Baring her teeth through the bars of a tiny cage and dressed in a pleather catsuit, actor Isha Koppikar proclaims, “Cats Are Too Cool to Be in Zoos”, in PETA’s latest ad to raise awareness about the cruelty of zoos. Known for her compassion for animals, Koppikar stepped forward to become an ambassador for PETA’s zoo campaign. She teamed up with ace photographer Atul Kasbekar to make the stunning ad, which comes in the wake of a landmark Mumbai High Court order demanding improvements at the Mumbai Zoo. PETA had filed a case last October against the Mumbai Zoo for failing to provide even the most basic care for its animals. Acting on the findings of its inspection committee, the High Court of Mumbai ordered several improvements at the zoo. Animals such as Mohan the bear and Nina the hippo have already been placed in better facilities, and Raj Kumar the elephant is to be moved out soon to a better place as well. Shiva the rhino, who has been alone for 25 years, will either be provided with a mate or moved to another facility. The population of deer and exotic birds is to be controlled, and 10 more security guards, who are to be trained by PETA, will be hired. Most importantly, the zoo cannot acquire any more animals unless it provides them with appropriate housing. Visitors can no longer bring food or plastic into the zoo or tease the animals.

Although zoos are built with the intentions of conservation and education, they rarely succeed in either. There are about 163 recognised zoos in India, most of which fail to run at even a marginally acceptable level. But it is not just the lack of expertise and inadequate infrastructures that cause zoos to fail – the very idea behind zoos is inherently flawed in the first place.

While some might argue that zoos provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about nature and wildlife, it is apparent that animals who are removed from their natural habitats do not behave normally. Animals in zoos suffer from isolation, loneliness, boredom and neglect. Bereft of their natural activities such as hunting, nesting, bathing and grooming and deprived of the company of their pack or mates, caged animals often suffer from a psychological disorder called “zoochosis”. Animals suffering from this disorder display abnormal and self-destructive behaviour such as repeated head-bobbing, biting cage bars, pacing, playing with excrement and mutilating themselves.

Extreme stress is common for zoo animals: Animals who are unsuited to their destination climate are brought in from other areas; most birds have their wings clipped; snakes are left to slither on hard concrete; nocturnal animals are tortured by harsh sunlight in the absence of shelter or even soft ground to burrow into; aquatic animals often have very little water; and animals who live in large herds or family groups in nature are kept alone. Animals who are kept packed together have no privacy and no opportunities for mental stimulation or physical exercise.

“Wild animals belong in jungles where they can chase, hunt and sun themselves – not in cages where they are jeered at and teased. If you want to see animals really being themselves, switch on a wildlife channel”, says cool cat Koppikar.

Koppikar joins supermodel Rahul Dev and actor Amisha Patel in campaigning against the pitiful conditions of India’s zoos.