Animals in Captivity

I’ve always been fascinated about the idea of animals in captivity.  The issue of animals in zoos is quite complex- on one hand humans can help save endangered species, study wild animals, and provide a platform for the world to see exotic creatures without traveling far or spending lots of money.  On the other hand is it really ever right to cage an animal and take it out of its rightful habitat in the wild?  I don’t honestly know the answer, and while I love and support zoos I have always felt they are a bit of a paradox.  I’ve been working on a series of images for a few years now about animals in captivity, some look like they were taken in a zoo and some look like they were taken in the wild.  I try to capture the complex relationship of animal, man, and zoo without projecting a concrete opinion as I am still forming my own.  Here is one of my favorite pictures from the series.

Baboon behind Scratched Glass, Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn