The Benefits Of Animal Captivity

In the article “Zoos Are Cruel and Unnecessary,” Earth Times posed a question, “With the internet, as well as DVDs, 3D TV, etc., are zoos really necessary to teach people about animals in the 21st century?” In the response given by Liz Tyson, director of the Captive Animals’ Protection Society, she argues an animal and its environment in a zoo is “out of context” and there is no substitution for an animal’s natural habitat. Therefore, viewing animals in such environments distorts the message that a zoo’s primary purpose is to conserve these habitats in the wild. By focusing solely on the artificial habitats, Tyson fails to mention the educational opportunities that zoos and zoological parks can provide, such as interactive visitor programs, breeding and rehabilitation programs, and up-close animal encounters.

In the article “PETA urges L.A. to ban all wild animals from circus performances”, Alexia Fernandez highlights the speed with which animal activists go in order to free wild animals from being used in circuses. According to the spokesman for the Ringling Bros, after L.A. “banned circuses from using bullhooks to manage elephants” in 2014, PETA activists demanded that circuses remove wild animals from their performances and Barnum & Bailey Circus begged to differ by arguing that animals in their facilities are taken good care of and are not mistreated (Fernandez, 2016). In conclusion, both sides of the arguments believe that neither is misinformed.

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.

The first modern zoo to be founded was in Vienna, Madrid and Paris in the eighteenth century and later on in London and Berlin in the nineteenth century. The first zoo to be established in America was in Philadelphia and Cincinnati in the 1870s. In today’s America there are thousands of zoos. Humans like to be entertained regardless of how they are being entertained, whether that is walking through the park, watching a show, listening to music or simply going to the zoo. There are truth behind zoos that many don’t see, for example, many zoos don’t show the death rates that many zoo animals have after being transported from their natural habitants or the experiences that the zoo keepers provide to the animals being kept in captivity. To what extent are we okay with animals being tortured or being aware that animals are being killed just so humans can be entertained? While there are benefits to keeping animals in captivity, scholars agree that there are more negative effects that are damaging to the animals. The purpose of zoos can be more than just keeping animals in captivity and creating significant health or mental problems, zoos also can have a positive outcome, zoos can help keep endangered animals safe from others who are trying to kill them for what they are worth. Jamieson explains and gives one example of when people started putting animals in captivity. The Romans is the example that Jamieson uses, the Romans “kept animals in order to have living fodder for games.” Jamieson continued to explain how over the years the use of animals historically grew in popularity and how the idea continued to “thrive until at least the eight century.” Jamieson also mentioned that keeping a large amount of animals showed who had power.

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.

The circus industry claims that it only trains animals to do the types of tricks they might naturally perform in the wild. Costumed bears lying on their backs spinning giant balls, tigers jumping through flames, or elephants walking on their hind legs then balancing on their heads, are not natural behaviors. When circuses portray unnatural and inaccurate images of how wild animals live and act, in such an unrealistic context, this creates a greater disconnect between people and wild animals, promoting the notion that it's acceptable, even enjoyable to exploit animals for entertainment. Circuses perpetuate an outdated attitude that wild animals are ours to use at any cost to their welfare-an attitude that PAWS, other animal protection groups, wildlife organizations and zoos work tirelessly to counteract through outreach and education.

There are many types of animals used for entertainment such as circuses, dog fighting, zoos, and rodeos. All of these types of entertainment are not natural for these animals which is a form of abuse. Often times they are wild animals that don’t belong in cages and are not able to do things that are in their instinct to do. This is especially true about zoos and circuses. Animals are not able to roam free and instead kept in small cages. Even in optimal settings experts say that it is difficult to provide for the needs of wild animals.(Lemonick) Children should learn to respect animals and not see them as entertainment. People should only support animal free circuses and raise awareness how animals are abused for entertainment.

No thought to the experiences which they have endured, the pain and disrespect that have been subjected to. In one night, it would be impossible to ban all the worlds, circuses, zoos, dog and horse-tracks, and aquariums, but small attentions each day to eliminate the market for this brand of entertainment could end suffering across the nation, and hopefully spread across the globe. Behind each abuse, there is a use, whether entertainment, food, or "the greater good". Although animals in the entertainment industry are given little thought, they may not experience the worst scenario we've concocted for them. They might be saved from a life of needles, tubes, and mystery medicines.

Some people agree that animals should be kept in the zoo. They said it would be safer for the animals and they won’t be extinct. The amount of possibilities of them dying, shot by hunters or any other reason, still higher than the chances of their survival. Food and shelter are provided, medicine, and their breeding is being controlled. And many of the wild animals in zoos are ones that are on the endangered list as their amounts are rapidly diminishing. Letting them loose and returning them to the wild is not necessarily a safe option. (Mylot, 2007) In fact, zoo can be one of the educational studies for children and people who are interested with animals. Zoo is the only place that we can have an opportunity to see animal’s life really close and sometimes we can touch them. Zoos also provide lots of information about certain animals, children can have chance to get out of the classroom and learn so they can see natural beauty from different species of animals. Even children can see them from discovery channel but that’s really different if you see animal in real world, for an example, if you see crocodile, snake or shark in the movie, maybe you won’t afraid than you see the real one. According to Tudge, (1992, p.56) Zoos are the place where people can study animals and their habitat, even scientist don’t need to go

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.

An animal that is considered an “entertainment animal” is an animal that has been taught to act a certain way in order to perform for the amusement of an audience, such as an elephant in the circus (Waldau 31). In circuses alone, most old-style and modern ones mistreat their animals in the way they are housed, transported, and generally handled (Waldau 136). Although there are many avid animal rights activists, the public still buys into the whole scheme without knowing that they are supporting animal misery. Circus owners often are so consumed with the money they make that the real entertainment purpose of circuses has been lost, and more often than not these proprietors will be too concerned with money to care about how the animals they possess are being treated (Waldau 136). Many circuses claim that they treat their animals well, and some have improved the living conditions of the animals; but, even as circuses try to clear their names and maintain a safe and harmless appearance, the lives of animals held captive in circuses remain harsh and hazardous, similar to animals who are used for an even worse purpose, animal experimentation (Waldau

Did you know that animals have the right to be protected by the Animal Welfare Act but when animals are not performing they are housed in small traveling crates (“11 Facts About Circus”, 2015)? Animals being used in circuses are constantly traveling, making them stuck in a confined area. This kind of confinement has led to harmful psychological effects (“11 Facts About Circus”, 2015) on these animals. Animals have been in used in circuses since about the 1800’s. But, there has been controversy and many arguments over the treatment of the animals. Especially when it comes to them being used in entertainment. In this paper, I will present alternative position on the topic of animals used and their treatment in circuses.

When I was a little girl, I was always eager to go to the zoo where I could get up close with hundreds of beautiful animals. I had heard many interesting stories of animal lives and how hard they had to fight in the wildlife to survive. The zoo, in my eyes, was a wonderful place where animals were rescued and taken care of. It was much more interesting when I figured out animals could do several things like monkeys could drive bicycles, and dolphins could dance in the water. However, with the reveal of media, the zoo also has the other aspect that is not as wonderful as I thought. Monkeys were not born to entertain us on bicycles, and dolphins do not naturally dance in the water. They all have to go through a severe process of training to do tricks and entertain for human. The zoo has many positive effects on both human and animal, but it also go along with several negative consequences. While many zoos are a valuable source for public studying and revenue for wildlife conservation, they also could take away animal freedom, and torture them for commercial uses and entertainment.

Zoos, aquariums, and circuses do not treat animals with respect or civility. They inevitably suffer from diseases, pain, starvation, and fear so they will perform seamlessly for the public. Owners force their pets to carry out pointless tricks and performances and are almost always deprived of their normal behavior. Workers within the facilities that the animals occupy rip them from their natural habitat, beat submission into the performing animals, and deprive them of food and water. The wild animals will not live their full lifespan due to the mental and physical abuse that comes from the captive place they reside in. Animals do not belong in tanks, cages, or exhibits. Animals receive wicked and cruel treatment

This paper looks at the debate about animals in captivity. Through the debate it seems that there is two sides regarding the issue, keeping animals in zoos, wild parks and aquariums, or keeping them free in nature. Though by debating as such, one overlooks the fact that humans have a strong influence on animals inside as well as outside captivity and that one can better confer animal welfare as a whole.