Environment Minister Rene Castro says these zoos will be closed by May 2014 at the latest

Aug 6, 2013 19:21 GMT  ·  By

Costa Rica's Environment Minister Rene Castro has recently announced that the country wishes to shut down all government-funded zoos.

According to International Business Times, the country's high officials decided to close these zoos after learning that most Costa Ricans did not condone the practice of keeping wild animals locked away in cages.

More precisely, Rene Castro argued that the decision to close said zoos was brought about by “a change of environmental conscience amongst Costa Ricans.”

“We don’t want animals in captivity or enclosed in any way unless it is to rescue or save them,” the Environment Minister further said.

Should things go as planned, government-funded zoos in Costa Rica will no longer be up and running by May 2014 at the latest, the same source informs us.

By the looks of it, the animals living at these facilities will either be released to the wild, or sent to rescue centers across the country.