'Captivated' Gorilla Drawing- OPINION ON ZOOS?

I did this piece a few years ago after visiting Artis Zoo in Holland. The Gorilla enclosure is amazing, though there was sense of sadness in the air as I (and hundreds of other people) looked at and took pictures of the incredibly intellegent being that is so similar to us. The way their eyes reflect their thoughts and feelings is so human and is something you can only truly see when you're there in person.

I left the zoo wondering whether it was right to keep such intelligent sentient beings in captivity.. Gorillas, Lions, Elephants, and a plethora of different species. One argument could be that it's important for preservation and has educational value. Some might say it's a glimpse into the 'natural world', while others might say there's nothing natural about it and you could learn more about the natural world by studying the wildlife in your back yard.

The answer sadly isn't as simple as releasing them back into the wild, as their natural environment is no longer a safe place for these endangered species due to human activity and poaching. It's a heartbreaking reality.

It's a complicated moral issue. What do you think?