Zoological gardens are often the topic of discussions related to animal rights and the restriction of their liberty. The vast majority of us has been at least once at a zoological garden or some other establishment that houses wild animals, without ever questioning their real purpose. The main aim of this work is to determine their purpose and value in modern society. Different concepts preceded the emergence of modern day zoological gardens, they continue to evolve into bio parks, which combine elements of zoological and botanical gardens as well as of natural history museums. The zoological parks of the USA and Europe, including Croatia, had different paths in their historical development. Throughout the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century, people unknown and foreign to Europeans and Americans were also exhibited at zoological parks. As the outer appearance and contents of zoological gardens were changing, so was their purpose. They evolved from symbols of imperial wealth, over amusement parks to today's institutions, which declared aims are the conservation of endangered species, scientific research, education and recreation of people. Their aims and programs are being questioned by the critiques of various experts and organizations, especially because of the negative impact of capturing and enclosure on the mental health of animals, resulting in the well-known zoochosis disorder which predominantly affects the more intelligent species. The best known examples of animal brutality come from circuses which entertaining acts were adopted by zoological gardens throughout the 19th and 20th century yet they are still present today in amusement marine parks. By confining them in zoological parks animals are being deprived of a natural way of living and free movement. Law regulations were passed to ensure better living conditions for captive animals and various independent organizations fight for their rights.