Animal Captivity By Zoos And Aquariums

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.

The issue on whether or not to keep animals in captivity has been debated heavily for a long time. With species such as the panda on the verge of extinction to mistreatment of marine mammals in theme parks such as Sea World, keeping wild animals under the care of humans has been a struggle and a highly controversial topic. Even though many people believe that animals should not be kept in captivity because humans are incapable of fully understanding and providing specific needs for wild animals, certain animals can be kept happy and healthy in captivity, and these animals are an important educational tool for teaching people of all ages about biology, biodiversity, and the ecosystems of the world.

Zoos have become a very visited place over a person’s lifetime, whether it be for an educational school field trip or for a day of fun. It’s a wonderful experience to be able to see animals up close in a controlled environment, keeping visitors safe from these animals, however do visitors think of what the animals are going through? Zoos are not providing enough space for captivated animals to live causing numerous problems not only involving the animals, but some visitors as well. Zoos should not be allowed to hold animals in captivity unless they significantly increase the size of each cage (change cage into something else).

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.

Many people have memories of visiting a zoo or an aquarium in their childhood, but are they safe for the animals inside? Indicators for both support and opposition exist, making the debate double sided and more complex than originally thought. For example, SeaWorld recently shut down their orca breeding program because the whales were being harmed. Despite this, animals in captivity may be a necessity. Habitats being destroyed and the threat of predators and poachers are becoming more common. Zoos and aquariums can provide a safe haven from these dangers. Alternatively, some zoos and aquariums can be even more dangerous for the animals than if they were in their natural habitat. Mistreatment of animals in captivity is a problem that only seems

Think about how we will look back on our cruel forms of entertainment in the future. Will we be proud of the way we treated these great animals, with abuse as neglect? Today we turn our heads away from reality and what happens behind the scenes of animal entertainment. However, we can’t turn our heads forever. Around the world, there is so much more to animal entertainment than what meets the eye. These animals have been torn away from their beautiful, natural homes and brought to a prison of concrete. In these prisons, they are beaten, starved and tortured all for our money and entertainment. These animals lives should not be taken from them for us. Our money and happiness should not be worth these animal’s lives. Circus, theme park and zoo animals all suffer from aggression towards trainers, mental disabilities and physical injuries. These animals should not have to suffer any longer.

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.

Freedom is everything to people, and animals alike. But animals in captivity are stripped from this. In SeaWorld and circuses, the animals are living their lives entertaining people and living their lives in cages or small enclosed pens. By keeping animals to remain in captivity people are taking away their freedom, forcing them to be used for entertainment, and not providing animals with the proper care.

Each year billions of animals are being tortured, blinded, scaled and used. Humans create these devastating events that occur. Animals experience pain and confusion throughout their life. There is great entertainment seeing animals in circuses and zoos but, there is a very dark side on how the animal performs. An elephant is beaten and trained until they are stripped from their spirit. Breeders are breeding large amount of animals, and shelters are becoming increasingly crowded. Animals are even sharing breathing space. The ignorance of our society is convincing that breeding animals are honorable. In reality, society is not just using animals for entertainment and breeding, but mass production of food. People are killing these animals

Animals being held in captivity develop aggressive behavior. Captive is defined as “captured; held prisoner” (Captive). On 25 December 2007 a 350-pound “Siberian Tiger escaped from its grotto at the San Francisco Zoo…and went on a bloody rampage in front of terrified zoo patrons” (Rubenstein A-1). That same tiger chewed a zoo keepers arm during a scheduled feeding one month prior. In January 2011, in “Knoxville, Tennessee, an 8,000-pound elephant crushed a zookeeper to death inside a cage” (Venezia). In Scottsbluff, Nebraska “a zookeeper…had two fingers bitten off in an attack by two chimpanzees” (Caulfield). Animals in captivity did not willingly choose to be there. No guest would attack their host if they were in the zoo of their own free will. Animals that turn aggressive towards their trainers or keepers are not in the purest since of the word, happy. If an animal were happy in captivity, they would possess no reason to attack.

For several generations, animals have been entertaining humans. From sitting in zoo exhibits to being paraded around in flashy circuses, animals, especially exotic ones, have drawn large audiences. A close look at a ferocious lion or a dancing elephant wearing a headdress is often what captivates people, since these spectacles are often unusual and fascinating. However, for lions to be viewed up close and elephants to dance, they must be held captive and trained for desired behavior. This captivity and training raises a question: is captivity detrimental to global animal ecology and health? Many animal activists claim that captivity is abusive, but animal entertainment organizations, such as zoos, circuses, and animal theme parks, promote environmental health through ecological education of children and adults as well as funding research for conservation.

Wild animals have been used as a form of entertainment for humans throughout history, from being forced to fight in arenas in Ancient Rome to those currently being kept in places like zoos where they perform and are showcased. While animals like cats and dogs have been domesticated over thousands of years, chosen for the physical and psychological traits that make them ideal as companions, wild animals have needs that are much more difficult to meet. People often don’t realize or don’t care that these creatures have a number of requirements when it comes to living a healthy and natural life. Efforts have been made to ensure the fair treatment of these creatures in captivity, such as the Animal Welfare Act, a federal law regulating the treatment of animals in exhibition. While it is impossible to duplicate the wild environment in captivity, there are still many improvements that can be made to ensure captive animals are living as good of a life as they can under the circumstances. The Zoological Association of America created a document called the Animal Care and Enclosure Standards

Most children cannot help but jump and squeal in overwhelming joy as their parents drive them to the zoo. Since children continuously observe a diverse, unknown world that nonetheless mesmerizes them, they would not shrug in cold apathy if they saw a large trumpeting grey elephant. As children grow into adults, they recall the moments when their parents walked together with them in Animal Kingdom. Parents take their children to zoos and amusement parks to provide their children an enjoyable experience. Nevertheless, the zoo is also where a few children will discover their greatest passion. A young girl’s fascination with koalas may inspire her to educate a future generation of visitors on the research developed on the effects deforestation have on koalas. Animal activists argue that zoos exploit animals for the sole sake of entertainment, but zoos actually serve a far more fundamental purpose in our society.

If someone was repeatedly hit, stabbed and whipped for the sake of entertainment, would we sit and watch? If someone was snatched from his family and home, for the sake of entertainment, would we promote it? If someone’s well being, happiness and health was ignored for the sake of entertainment, would we allow it? These are the conditions thousands of animals have to endure everyday. If they aren’t acceptable for humans, they aren’t acceptable for animals. While many may believe animals in entertainment attractions are well taken care of, they are abused daily and are forced to perform.

Animals— they’re a man’s best friend. Whether they are small and delicate, or big and strong, these creatures are some of human’s closest partners. However, for some of these same people, the protection of their loving creatures is of less importance. Animals, like humans, withhold feelings and suffer. Each need protection in the form of laws. Like humans, animals have fundamental rights that protect them against suffering. However, the rights of animals have been constantly questioned as to whether or not these loving creatures should withhold some very similar rights to humans. Animals should withhold rights such as protection from poaching and abuse to allow them to have proper safety and protection, no matter how big or how small they may be.