You walk past enclosures full of exotic animals. Penguins stare at you as you walk by. Giraffes approach the bars to sniff you out. Pandas nap restfully while still chewing in their sleep. They seem quite peaceful, almost happy, don’t they? But are zoos really the picture-perfect homes for wild animals they’ve always been painted out to be?

Zoos have evolved from private collections of wild animals owned by rich Egyptians to the vast public exhibitions of animals from around the world we all grew up going to. They’re the, as Emma Marris points out in the New York Times, “unambiguously good civic institution that lovingly cared for animals both on its grounds and, somehow, vaguely, in their wild habitats.”

These “unambiguously good institutions” hide a harsh reality. Animals in zoos are caged for life and deprived of a natural lifestyle they could’ve enjoyed. Although most zoos promise to one day release all the endangered animals back into the wild, that day only seems to come for the lucky few. The vast majority of zoo animals live the entirety of their lives in confinement and on display.

Moreover, zoos increase animal cruelty, especially due to inadequate living conditions. Elephants, for example, frequently suffer from arthritis and other joint problems as a result of standing on hard surfaces, become desperately lonely when left alone, and suffer mentally from being cooped up in tiny yards while their free-roaming cousins walk hundreds of miles per day.

It is understandable, then, that many zoo animals become depressed, psychologically disturbed, and frustrated. They harm each other, become ill, and go hungry. Repetitive and unnatural motions like chimps pulling out their own hair, and giraffes endlessly flicking their tongues are all signs of animal depression.

Zoos frequently use the justification that they educate visitors about animals and conservation. However, researchers across three American zoos found that 73% of the 6,000 visitors ignored the educational signs, which are the only efforts zoos put into educating visitors. Some visitors might not even notice the signs until they look back at their snapshots of exotic, suffering animals.

There are alternatives to zoos, such as animal-friendly sanctuaries, where animals are brought to live safely for the rest of their lives in a “natural” habitat. Some may call this a wildlife refuge or a retirement home after a life of suffering. Visitors go as volunteers to help these animals, who aren’t constrained behind bars and have been rescued from illegal wildlife trafficking.

So, the next time you ponder taking a stroll through the zoo, think twice. If you really care about animals, try to go to an animal-friendly zoo sanctuary.