Advantages Of Keeping Animals In Captivity

There are numerous different types of animals in the world. Coming from amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. All of these animals are born to run free and hunt without relying on a human. Sadly, things aren’t the way it’s supposed to be. There are other animals who are taken away from their home and are locked up in cramped spaces; in other words, the zoo. The zoo may seem like an enjoyable activity for children, but many do not know the half of what goes on behind the glass window. Animals wish they can be free and end the nightmare of being captive. Even though both animals that lie in the wild and animal captivity are one, in the group of animals, there are many differences between them.

Zoos across the world claim to be safe, suitable homes that replicate habitats of animals that are usually found in the wild. However, there is no possible way for wild habitats to be replicated well enough for animals in captivity to thrive, animals are often separated and withheld from living as they would in the wild. Despite their argument of being educational for visitors, the only thing they are teaching the public is that it is ok to take animals out of the wild and lock them up for their own enjoyment. Regardless of these claims, zoos are inhumane.

Most people have come across animals used for entertainment purposes, whether it be in zoos or theme parks like Seaworld. Zoos and establishments like Seaworld attract millions of people year round, because what is more interesting than seeing an elephant, or an orca whale up close? In our society, is has become common for the public to travel to these types of places. They are seen as the perfect place to vacation for a day, or to just spend time with family. Children especially love to see exotic animals in person, rather than just reading about them, or watching shows about them. People do not often think that the animals they see in captivity are abused, or have low standards of living. However, the truth is that the lives animals have

As a child, many people would often go to the zoo or to the circus and see animals in real life. In circuses, animals would often perform tricks and stunts, dazzling the audience. In the zoo, people would often see animals in their native habitat, or what looks like it. Children were mainly amazed with the animals and were always exited to go see the animals. As the years go by, they start to realize that some of the animals are suffering and are being mistreated, especially in circuses. They see that the animals in zoos are depressed and lonely and the animals in the circuses are chained up. What is worse is that animals in laboratories are often treated very poorly; more poorly than what Americans treat prisoners and refugees. There have been many debates on whether animals should be held in captivity. Some groups believe that animals should not be held in captivity because they have the same capacities as humans. They believe that animals can feel emotion and have a sense of morality. Animals in captivity are deprived of their natural habitat and their instincts. Animals raised in captivity tend to rely more on humans compared to animals raised in the wild. They also believe zookeepers and trainers are putting themselves at risk when taking care of the animals. There have been many incidents including the death of trainers by animals, one highlighted by the movie “Blackfish” by director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. There are others who believe that putting animals in captivity is beneficial for not only the animal, but for humans as well. Humans get more jobs if more animals are put into captivity because there is an increase in the amount of people needed. Another benefit of keeping animals in captivity is that it could help save a species who is endangered and close to going extinct. Another benefit is that it helps increase the amount of food available because some animals are raised for food. Putting animals in captivity wrong unless they are being used for the animal’s benefits.

“Before the early twentieth century, zoos would separate humans from the animals by using a series of moats. In the early 1900s, however, zoos “began displaying animals in realistic exhibits that mimicked actual habitats” (Gioielli, 2016, p. 1). Coupled with the more natural habitat is advancing care for the animals in captivity. More hospitals are being built for animals and better medicine is being created constantly. As a result of healthier and happier animals in increased popularity of animals in captivity. According to Carey (2016), “More than 10,000 zoos are now in operation worldwide . . . the central missions of zoos [are] not only to serve as attractions for recreation and amusement, but also to educate people and promote conservation . . .” (p. 2). Most people do not go to see animals in captivity for the sole purpose of entertainment, they also go to learn about the animals themselves. Both children and adults can learn about how to help protect endangered animals and their habitats. As a result, zoos and aquariums are continually gaining popularity. According to Gazert (2017), “Zoos and aquariums draw 181 million visitors per year in the United States--that’s over half the country’s population, and more visitors than the annual attendance of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games combined” (p. 2). Unfortunately, some zoos and aquariums have been known to abuse their animals. While this is not true of all zoos, but the reports of abuse have increased leading to more controversy. Because of this the idea of keeping animals in captive is harder to accept. Still, the sad truth is that animals may have to be in captivity in order to save their species. “A recent report from the World Wildlife Fund warned that without swift and substantial human intervention, over two-thirds of the world’s wildlife could be gone by the end of the decade” (Ganzert, 2017, p. 1). Predictions

Within my project I aim to discuss whether it is right to keep animals captive. In particular, if it is right to keep them captive for our entertainment. Therefore, my territory will be animal captivity. Recently, a lot of speculation and negative, alarming media has come out of SeaWorld, exposing what really goes on behind closed doors. This includes various celebrity protests from Steve-O and Remy Guillard and also the popular Netflix documentary ‘Blackfish’ uncovering the poor health of the animals and the consequences of keeping wild animals in captivity. Many become so frustrated that they kill the trainers and bully and become aggressive to the other animals around them. Therefore, my project will mainly focus on SeaWorld, as well as touching on various other forms of animal captivity to show how wide scale and immoral this problem is. This will include looking at numerous wildlife parks, zoos, circuses and discussing keeping exotic animals as pets.

Many animals live miserable lives in zoos that do not take care of them properly. Most animals lie in barren cages until the day they die for public amusement. The pain that these animals go through is inhumane and just not right. ”In article , “Zoos:Myth and Reality” by Rob Laidlaw and “Zoos Connect us to Our Natural World”by Mike Hutchins both authors present their view on the state of zoos in the United States and Canada. Although some zoos are accredited vast numbers of zoo animals continue to endure lives of misery and deprivation which means zoos do not have animal's best interest in mind.

about animal captivity; it is a situation that has been discussed for a long time so there

But a study performed by the University of Arizona, found that 86 percent of the visitors went to the zoo for “social or recreational purposes,” and only six percent went to a zoo in order to learn more about animals. One can learn much better about a bear’s life through a documentary than having that same bear in a concrete prison. Many people liken zoos to a paradise for animals - a blissful place where animals are not compelled to struggle for food or run away from predators. If that were the case, given the chance, animals wouldn’t have escaped from their captivity in numerous instances. Every aspect of their lives is manipulated and controlled, from what they can eat, to when they can sleep. The convention of equating zoos with theme parks has maintained the status quo of these cruel

The zoo has been a timeless attraction that has served as a place for people to gather and ponder in wonder at vast wildlife from every corner of the world. Every year millions of people go to aquariums, and zoos to spectate on these happy go loving pandas, monkeys, dolphins and the rest of the creature on the never ending animal list. Little do people know that they are witnessing firsthand the imprisonment and inhumane treatment of innocent animals; these creatures are exposed to overwhelming isolation, a shortened life span and in the rare occasion they are released back to the wild they no longer have natural instinct to help them survive.

Many animals never see life outside of cages because they are taken in from when they are babies and kept until they die. With zoos existing for hundreds of years people have never noticed how wrong it is to keep animals in cages. Animals all over the world are affected because they get taken away and never know what it is really like to live in the wild. Zoos are not a perfect place to keep animals, more animals are abused and hurt inside of zoos. One day a wallaby was suppose to be getting taken care of by its zookeeper but the zookeeper was not paying attention because the wallaby drowned in a bucket of water.

keeping animals in captivity can have many effects upon the animals, some negative and some positive. An example of the negative impact is the orca whales that are kept in Sea World. Many of the orcas in captivity have collapsed dorsal fins, this is a result of many of the whales being either sick or injured. In zoos many animals develop a condition known as 'zoo chosis' which is similar to dementia, as a result of this many animals show distress when they are in their enclosures and often swim or pace in circles. Many animals in captivation often become anxious or aggressive due to being continually watched by the public and having no space to hide, animals often react this way because to them being watched all the time can be predatory and

“Captive animals are abused and exploited in a variety of settings, including research and product testing, the entertainment industry, fur farms, and the exotic ‘pet’ trade” (Born Free USA). Zoos are holding animals all around the world captive. Zoos are not letting them live in their natural habitats and roam free. Captive animals are are not healthy and it's not good for the environment. For example bornfreeusa.org states “Every year, captive exotic animals are involved in incidents in which humans are injured or even killed.” Animal captivity should not be allowed. Captivity affects animals mental health, they can’t get enough exercise and food that they normally get, additionally, these animals that are in captivity can get many diseases and could die.

Animals in captivity are incapacitated, therefore they should stay in the wild and out of zoos. The writers at the largest animal rights organization in the world, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, P.E.T.A., explain that animals in captivity “are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind”(“Zoos”). It is a constant challenge for animals in zoos to execute activities that come naturally. Imagine a cheetah that cannot run, a bird that can only fly 20 feet in the air, or a lion that cannot hunt. A four year study of animals in captivity at Oxford University shows that “observing animals in captivity and in the wild found that animals such as polar bears,

Every year, wildlife animals are captured and are kept in captivity in zoos for entertainment. Zoos are unsuitable for animals to live in because the animals feel imprisoned and it affects their health and habits. Animals have their own right to live in the wildness, not in captivity. To many children and adults zoos are created for entertainment. Many people see zoos as a place that kpps animal in captivity. These wildlife animals are cramped in a small cage and are forced to live their rest of their lives inside this cage. Visiting a zoo, many people can tell that a lot of animals are depressed and stressed out. Animals kept captivity in zoos miss their families just as humans do. Animals wait for their day of freedom to come. Living in an