Zoo worker's death sparks safety debate

Animal knowledge

Zoos should focus more on knowledge about their animals to enable visitors, especially children, to learn about the inmates' behavior in the wild, such as how they hunt for food and their interaction with family members, the experts said.

However, some of them said animals' behavior in the wild will never be replicated in zoos.

Qin Xiaona, founder of the Capital Animal Welfare Association, which is based in Beijing, said animals' real-life behavior that children read about in books can only be seen in their natural environment. Exhibiting animals in venues such as zoos also goes against the laws of nature.

She said more technology, including virtual reality and artificial intelligence, should be used to portray animals' lives in the wild vividly and in detail.

"Moreover, a considerable number of animals in domestic zoos are brought from other continents, which destroys the orderly natural development of the animal world and natural environment," Qin said.

More than 40 countries, mainly those in Europe, have banned the use of wild animals for performances, Qin added.