For my last assignment at my internship, I decided to go to the Accra Zoo to investigate how the zoo treats their animals. Also, going to the zoo sounded like a lot more fun than going to an embassy or writing about Ebola.

When I got to the zoo, I was actually pleasantly surprised. I went in expecting the worst – malnourished, injured animals in tiny metal cages – but the animals seemed healthy and well taken care of. I felt that the enclosures were a bit small for some of the animals, but the zoo took advantage of its location in the middle of the forest by giving many of the animals a natural environment. In my interview with the manager of the zoo, I learned that the zoo’s primary function is education and that many of the animals in the zoo are native to Ghana. The zoo also has an active breeding program for two species of monkeys and works on several conservation issues, including the illegal trade of wildlife as pets.

Here are my favorite photographs from the zoo: