The Pros And Cons Of Zoos

Many people argue that they should be allowed to be kept in the small enclosures because they are well taken care of. This isn't the case. They may be healthy physically from being in a small enclosure, and not having any responsibilities besides getting up to eat or drink, but they are being destroyed mentally. Their enclosures are too small for them to have a normal life. Animals should have adequate space to live and raise their offspring, which means that the animal has enough space to perform its natural functions, happily. Zoo’s do not allow animals the proper space that they need, thus causing many issues. For example, zoo enclosures for polar bears are one-millionth the size of its range in the wild, which can reach up to 31,000 square miles. In addition, cramped enclosures for elephants create stress and dangerous situations. This is mainly because they are forced to be in close quarters with other elephants that may

Animals are deprived of their natural habitat when transferred from the wild open space of the wild only to be fenced inside a limited habitat. Peta.org explains “Elephants typically walk up to 30 miles in just one day, but Lucy, the lone elephant at the Edmonton Zoo, is locked inside a barn… spends most of her time indoors…”. This doesn’t only apply to elephants, but to many other animals. Preventing them from thriving, because of the limited space provided per animal. Additionally, this leads to health problems because of the restricted amount of movement, health problems like arthritis. However zoos are not only causing physical harm, but mentally making animals sick causing many cases of depression. Trapping animals in cages stressed them out and can make them unhappy taking matters into their own hands trying to kill themselves according to

Zoos have also been known to remove animals from their natural habitats when they would have been much better remaining where they were. For example, in 2003 the San Diego Wild Animal Lowry Park Zoo captured eleven endangered wild African Elephant ("Zoos: Pitiful Prisons”) . It would be vital to the African Elephant population that those eleven elephants remained in the wild so that they species could hopefully grow and become stronger. However, the zoo made the decision to rip them from their homes during a time when they most needed to be in the wild. This choice was unethical because it could create further issues for the struggling species. Taking the elephants so that they could be an attraction in a zoo is not a valid reason for removing them from their homes. Normally in the wild, African Elephants live in massive family groups, and each member develops a close bond. Female elephants keep lifelong relationships with their female calves and with other relatives. When they are captured, usually the entire family is not taken together, so the bond are forcefully severed. The separation is incredibly stressful to the elephants, which are known to be very emotional creatures (“The Social Lives of Elephants”). If this is the way that zoos capture elephants, it is the same way that they take other animals as well. Unless the animal is in imminent danger, it should not be removed from its home. And if that is the case, it should be sent to

"Zoos have improved a lot in the last 4,000 years. These days, most zoos create friendlier environments for animals. ... Now, however, they get their animals through captive breeding programs and other zoos." This is an understandable concern, however, but this is not the case. Animals are not meant to be kept in captivity for human entertainment, animals are meant to be wild, the artificial surroundings in zoos an cause Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Zoos cause severe psychological and emotional damage that in some cases can lead to the death of the animal, trainers, or regular people. There are many factors that contribute to the psychological and emotional damage of the animals in captivity, such as lack of privacy, closely confined spaces, little or no physical exercise or social interactions with other animals which can lead to a very serious disease call zoochosis (PETA). For example Dr. Georgia Mason and Dr. Ros Clubb conclude that polar bears put in zoo enclosures is about one-millionth of its natural

Do zoos fulfill the needs of the animals? Should animals be kept in only one enclosure for their whole life? Is it worth all the time and money for the animals to be unhappy? Many people think zoos are doing a good job of keeping animals happy in the man made zoos. Because people think that, they support the zoos by giving them money to see these animals instead of going to animal preservations where the enclosures aren’t entirely man made. Animals that can function and survive in the wild should not be kept in zoos because the enclosures do not meet the needs of the animals living in them, zoos restrict animals from their innate behavior and their natural instincts, and zoos are expensive and damage animals homes.

Some people go to zoos to see the wild animals, but that’s not all that they are for. People in groups such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) may think that zoos cannot provide the needs to wild animals as the wild can. Zoos help animals. They have improved, helping to repopulate species and save animals in the wild.

Secondly, zoo animals are kept in enclosures that don’t allow them to live their lives in a natural way. The elephant, Happy, from the Bronx Zoo is kept in solitude which is not ideal for elephants. Tullis says, “Happy has lived alone, separated from the zoo’s two other elephants. Her solitary confinement is quite unlike the life of a wild elephant. In nature, elephants live in closely bonded matriarchal families.” Moreover,

The author of this article, Michael D. Lemonick, discusses how some animals aren't able to be kept humanely in captivity. This article mainly focuses on elephants that are kept in captivity. Normally elephants roam up to, if not more than, 30 miles a day and they socialize with up to 20 other elephants a day. While in captivity, elephants are not experiencing their lives the way they should. If an elephant is in an exhibit that is too small for them, they can develop serious health issues such as, foot problems, arthritis, and even premature deaths. Most zoos aren't equipped to take care of elephants like they should. Lemonick discusses zoos across the country that have stopped exhibiting elephants altogether, due to severe issues seen in elephants.

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

The first modern zoo founded was in Vienna, Madrid and Paris in the eighteenth century and later 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 is 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

Due to the severe and dangerous health concerns associated with animals held in captivity, it is shown that zoos just add to the animals’

77 elephants were examined at a British zoo, and only 11 of them were able to walk correctly. It is said that advancements are being made to improve elephant environments in captivity, but numerous zoos have shut down their elephant attractions (Smith, 2008).

The article states that zoos are essential TO SOCIETY and provides three reasons of support. However, the professor explains that there are problems with THE AUTHOR'S arguments. The professor doesn’t believe zoos benefit animals or society and refutes each of the author's reasons.

Are zoos good or bad? For many animals zoos can be horrible like for an elephant named Maggie. Maggie would have been a happy elephant if she was let into the wild. One day it was too cold for Maggie to go outside so she had to be trapped in a small uncomfortable and cramped cage. Maggie wouldn’t even use the elephant sized treadmill that they had gave her. According to the article Zoos the Historical Debate “If Maggie and other zoo elephants lived in the wild, they would wander as much as 30 miles a day in large groups, grazing on leaves and stopping to splash in watering holes.” This is why zoos can be bad for animals and why I am against zoos. Just like Maggie the elephant, there are many zoos who can harm animals or make them unhappy.