Argumentative Essay On 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.

Zoos have always been criticized because some claim that animals are being abused and mistreated due to the lack and care of certain zoos. However, zoos actually help many animals with research and are critically important for conservation purposes. People need to understand that zoos have programs that breed endangered animals as well as rescue programs for exotic animals that people are no longer able to support. Also, they have many hands on activities that allow people to get more connected to animals. In addition, zoos do not only focus on animals. They focus on environmental problems/concerns as well. Zoos help us stay educated about environmental impacts and animal care.

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).

Zoos have been around for 4,000 years, for many years people have gone to zoos to see wild animals up close. What people do not know is animals don't have the best interest in being in a zoo. The article, "Zoos: The Historical Debate" from Globalanimal.org discusses some pros (positive sides) and cons (negative sides) of zoos. As well as how millions of people visit zoos around the world and how some argue that zoos are either places of education and conversation or unnecessary prisons. After reading the article a logical conclusion is zoos are detrimental to animals.

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.

Countless land and aquatic animals are held captive in zoos. However, are zoos really conserving wildlife like they say, by putting animals on display? Negative. Zoos are unsuitable environments for wild animals, and therefore should be eradicated. Zoos should cease to exist for three main reasons: animals deserve just as much freedom and happiness as humans, enclosing them in confined habitats harms them, and imprisoning them infuriates them.

“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

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.

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.

The crowd starts to swarm around the latest attraction, you can hear gasps of awe from the children and people saying “look at that!” among the crowd. The latest attraction happens to be a bear laying out in the hot sun. There are children standing on the ledge of the fence trying to catch a glimpse of the bear. There are phones out and ready to snap pictures of the bear. This is a common sight at zoos around the world.

Now there are modern zoos in almost every city in the world that boasts different arrays of animals. With all these different zoos around the world, we see different approaches on how these animals are treated and what they are subjected to.

Costa Rica is home to only two zoos, however, it is one of the first nations to attempt to close all of their zoos within their country and release their captured animals back into the wild. Costa Rica was also the first country within their region to ban sport hunting completely. However, the government set the Simon Bolivar Zoo and the Santa Ana Conservation to close in March of 2014, which the zoos claimed was not enough notice to end their contract. Because of this, the zoos took it to court, where it was decided that the government did terminate their contract early, so the zoos have been granted more time. Now, they have ten more years until they will be forced to close in 2024 (Laylin). CNN writer Rafael Romo describes that the “most recent dispute over zoo animals has already made its way to the courts, and much like the animals at its center, it’s already getting wild.” The Simo Bolivar Zoo will be turned into a botanical garden, and as for the Santa Ana Conservation, it will be turned into a park.

Zoos, are they harmless fun or are they a prison for animals. A dead wallaby was left to rot by staff at Tweddle Farm Zoo for two weeks and the zoo refused to carry out a post mortem to establish why the animal died. Animals suffer in zoos because they are trained to perform tricks, any surplus animals are killed, and zoos can’t provide sufficient space.

1 Picture this; you have been taken from your home and have been put in this tiny and weird room that is like a prison cell. It’s nothing like the home from which you came that you miss so dearly. You are confined in this room every day, and you see the same scenery all the time and eat the same meals day after day. There is barely any room for you to walk and run around. And there are strangers that look at you every day.