The tiger (Panthera tigris) is one of the best-known large mammals and the largest living cat. However, their numbers in the wild are decreasing significantly. According to Seidensticker et al. (2010), there are three subspecies becoming extinct since 1940s. Particularly, Panthera tigris sumatrae or also known as Sumatran tiger is now listed as critically endangered, with around 300 individuals proposed to be living in the wild (Seidensticker et al., 2010). Nowadays, tigers are facing serious conflict with humans over resources in their natural habitat as human activity largely causing their decline. In addition to in situ efforts, wildlife parks and zoos play an important role in the conservation of this species. Nowadays, it is believed that there are more tigers in captivity including wildlife parks, zoos, and circuses compared to in the wild (Szokalski, 2012). Thus, it appears opportune to explore what is the best practices for captive management in zoos, in order to obtain a greater understanding of how to improve their lives in captivity.
San Diego Zoo do not feed their tigers every day. The tigers fed on a three-day cycle. They were fed every third day, rather than every consecutive day. Since tigers are obligate carnivores, they require meat in diet. Usually, tigers consumed wild pig and sambar. The adult tiger consume on average 18-27 kg meat, whereas female tiger requires about 5-6kg meat per day (San Diego Zoo, 2013). The zoo keepers vary the way food is
Also the zoo is doing everything to preventing them from going extinct. There doing this because many of tiger species are going extinct According the article the “Caspian, and Javan tigers are all extinct. ”So the zoo would do anything to keep the animal safe.
In the article “The Stripes Will Survive” written by Jacqueline Adams, Jacqueline believes that the Siberian Tiger should be protected and they should not be hunted. In the article “The Zoos Go Wild from No More Dodos” written by Nicholas Nirgiotis and Theodore Nirgiotis, the authors explains that the Gorilla, The gorilla was very bad tempered and bored until he was moved to a better and new cage like where he lived in the wild and he was very happy and even became a dad. In the article” Our Beautiful Macaws and Why They Need Enrichment “ by Alicia Powers, the Author explains that macaws need special treatment or they will become very aggressive or even sick. The role of zoos is to protect animals. In the article “ The Stripes Will Survive”
Also, they specifically help tigers by setting up certain areas for them to live in, so they don't run out of room. However, there are some ways they contrast this idea. In the zoo, they have twin tigers named Dasha and Dayna, and they have their mother. But, the zoo says that they think that the mother needs to leave soon, and they may send the tiger twins somewhere else. This could potentially affect their lifestyle.
In the article, “The Stripes will Survive,” by Jacqueline Adams, the author explained what zoos have done to prevent the extinction of animals. The article was about Siberian tigers in Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and what the zoo has done to protect them. According to the article, “The members of the Tiger SSP teach the public about the plight of tigers and do research. They keep a computerized family tree of zoo tigers that
The topic of the treatment of captive animals in both zoos and aquariums is one of high controversy. It is argued that the capturing and breeding of wildlife, holding them in captivity may present them with unnecessary risks. This however is dependent on the species of animal.
The Bengal tiger can be found in a few ecosystems such: tropical rainforest, mangrove swamps, and open grasslands (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, n.d.). The Bengal tiger is an apex predator and the majority of its interactions occur with its prey. As a solitary nocturnal predator it generally coexists with other predators except in stressful situations like food shortage. The Bengal tiger is a carnivore that preys on a variety of organisms such as: moose, deer, pigs, cows and other large bodied organisms. When they do feed they consume large amounts of meat at a time and only need to hunt about once a week. The loss of tiger population could result in an overabundance of herbivores; this overabundance of herbivores could in turn destroy the plant biodiversity by overfeeding (Global Tiger Initiative, n.d.). By keeping herbivore population in check tigers play a crucial role in sustaining the ecosystem. A negative interaction that tigers can be responsible for is human death. Although records of Bengal tigers hunting humans is rare, it still causes difficulties with nearby villages (Acharya, Paudel, Neupane & Kohl, 2016). This fear of Bengal tigers can make conserving them much more difficult as villagers may kill them in perceived self defense. Conservation is crucial because of the role they play in the
Over the centuries, wild animals have always fascinated humans. As a result, wild animals have been put on display, but the logistics of these displays have changed throughout the years to resemble zoos humans now visit (Rutledge et al, 2014). Enclosures were once very small and did not provide the opportunity for stimulation that the animals need. There has been a shift from small, sterile enclosures to larger, more natural enclosures (Shepherdson, 1998). This change in the care of captive animals was caused by an interest in studying the animals (Shepherdson, 1998). Studies have revealed the importance of providing captive animals with an environment in which behaviors typical of the captive species, when in the wild, can be exercised in the enclosures in which they are housed (Shepherdson, 1998). By mimicking a natural habitat, scientists are able to observe more natural behavior. If enrichment is not provided, stereotypic behavior such as pacing, aggression, and abnormal behavior, may occur. In order to discourage these stereotypic behaviors, zoologists have begun implementing enrichment programs to stimulate the captive animals to exhibit more natural behaviors (Swaisgood and Shepherdson, 2005).
While many people think that animals are safe at zoos and privately owned farms it's far from the truth. In 2011, nearly 50 animals died when their owner left open their cages before he shot himself. Eighteen tigers, seventeen African lions, six black bears, two grizzly bears, two wolves, and a baboon were killed by police officers who deemed the animals to be a danger to the community (Wild at Home). Instances like these show that private owners don’t put their animals’ well-being first. Exotic animals like chimpanzees and tigers shouldn’t be kept as pets because many of them suffer due to the substandard care that is given to them by private owners, many of them pose a threat not only to their owners but to their community, and many of them carry multiple diseases that are transmittable to humans.
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.
Many people do not realize that keeping a wild animal is extremely difficult and expensive, and owning one requires much of preparation and investment. Susan Tepper owns large wild cats for use in magic shows in Las Vegas, Nevada. She said that each of their adult tigers can eat as much as 50 pounds of meat each week, and that she spends $6,000 worth of food and vitamins per tiger (Scholastic News/Weekly Reader Edition 3). That’s about the same amount an adult person might eat each in a year, and it is also a health hazard for the Teppers since there are pounds of raw meat lying all around her kitchen. If Susan spends about $6,000, she must spend even more on cages, land, and other necessities for her tigers. Like
Most animals are adorable when they are young. A baby tiger looks so cute and cuddly. At that age they require a couple bottles of milk. Four years later, at five hundred pounds, they require thirty to fifty pounds of meat per day. Many people don’t realize when they get a tiger cub that this much food will be required each day. This would be quite expensive to supply so much food each day. The huge expense of keeping them fed is just one reason they should not be kept in captivity. Not only is there the expense of their daily diet, there is the expense of housing, fencing, and maintenance. The average person is not
The question of humanity arises every couple of years, on the topic - should exotic animals be allowed to be kept as pets. Is it humane for the beings who feel pain, give birth, take care of their young like human beings do to be behind bars? According to the National Geographic 66 percent of wild animals are owned privately while the 28 percent of the animals reside in the zoo. Some of the exotic animals can be found as pets rather than in the wild. The estimated number of Tigers kept as pets are between 5,000 and 7,000, which is more than the ones that exist in the wild. Interested buyers can purchase a tiger cheaper than some of the purebred dogs, for the price as shocking as 300 dollars. Though some states in the United States do allow wild animals as pets, it is still illegal in most states or require a license for it. Most of the animals as pets are through illegal routes like underground auctions and smuggling.
on is education. While their unskilled labour forces were getting more expensive and they thus had to outsource these activities to lower-waged countries, the population had to do something in order to maintain their high living standards. Due to these investments in especially higher technical education the Tiger economies now have a highly skilled labour force and they will continue to invest more into this.
The behavior of different species of wildlife which are brought into the circus industry also varies, and they therefore require different living conditions. Observing the natural behavior of tigers versus lions illustrates this fact. Unlike tigers, which have a mainly solitary existence, lions are very social, and are really the only big cats which display this characteristic (Whitney). Furthermore, elephants have yet another type of lifestyle, and “form deep family bonds and live in tight matriarchal family groups” (Whitney). By looking at just these few select animals, one can see that they all require different treatment based on their natural predilections. Tigers may be comfortable to exist in solitude with the circus, but a lion would be more accustomed to travelling with his pride, not alone, a sentiment which would be shared my an elephant used to being with a family. Moreover, separate from their preferences for company, both tigers and lions are extremely territorial and are usually in charge
To start with, many zoo facilities in Asia are very overcrowded with tigers, causing tigers to die as soon as they are placed in such zoos. One thing tigers need is more space as well as more resources to breed. Tigers definitely need trained, well equipped, zookeepers. Another necessity would be space so they can best prevent diseases from spreading. Due to some reports, zoo keepers are concerned with medical problems that are potentially preventable in the proper habitat and proper medical care.