Medialism students create documentary Dierbaar about the purpose of zoos

This documentary by five Hanze students asks an uncomfortable question: do zoos truly protect animals, or are we maintaining an outdated system?

(THIS DOCUMENTARY IS IN DUTCH, BUT CONTAINS ENGLISH SUBS)

Should zoos continue to exist, and if so, in what form? In this documentary, Medialism minor students Job Boerendonk, Isa Sombekke, Nua Wattimury, Vera van de Vegte and Marlee Latupella dive into the debate surrounding animal welfare, education and ethics.

The idea for the documentary originated when, as a child, Marlee saw a lion pacing back and forth inside its enclosure. The experience affected her deeply and made her question the wellbeing of animals in zoos.

Years later, she returned to the same zoo and discovered that the lion she remembered was still displaying the same behaviour. During the minor’s kick off day, she shared the story with her classmates. It resonated with them. They formed a group and began their research. They spoke with a former zoo director, a policymaker and an activist. The story that emerged does not offer simple answers, but reveals how complex the issue truly is.

From cage to habitat

Biologist Henk Hiddingh, former director of, among others, zoo Noordelijk Dierenpark, has witnessed the sector change over decades. According to him, traditional animal enclosures have increasingly been replaced by large areas designed to replicate natural habitats.

‘As a visitor, you are entering a biotope,’ he says. ‘That is genuinely a step forward compared to the past.’

He views this development as positive for animal welfare: more space, more environmental complexity and more stimuli that align with natural behaviour. At the same time, he is critical of the growing presence of theme park elements. ‘If you build a roller coaster in a zoo, animals automatically become attractions.’

Mannie the lion

The students illustrate this tension through the story of Mannie, an African lion born in 2018 at Mondo Verde in Limburg, a Dutch park that also featured amusement rides. Due to limited space, constant visitor noise and a lack of enrichment, he developed stereotypical behaviour. He spent large parts of his life indoors.

Returning to the wild was impossible. In 2025, he was transferred to a specialised sanctuary in South Africa, where he gained access to a large natural habitat. His behaviour changed visibly, although his early years continued to shape him.

Mannie’s story raises the question of when a zoo undermines its own purpose.

‘Psychological suffering is underestimated’

For Alex Romijn, director of the animal rights organisation Bite Back, the answer is clear. The organisation advocates for empty cages and an end to the use of animals for human entertainment. According to Romijn, zoos present themselves as educational and conservation focused institutions, while historically they also contributed to removing animals from the wild.

Visitors, he argues, often fail to recognise repetitive behaviour that results from stress and boredom. ‘Psychological suffering should not be underestimated.’

Strict regulations and ethical dilemmas

On the other side of the debate stands Marc Damen, member of the Raad voor Dierenaangelegenheden (Council for Animal Affairs) and former zoo director. He emphasises that the Netherlands is among the most strictly regulated countries in Europe when it comes to zoos. There are 58 officially licensed zoos, all of which must meet high legal standards.

That does not mean there are no dilemmas. Issues surrounding breeding, overpopulation and the euthanasia of healthy animals are, he says, complex and never taken lightly. Ethical committees and internal procedures play an important role in such decisions.

The Council has advised zoos to be more transparent about these choices.

A sector in transition

Above all, the documentary shows that change rarely results from a single moment. Oversight, legislation, public pressure and scientific insight gradually push the sector forward.

Whether zoos have a future depends less, according to the makers, on their existence as such, and more on how they are designed, regulated and justified.