What does the concept of 'freedom' truly entail?

[HaroldWade]

What does the concept of 'freedom' truly entail? Is it the freedom to live a brief and distressing existence filled with sorrow and suffering? During my last visit to a zoo, I observed content and joyful beings whose every requirement was taken care of. In the presence of a well-managed and compassionate zoo, these animals could experience a state akin to paradise. Why would a blissful gorilla, raised alongside humans, yearn to be 'released into the wild' any more than an average human would desire to be unceremoniously dropped into the heart of a jungle?