I'd go further and say this shows the difference between a sanctuary and a zoo.

There is a rapidly expanding "sanctuary" industry. In BC it is largely the bear sanctuary industry that is flourishing with help from the Liberal government.

As the unstoppable human population colonizes more and more of other species' lands, more of the animals will be killed (as happens now with black bears in urban centres such as the North Shore and beavers in Port Coquitlam and Langley).

But if there is a buck to be made from the displaced residents of the newly colonized lands, then that is smarter than killing them, so more and more of them will be put on display in "sanctuaries".

This is already a billion-dollar industry and has been for decades. Zoos came under attack for the plain abuse of animals in cages, so they built nicer, bigger cages, as, for example, the Greater Vancouver Zoo and the Vancouver Aquarium have done in order to keep the customers coming.

But even that drew criticism and controversy - both of which smart businesses deflect. So the latest way zoos and aquariums deflect criticism and controversy is to claim that they are sanctuaries actually protecting displaced species.

Perhaps they are, if they release all the animals once they are well, but any facility that purchases display animals and charges money to look at them, is a business, not a sanctuary.

The business opportunities are huge for the animal-industry opportunists: vets, trainers, animal suppliers, food suppliers, display suppliers, and P.R. firms, are literally getting rich. And it will go on as long as the media keeps helping to promote them with fluff pieces, and the gawkers keep paying to show their children that it is okay to look at imprisoned animals.