Wild Vs Animal Captivity

Most wild animals that are unable to survive in the wild are kept in zoos and animal rescues. However, when wild animals are kept in captivity for too long it can lead to some odd behaviors and health issues. Some of the issues animals can develop in captivity are over grooming, pacing back and forth, and zoochosis. These can cause animals to develop odd behaviors that can lead to dangerous health issues and sometimes even death.

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.

There have been many discussions about the welfare of animals since the first zoos were created. Some people agree that animals should be kept in zoo’s, they argue that it benefits the animals because their every need is catered to. However, in some zoo’s they are treated the exact opposite of being catered to. Sometimes the animals are also deprived of a natural environment that the zoo’s fail to recreate. However, zoo’s can be helpful educationally to kids. It gives them a close up on the beauty of the animals, but it comes at the animals expense.

Living in these zoos, the zookeepers are feeding and taking care of these animals, which is the eradication of their self-reliance. So, animals that are living or are born in captivity lose their instincts to survive progressively each day. In an article from National Geographic News, researcher Kristen Jule says, “Their lack of hunting skills and lack of fear towards humans are major disadvantages” (Owen). Unfortunately, since these animals lose or don’t develop natural hunting and survival skills, they will most likely die in the wild. So, letting the animals free might pose an enormous problem, how are they going to survive without these necessary

Firstly, animals in captivity show distraught behavior and don’t have the same abilities as those in the wild. For example, in the article The Loneliest Elephant written by Tracy Tullis, it states, “With limited space and and no infants to care for, captive elephants can become catatonically bored. A great majority of elephants in American zoos -- as much as 80 percent according to a 2013 study by the Honolulu Zoo -- develop disturbing neurotic behaviors, such as repetitive swaying and head bobbing.” Furthermore, it is clear that some animals in zoos behave differently, in a negative manner, in zoos than in their natural habitat (Tullis, 3). Also, a wildlife behavioral biologist Toni Frohof talks about Happy, an elephant kept in isolation at the Bronx Zoo. His words in The Loneliest Elephant was, “She exhibits self-awareness, yet one of the most important aspects of her psychological and physical life, the ability to be around other elephants, she’s been deprived of.” This shows, elephants who are caged in seclusion don’t feel the same as other elephants who get to be around each other 24/7; Happy is forced to be alone for the rest of her life (Tullis, 3). Concludingly, elephants and other animals can form mental and physical issues while caged or isolated.

“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

Lonely, captivated, miserable and isolated are all traits that describe how an animal held in confinement feels. These animals have a mother, a family and siblings. They don’t deserve to be taken away from that against their will, even if it’s for the sake of science or entertainment. The first time I ever visited a zoo I remember feeling horrible for all the animals kept in cages, exploited. They are living creatures, with feelings, just like us and I don’t see us humans placed in cages for everyone to see?

Freedom is everything to people, and animals alike. But animals in captivity are stripped from this. In SeaWorld and circuses, the animals are living their lives entertaining people and living their lives in cages or small enclosed pens. By keeping animals to remain in captivity people are taking away their freedom, forcing them to be used for entertainment, and not providing animals with the proper care.

The zoo is packed with children, running everywhere. They laugh and smile as they watch the animals at the zoo sleep. What these children do not realize is that these animals are dying on the inside. Animals that live at the zoo are extremely depressed. These animals can suffer severe psychological disorders from being out of their natural environment. But others argue that keeping these animals in captivity will help keep endangered species alive. However, the disadvantages of keeping animals in captivity are becoming more and more serious, and more people are beginning to believe that animals should not be held captive. Animals should not be kept in captivity because of the negative impact it can have

According to The New York Times, the typical zoo enclosure for a polar bear is one-millionth the size of its home range in the wild (Zoos Are Too Small for Some Species, Biologists Report). With this limited space, animals cannot fill their natural right to graze, hunt, and roam. Some people believe that zoos are unethical and are a form of prison for the animals. During a class discussion, the main point to compare zoos to prisons was the deprivation (Lecture 11/13/17). Similar to solitary confinement, animals are trapped in tiny enclosures. These enclosures do not come close to space and freedoms that animal have in the wild. Animals suffer from boredom and loneliness. Prisoners in solitary confinement experience the same effects. Some prisoners go insane in solitary confinement and turn to self-harm. Animals develop abnormal habits, head-butting their enclosure walls, or stop eating because of the lack of their natural instincts. Animals are not only taken from their natural habitats, but they are placed in unnatural habitats. Polar bears do not belong in the heat of Texas and whales do not belong in bathtubs compared to the open ocean.

Animals play an important role of human life. Wild animal is a kind that normally lives in the wild, for example: elephants, tigers, rhinos and many others. They live in the wild with spacious and natural environment, however many humans kept them in the zoo, as an attraction for the sake of the money. They didn’t think of the wild animals habitat, and there are some problems arise from keeping them in cages. The shock of being in captivity would depress the animals; they would even act hysterically and might hurt people near them. And it is not the animal to be fault. There are three main reasons why wild animals should not be kept in the zoos:

Many people wonder why it’s good to have zoos in the world. For this reason this issue focuses on why animals in captivity is beneficial for scientific reasons and one of those reasons is because we can study their characteristics, if there are going to be extinct we should help them reproduce to get them out of extinct, and so we can learn how zoos help the animals.

In the wild, lions have more freedom. They live in grassy plains and in Savannas that provides them with more space to travel and hunt as well (animal corner). In the zoo they are limited to a couple acres of freedom to wander around. Lions don't get to use their features to hunt that they were born with. They also don't get in groups of lions because in the zoo they keep them alone and in some rare occasions in pairs (captive animals). In the wild they sleep in groups, how they are meant to do so. In the zoo they sleep alone because they don't have partners (captive animals). In the zoo 40% of cubs die prematurely and in the wild the highest percentage is 30% in premature deaths (Lionaid). Living environment in both places has its differences but manages to take care of the lion.

Tigers, zebras, and gorillas are wonderful and interesting yet some never should be pets and belong in the zoo. There are two sides to this question some argue that people should be able to keep wild animals as pets or in captivity because it provides protection for the animals and zoos help educate visitors about animals but others say they shouldn’t be able to keep wild animals as pets or in captivity because of the wide spread of disease and because of untrained owners.

With nearly millions of animals dying each year from being captive, or endangered species being hunted down and killed, we need to discover a new way of displaying that our world is full of beautiful animals and wildlife. Wild animals are suffering both physically and mentally from the lack of freedom that confinement imposes. These harmful environments are preventing animals from having the opportunity to live in, and be exposed to their natural habitats. Keeping animals imprisoned in cages and small enclosures just for the sake of human observation causes stress and frustration, which is risking animals overall health and well being. These morally unacceptable and cruel actions of retaining wild animals in captivity is certainly wrong.