Animal pedagody

On Friday, we brought up the new topic of zoos, and discussed how zoos serve a pedagogical function. Sarah mentioned, that we don't really need to learn about wild animals and that we should just leave them alone. Do we need to learn from animals? Do we have the right to take them out of the wild?
Having a pet teaches you how to care for another being, and it also teaches responsibilities. We use various animals for researching which is a necessary tool for new treatments and medications. Zoos give a real life look at, for what a lot of people, will be the closest they ever come to seeing a real-life exotic animal. Animals are a huge part of our world and teach us so much, we do need to learn about them. In some aspects, humans think they own every animal (and thing). I do not think that this is intentional, but our thirst for knowledge blinds us.

Question: Yet, do we have the right to cage animals for our viewing? Where is the line between curiosity and taking away rights?

Re: Becca Lindamood's Hunting v. Stop and Shop

At the end of Becca's latest post she asked what the world would be like if everyone was required to kill their own meat?

Well, first my response was that the rate would go down dramatically. Yet, then I thought, let's think realistically here. In order to answer this correctly I first have to imply that this is regulated by law -- purchasing meat from industries or small farms is illegal. In that case, I think it would not change at all. People would buy meat from the black market or from small farms anyways.
If, just for hypothetical reasons, we didn't live in a society where people do things even though they are illegal, the rate of meat consumption would go down. This is due to the fact that some people cannot afford weapons and also due to the fact that some people would feel wrong killing an animal. Although, I do think the crime rate may increase because more people would own weapons and would have to know how to use them. When asked a "what if " question it is difficult to say what would truly happen or how the population will react. And as we know from the Prohibition act in the 1920's if people want something that is illegal they will find a way to get it. In the case of hunting, people will get what they want even if that requires someone else to do their dirty work for them.
From an environmental standpoint, there would be an abundance of extra farm animals. I would say that farmers would have to keep their animals and not breed them. If they let them out into the wilderness it would throw off the entire food chain. The amount of foxes, coyotes, wolfs and other natural predators would increase. This would make other things go off course. A realistic chain reaction.

People's schedules are so busy, with working and raising children. Most people do not have time to go out on an all day excursion killing a buck. If it became illegal, this law will be short lived because of this. Do you have time to do this? I surly don't.

Question: what do you think the effects of a vegetarian world would be if we gradually worked towards it? Is it possible?