It's true, we all love animals. We see them everywhere we look. Someone walking their dog on the street, seeing pandas on the national geographic channel or even having household pets of our own. It's a common sight and it's nothing new for us. We gush in awe at the very sight of them, their playful behavior is commonly watched and many fall in love with their adorable attributes. Animal lovers also frequently visit zoos and aquariums where they can fulfill their desire to see their favorite animals behind cages. In fact, every major city has a zoo or aquarium. 1 According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), there are over 10,000 zoos worldwide. We may love visiting zoos and witnessing animals and their antics, but there is an ugly side to these animals and the way they are kept. It may be hard to believe for animal lovers, but over 750,000 animals are kept in captivity, whether in zoos, aquariums or institutions with over a million clueless people visiting these captive animals every year. The debate over whether or not animals should be kept captive is a hot topic, one that generates passionate arguments both for and against. Banning the captivity of animals is important because their species are not preserved effectively, they also can't be used to conduct effective research and they should be free like any other wild animal.
Like the animals we see roaming freely in the African savanna, captive animals deserve the same fate. It is unlawful and against
To answer this complex question, philosophy professor Bryan Norton poses some additional concerns relevant to this issue. He notes that if in fact keeping these animals in captivity is ethical, then we must also discuss what specifically humans want to conserve (Norton 15). Is it limited just to animal species, or can it extend to populations, ecosystems, and natural processes? If we simply identify wild animals, then we must ask ourselves if we are preserving a wild species if the animals themselves are forced to spend their lives in captivity? He mentions a common analogy used among zoo professionals who refer themselves to a modern day Noah’s ark, preserving each species by removing individuals for conservation. If zoos represent a sanctuary from extinction, then we must also address if there will ever be a natural habitat to reintroduce the animals into, or if they be forced to remain on the zoos “Ark” indefinitely (Norton 16). Though the work of various ethical scholars and philosophers may not be able to provide a concrete answer to all of the respective questions, I will discuss the concept of reintroduction when analyzing the third argument of this essay.
I . Animal captivity is common in many zoos and aquariums worldwide. It has been going on for more than 50 years and many people enjoy watching it but it needs to end right away. Animals captivity is when they take a healthy animal from the wild and put them in bad conditions that tend to make them die faster. There has been a lot of deaths of animals and people from animals in captivity because they got taken away from their homes, and they aren’t used to being touched or screamed at to do something which they don't do it the wild. Cruelty towards animals in captivity can be reduced if animals could no longer be in captivity.
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.
According to Savannah Miller, another author, animals born in captivity are not able to return to the wild. Miller states, “From the first minute of life, animals born in captivity are exposed to humans and captive-animal care customs. Because of brain development patterns and learned behaviors during infancy, captive infants do not have the ability to survive in their natural habitats. Release creates anxiety for the animal, as they cannot acclimate to the ‘foreign’ environment, and eventually they perish either by predation or exposure. By keeping them in captivity we save them from certain death.” Of course, this could lead to an argument against breeding animals in captivity, but many of the captive-born animals are likely born unintentionally. Releasing captive-born animals into the wild may end with them going right back to captivity, as one of the sick or injured animals in need of
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).
The first reason as to why putting animals in captivity is wrong unless it is used to help the animals is because animals can put the trainers and zookeepers in harm. Animals who are sick do not tend to lash out at veterinarians
Animal Captivity is a huge problem in today’s society. Animals shouldn't be caged up, they should be running free
those animals should not be kept in captivity. For example, Orcas do not belong in captivity.
People suffer from stress and feel horrible well animals in captivity suffer from stress. Animals are aware to feel things such as boredom and imprisonment. Animals should not be captured nor confined. First of all, animals should be free from zoos because they are stuck in small so-call habitats and could eventually become violent to the public. Animals just don't become violent to the public but they could have strange behaviours such as pacing, rocking, or even self harm in the form of hair pulling, self biting and feather plucking. Also, animals in aquariums and marine parks should be free because they are enclosed in cramped small tanks.Tilikum was a healthy orca before he was captured in Iceland and taken to Florida Sea World. His fin was collapsed because of unnatural environment unfortunately Tilikum was announced dead on January 6, 2017 due to a lung infection of bacterial pneumonia. In addition, circus animals are forced to perform difficult tricks when they should be free. Bears have to balance on balls and elephants standing on two legs are not natural for animals. During circus acts if the animals don't perform the tricks they will whip, muzzle, electric pods, and bullhooks them as a reminder. Imprisoning animals for the public entertainment is not okay. Animals have the right to be free from zoos, aquariums, and circuses.
“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
Animal captivity has been an ongoing debate for over 60 years. There should be no question about whether animal captivity is wrong. “Hundreds of thousands of wild animals across the world are snatched from natural habitats, forced into captivity and subjected to abuse, both mentally and physically, in the name of entertainment and profit.” (World Animal Protection 1) Places such as the circus use abusive training methods such as, hooks, chains, whips, electric rods, and blunt instruments. (Born Free USA 1) Animals deserve to live freely in the wild. Their freedom is taken away the moment they are put in a cage. When animals are brought into
There are different opinions on the subject matter. Some people support the rights of animals to the extent, that they find it extremely cruel to keep them in captivity, comparing it to imprisonment, whilst others say captivity of animals is essential to their further existence and well-being. Many neutral analyst on this debate topic have pointed to the fact that acting in accordance to moral and emotional notions is not the most ideal approach on such a complicated and ambiguous problem such as this. Rather the important question that should be emphasized upon, is what manner of living would be most beneficial for animals?
The zoo is packed with children, running everywhere. They laugh and smile as they watch the animals at the zoo sleep. What these children do not realize is that these animals are dying on the inside. Animals that live at the zoo are extremely depressed. These animals can suffer severe psychological disorders from being out of their natural environment. But others argue that keeping these animals in captivity will help keep endangered species alive. However, the disadvantages of keeping animals in captivity are becoming more and more serious, and more people are beginning to believe that animals should not be held captive. Animals should not be kept in captivity because of the negative impact it can have
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.
Confining and killing an animal in an environment which is not their natural habitat is wrong. We are the only ones that have the choice to decide whether we hold animals captive in a building to slaughter them or kill them while living in their natural habitat. To hold an animal captive is unfair. It makes them frustrated and scared since it is only lengthening the time that it is taking for them to be slaughtered to their deaths. If we were to ban these inhumane slaughter houses, it would make a massive difference as to how quick and more peaceful the deaths of animals would be considering the disturbing methods animals are currently undertaking in slaughterhouses.