What makes a good zoo?

'There are many here and abroad I'd like to see closed'

- Helena Horton Environment reporter

He has loved zoos all his life, but would shut many of them if he could. David Field, who this month became head of the world's zoo industry group, said of zoos that treat animals badly: "It makes me feel desperate. In my life I've probably tried to close more zoos than open them.

He has taken up the mantle of keeping the world's zoos in check at a time when their role in modern society is the subject of much debate. While keeping wild animals solely for entertainment purposes was socially acceptable some decades ago, there are now concerns for their welfare and the conservation objectives of their captivity. This particularly applies to animals such as elephants, who need large spaces to roam and in the wild have complex relationships in giant social groups.

As the new president of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Field will be, he hopes, in a position to change some of that. Speaking to the Guardian exclusively, he said: "There are many zoos in this country and certainly abroad that I would like to see closed. I think there are zoos in the UK and exotic animal collections that are not achieving the standards we would expect and also are not giving back in terms of conservation and education, and that is fundamentally wrong."

Zoo heads stress their role in conservation. But charities such as Born Free say most species kept in zoos do not have reintroduction programmes, and therefore suspect the animals are being exploited for entertainment. A recent report found numerous welfare breaches in UK zoos, including animals kept outside in poor weather without access to shelter.