In an ideal world, zoos would be a thing of the past. Animals would live their lives in the wild where they belong without human intervention, for better or worse. However, we do not live in an ideal world, and well-managed and regulated zoos provide both safety-net populations of endangered species,  funding for chronically underfunded conservation organisations, and a means by which to educate and engage the public. Now, more than ever, we need zoos.