system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Babies do not belong at the zoo.



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Hi everyone! I went to the zoo with the SO yesterday (both in our mid 20's) and the amount of babies there (children under 1.5 years old abouts) was incredible. They're howling all over the place which is a no-no for most zoo patrons as it disturbs and can scare the wildlife. Why the fuck would you bother not only the other zoo patrons but the animal wildlife by bringing an infant in a place they can't comprehend or remember? I had finally had enough at the chimpanzee habitat when a baby in a stroller started screaming his head off which totally freaked out all the chimps. Chaos ensued within the habitat. It's just disrespectful for everyone involved. 

EDIT: I'm going to highlight that this is *not* about generalized babies crying in public spaces. This is very specific. If you have an infant, what is your thought process on not moving away from an animal enclosure when your child is screaming, disturbing the animals, and there are signs everywhere that say "NO LOUD NOISES". 

TL;DR babies screaming at a restaurant is a-ok in my book. Babies screaming, freaking out animals in a "Quiet Zone" and not being removed from the premises is most assuredly not a-ok.
gpt
First, zoo animals are not wildlife. Once they're in a zoo, they're just life.

Next, most zoos are primarily aimed at children, or at least go to lengths to cater to children. This means there;s going to be a lot of children of all ages, who tend to be pretty loud and unruly, on average.

Third, babies benefit from stimuli, of which zoos are a common one. So there is a benefit to the infant.

Fourth, it's pretty common for a family that includes a baby to also include older children, who benefit more from the zoo. It can be difficult to leave the infant behind just to take the other children to the zoo.

Fifth, the problem isn't so much that "babies don't belong at the zoo" as it is "parents aren't taking proper steps to minimize their problematic infants". There's plenty of babies who are just fine - they either don't cry much, or they tend to be fairly quiet when they cry. The parents need to learn when they should take their child elsewhere to get them to stop crying. Zoos typically have plenty of open spaces away from the animals, eating areas, etc in which a crying baby would not be a nuisance.

TL;DR: Babies are fine at zoos. The problem is with parents not handling crying babies properly.