Animals have a sedentary life

[alpacinou]

Hello to all,

Is this sentence correct and it is natural?

Animals that are kept in zoos have a sedentary life. As a result, they are often subdued and restless.

Can sedentary be used for animals?

 

[Rover_KE]

Can "sedentary" be used for animals?

Yes, it can, but restless seems to contradict it.

 

[alpacinou]

Is this okay?

Animals that are kept in zoos have a sedentary life. As a result, they are often subdued.

 

[emsr2d2]

Can you explain more what you mean by "subdued"?

 

[alpacinou]

Can you explain more what you mean by "subdued"?

I mean quiet and unhappy. I once heard it the TV show "Friends". It was used about a dog which became sad after spending time with Joey!

If it's wrong, what word can I use?

 

[Tarheel]

I mean quiet and unhappy. I once heard it on the TV show "Friends". It was used about a dog which became sad after spending time with Joey!

If it's wrong, what word can I use?

I don't see why you need a word for describing animals in zoos. For one thing, there are mammals, birds, and reptiles. How can one word describe them all?

The word subdued does not mean what you think it means.
www.dictionary.com

 

[alpacinou]

I want to speak generally about the disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos. How can I convey the idea that animals in the zoos are not happy?

 

[Tarheel]

How can I convey the idea that animals in the zoos are not happy?

You can't. Your idea of happiness and a giraffe's idea of happiness are two entirely different things. Plus, you're thinking in human terms. (Understandable, because you're not a giraffe.) You might say, "Yes, but I was thinking about elephants." Well, how do you know the elephants aren't happy? Did you ask them? And what about lions? Well, the lions I've seen (at Big Cat Country) look fine to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you're trying to describe signs of stress in animals kept in zoos, click here and scroll down to "Stress behaviors" for some examples.

 

[Tarheel]

Admittedly, I have been spoiled. I am used to the Saint Louis Zoo (rated one of the top three in the country).

Lions and tigers should not be in cages.
Elephants should probably not be in zoos at all.

Zoos are supposedly educational, but how much can you learn about an animal by observing it in an unnatural environment?

People might actually learn the wrong things by visiting a zoo.

We need to learn that we don't improve the lives of wild animals by holding them in captivity.

We don't have zoos for the benefit of the animals.