too traumatized to be reintroduced back into the wild.

Some zoos and sanctuaries have become a refuge for those animals.

We take as many opportunities as we can to actually rescue animals.

Our new tigers are a perfect story for that, and our previous lions were rescues.

Our bears are rescues.