Costa Rica To Free Animals in Public Zoos

Costa Rica has been a world leader in the animal-welfare movement, outlawing commercial hunting in 2012 and banning circuses in 2002. Recently, the South American country announced that it will close both of its public zoos, and either release the animals into the wild or transfer them to sanctuaries, because the governments wishes to see the animals in captivity be freed from their cages. One of the zoos, Simon Bolivar, located in the city of San Jose, will be transformed into a botanical garden. According to the Associated Press, the two zoos have a collective 400 animals and 60 different species in captivity, including a lion, crocodiles, and monkeys.