Zoos are not effective in helping endangered or threatened animals, because regardless of the circumstances, confinement cannot reproduce wild animals’ habitats. In this essay I will look at the disadvantages of zoos based on economics, education and the effect it has on threatened and endangered animals.
In order for zoos to retain popularity, they have to generate more income with rising ticket fees, and spending most of their earnings on expensive elephant rides, safari-treks, costly sky rides over exhibits and feeding stations. Pacing bears and sleeping lions bore visitors and make for small crowds, therefore animals are encouraged to dig, play, forage and roll around at astronomical costs. Baby animals are one of the biggest attractions for zoos, and therefore they squeeze as many fascinating species as possible into restricted spaces, reducing the actual percentage of endangered species in their care. For zoos, attracting visitors and making money comes before the interests of animals. According to Hancock (2017:7), a former zoo director “[l]ess than 3% of a zoo’s budget goes to conservation, while the majority goes toward hi-tech exhibits and marketing efforts to lure visitors. Zoos exist primarily to put animals
…show more content…
I support the ideas and evidence stated above. However, there are always two sides to a controversial topic such as this one. The principles that zoos live by contradict my own beliefs, yet according to Tidiére et al, (2016:2) “[i]t is typically believed that zoo animals live longer than their free-ranging conspecifics due to the consistent provision of food, water, and shelter from harsh climates, the absence of predation and management to minimise violent intraspecific encounters and accidents, as well as veterinary prophylactic and therapeutic intervention”, one must accept that there are some favourable factors
One of the most fun, visually amazing functions to visit are zoo's. Growing up as a kid going to the zoo was so much fun and basically guaranteed a great day out. People have been complaining and questioning the role of zoo's for a long time now. Some claim that it actually kills the animals off faster. Others claim that zoo's actually help protect and preserve the lives of these animals. Only one can make a reasonable argument by studying sources, and finding out statistics. Based off of the articles, "The Stripes Will Survive", "The Zoos Go Wild", and "Our Beautiful Macaws and Why They Need Enrichment", we can truly get in-depth analysis about the role zoo's play.
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 present a certain blend of nature and culture. They have always provided a way to bring natural wildlife and urban Americans together as a means of entertainment. Yet, throughout the years the role of zoos have changed. Though once used for amusement, zoos are now being used for education on preservation and the welfare of endangered species. One may wonder where and how the idea of zoos started and just how they, and the environment around them, have changed throughout history.
Moreover, zoos help to repopulate endangered animal species such as the California condor, a vulture. As it says in the article “Zoos: The Historical Debate” after ten years of working
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.
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.
When people think of a zoos they are to think about all the cool animals and their trainer doing tricks with them right? No, that is totally wrong. Most of the zoos don’t even care about the animals, all they care about is their paycheck and more money. Zoos usually want babies in the zoo because that is what people are attracted to more. When they grow up and aren’t as cute they are sold to other places for big money. The reason why they would have to sell them is because when they are smaller they attract more attention and make them more money. When they grow up they aren’t as playful and enjoying to watch so they sell them to get money to get other baby animals so they can make more money.
“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.
For as long as most people can remember, zoos have always been around. Zoos are where an adult’s childhood springs back to life as they experience the joys of seeing a lion roar, monkeys swing through trees, otters swishing up to the glass, and dolphins dancing out of the water with a splash. It would be difficult to look around a zoo and not see at least a glimmer of a smile on each of the faces in the area. Families and friends come together to support the many different types of animals in zoos, learning what they are and how their species came to be. It is an education and invigorating trip for each and every person who walks by.
Do you know that feeling when you have no privacy or personal space and you just want to express violence, well that is how zoo animals feel every day. I am against zoos because animals are not able to run free, can be mistreated, and can cause animals to come out aggressive towards others.
A question that has been debated for a very long time is, are zoos good or bad for animals? People have there opinions, and they back up their opinions with facts, facts that are true, but there are always facts for each side of the argument. Zoos have been around for over a hundred years and they have been adored and despised by many people. In the United States alone they have about 180 million visitors a year. Something about see animals in real life draws the attention of society. These articles i'm going to talk about on the positives and negatives of zoos display the nature of zoos that value their animals, and those that don't, and also with the problem of HAC (human animal conflict).
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
Are zoos actually doing us any good? By enclosing animals are we making them more endangered than before? Can we put an end to it? Zoos today are both a benefit and a hindrance to the animal society. By providing them with health care and food, we could be taking away their instincts as a wild animal. Although zoos can be beneficial, we should limit zoo activity because, zoos can change the behavior of an animal, breeding issues may occur, and the animals may not be able to return to the wild.