Commentary

Wild Animals

Wild animals are defined as:

Able to establish its own range or territory and is free to move to another territory.
Hunts, grazes, or otherwise forages for food on its own without human intervention.
At risk from other animals in its environment.

The animal, while perhaps habituated to the presence of man, is completely free within the confines of a national park or other wilderness area. Animals in urban areas such as birds and small mammals are considered to be wild as long as they meet the above criteria.

Captive Animals

Captive animals are defined as;

Living in a restricted area with no ability to leave.
Dependent on humans for food.
May respond to human commands.

Captive animals typically live in zoos or amusement wildlife parks or "game ranches". These animals are not wild by my definition. While there is nothing wrong with photographing captive animals, they should be identified as "captive". It is unethical to portray a captive animal photograph as that of a "wild" animal. Likewise, it is unethical as well as illegal to copy a photograph without permission and fail to give proper credit to the photographer.