Large whale species generally can not be kept in zoos because they require too much space and food. Large cetacean species such as whales generally do not do well in zoos, so many see this as fortunate. Similarly, elephant species are found to live much shorter lives in zoo environments. Because of this, some zoos such as the Detroit Zoo, San Francisco Zoo and LA zoo have decided to close their elephant exhibits and return their elephants to sanctuary sites.

Great White sharks don't do well in captivity. In 1981, a great white was kept in captivity for 16 days before it died. In 2004, a great white was kept in captivity for 23 days, shattering the previous record. Since then, the Monterey Bay aquarium has managed to keep a great white for about 5 months before it was released. Unless the enclosures are gigantic and contain the right mix of other creatures, great white sharks do very poorly in captivity.