Importance Of Animals In Zoos

As the animal rights movement has developed and grown substantially in recent years, there has been an increased focused on the welfare of captive animals. A popular institution that has received much attention for keeping animals captive is the zoo. Because of this focus, zoos have responded by publicizing their positive benefits for existence in order to justify keeping these animals on display. Since the term “zoo” can have a wide variety of meaning and characteristics, it is important to define what constitutes a zoo in this essay. Zoos are defined as a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and

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.

There have been many discussions about the welfare of animals since the first zoos were created. Some people agree that animals should be kept in zoo’s, they argue that it benefits the animals because their every need is catered to. However, in some zoo’s they are treated the exact opposite of being catered to. Sometimes the animals are also deprived of a natural environment that the zoo’s fail to recreate. However, zoo’s can be helpful educationally to kids. It gives them a close up on the beauty of the animals, but it comes at the animals expense.

As claimed in the LCA article, ”Animals in zoos are forced to live in artificial, stressful, and downright boring conditions”(User, Super). Evidence shows time to time that animals are being affected by zoos. There are many things hidden behind the facilities, that many people do not know about. The animals are being held in conditions that no animal should ever live in. Even though some zoos do focus on helping the animals, they are not as beneficial to the animal because they are not provided with the proper care and attention they need and zoos do not try to fix their problems.

Since their very beginnings, zoo’s around the world have been at the forefront of ethical debates. Animal ethicists, animal liberationists and proponents of the land ethic raise considerable questions about the nature of zoos in a moral and ethical context. Drawing on animal rights claims, the questionable moral status of animals and the land ethic, this essay seeks to argue that zoo’s; a place in which wild animal’s are held in captivity, are inherently unethical. Though animal liberationists tend to include domesticated animals and agriculturally farmed animals, the scope of this essay will focus solely on the ethics of zoo’s and those animals within. Citing experts in the animal ethics

Zoos may seem fun to visit and exciting to see the animals; but what you don’t see is the suffering and depression that lies in these helpless creatures. There are many arguments whether or not zoos are good or bad, and if they should be removed or kept. Several think that zoos should be abolished or at least very much improved, due to animal cruelty. While, others want zoos to stay because it is beneficial for the animals and people. I strongly believe that zoos aren’t good for both the public and animals for numerous reasons.

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.

Harambe, a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo was shot to death by the zookeepers to protect a child who fell into the enclosure. This killing was justified by the experts such as Jane Godall saying that it was necessary to kill the aggressive animal to protect the life of the child. The obvious irony is that human beings are the ones who separate wild animals from their natural habitat, imprison them in zoos and finally they are the ones who decide the life and death of wild animals. Another tragic incident occurred in May, 2016, just six days before Harambe was killed, at Santiago Metropolitan Zoo where “two lions have reportedly been shot dead by zookeepers in front of a crowd of visitors after severely mauling a man who had entered their enclosure in an apparent suicide attempt” (Bulman, 2016). Therefore, it is high time for us to realise that animals are not mere ‘instruments’ or ‘objects’ that can be kept for our enjoyment, relaxation and

Every year almost 175 million people visit a zoo, yet the mistreatment of animals in zoos goes almost completely unnoticed. This mistreatment is constantly swept under the rug by issues that society deems more relevant or impact us more. For example, issues like climate change receive more attention. However, this mistreatment is relevant and is constantly impacting society. These animals that are left malnourished, fatigued, and constantly fighting bacterial infections, are important. Every time an animal is pulled from the wild and put into captivity it impacts the mental health of the animal and endangers everyone and everything around it. Zoos are to blame for this endangerment, yet so is the public for overlooking mistreatment such as enclosures that are too small, surplus animals, and mental illness in animals.

Some people may argue that zoos are good for sick or injured animals; however, while they can help nurture babies and bring sick creatures back to health, they are not safe for healthy animals. Dr. Lesley Dickey estimates that every year about 3,000 to 5,000 animals are ‘management euthanized’ in European zoos (Barnes). This means that zoos put down animals if there is not enough space for them. This is called zoo culling. Some zoos even dissect animals in front of guests that they killed. Zoos are for caring for animals, there is no place for cruelty. Although most zoos don’t kill surplus animals, that doesn’t make them innocent. Some animals don’t live as long in zoos as they do in the wild. The median life span in European zoos for African

For many centuries, zoos have served as a way of both educating and entertaining various audiences around the world. However, many ethical and moral concerns have arisen recently regarding the manner in which the animals in these facilities are treated. Zoos disregard the rights of animals because the audiences and employees treat them poorly and animals are unable to thrive in the small enclosures. Journalist Michelle Carr is correct in her claim about the harsh reality of zoos. Even though authors Leslie Kaufman and John Pickrell are accurate when they claim that many zoos serve as educational and conservational institutions, this does not excuse the fact that zoos take advantage of animals in order to make money.

It’s human nature to have compassion towards animals and an instinct to react if they are abused or mistreated. This human nature is the foundation to the controversial topic of whether zoos are ethical to have. With this issue, there are various reasons that promote the importance of zoos along with reasons to why they can be considered immoral. Both sides are essentially equal and fighting for the same result, the well-being of the animal both physically and mentally. It’s difficult to determine which side is right, but I believe that zoos are beneficial to not only humans but the animals as well.

On May 28, 2016, tragedy struck, when a three-year-old boy fell into a gorilla cage inhabited by a 440-pound male silverback, named Harambe. Inside the Cincinnati Zoo, chaos ensued, as the mother of the child panicked, horrified by the gorilla dragging her son by the arm and leg across the enclosure. Harambe had climbed down to investigate the child who was stuck in the corner of the moat, simply wishing to inquire about what was occurring. In the end, Harambe was tragically killed, as the zookeepers did not wish to chance a child’s life. While it was a tough and appalling decision, we as a society can now conclude that it was the correct one, as a human beings’ life should be saved at any expense.

In May 2016, a critically endangered gorilla was shot dead by zoo officials after a young child slipped into its enclosure. The incident created an uproar, with the public debating either the mother’s parenting skills or the justification of killing in an emergency situation. The public outrage was of no avail, to an incarcerated animal who had no choice but to die at a place it never belonged. It is now more crucial than ever to question the relevancy of keeping animals captive in zoos and aquariums.

180 million Americans visit zoos in the United States each year. However, an incident in 2016 at the Cincinnati Zoo, where a three year old boy fell into the exhibit of a 440 pound gorilla named Harambe, sparked a controversy in America. Americans have been questioning and debating whether these institutions are actually beneficial to the animals and if it’s really ethical to keep animals like Harambe in captivity. Not all zoos have the money to provide what wild animals need. Considering both the pros and cons of either sides of the issue, it is clear that zoos are detrimental to the animals for various reasons including unacceptable living environments, dangerous health concerns, as well as a huge ethical dilemma.