why animals should not be kept in zoos articles why animals should not be kept in zoos articles

Some, however, argue that children benefit from zoos. This support of the exotic pet trade also results in a lot of preventable animal deaths. Animals also lose their genetic diversity especially due to inbreeding. People may behave eco-friendlier after going to the zoo. Some animals are quite intelligent so keeping them in captivity should never be an option. State And Local Laws: Strong state laws and even local laws have historically been a useful way to protect exotic and wild animals. Zoo owners go to great lengths to build enclosures that have a wild aesthetic and give paying visitors a taste of the wild world. Zoo keepers are often trained and specialize in a particular breed or species. See Related: Animals That Have Become Extinct in the Last 100 Years. Reintroduced animals have a hard time coping with life in the wild after long periods away. Keeping animals in captivity can prevent their extinction. Keep on reading. The Endangered Species Act: The Endangered Species Act, the ESA, is a federal law that protects fish, mammals, birds and plants listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S. and beyond. However, in a zoo, the boundaries between the wild and captivity are rearranged. In one escape, they worked together: One held a mop handle steady while her sister climbed it to freedom. In normalizing captivity zoos, and teaching animals to perform tricks for human entertainment, zoos and animal sanctuaries are spreading the message that animal captivity to normal, healthy, and fully acceptable. A 2014 study by the Society for Conservation Biology found that of over 2,800 children surveyed following visits to London Zoo, 62% showed no positive learning outcomes. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. As humans, we have no right to hunt and lock up animals for our enjoyment. Animals need physical stimulation and a level of interaction with nature that we, as humans, cannot understand, let alone interpret and recreate. The researchers divided the odd behaviors of captive animals into two categories: impulsive/compulsive behaviors, including coprophagy (eating feces), regurgitation, self-biting and mutilation, exaggerated aggressiveness and infanticide, and stereotypies, which are endlessly repeated movements. For the unlucky ones that end up in the circuses, they are always in for a wide awakening. Carl Hegenbeck, a German exotic animal importer, introduced the modern model of more natural habitats for animals instead of obvious cages at his Animal Park in Hamburg in 1907. Watching these is a much healthier and more educational way to learn about wild animals than visiting a local zoo. When she caught up with the boys at the cafe, she mauled them before she was shot to death by the police. Many visitors will disturb and disrespect the animals in a zoo simply because they feel as though they are owed a performance of some sort. Zoos often do more harm than good, creating unnatural environments that look realistic enough to make any potential return to the wild all but impossible. A 2000 survey of U.S. and Canadian zoos found that nearly half of respondents were giving their gorillas Haldol, Valium or another psychopharmaceutical drug. Many zoos and aquariums offer behind-the-scenes tours and informative talks on animal welfare. Four of the zoos and the aquarium in New York City, for instance, are managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is involved in conservation efforts around the world. And Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo has an on-site Wildlife Hospital to save sick and injured native species. Learn More. This is only one of the Acts limitations. Even when properly fed and well housed, they can never be fully relaxed in confined spaces. Below are a dozen reasons why zoos can be bad for animals: 1. Boycott businesses that profit from cruelty to animals. Big cats, such as lions and tigers, used in circuses are forced to live in tiny cages that are transported across the country. He also found many examples of zoo elephants hurting or killing their keepers and evidence that zoos routinely downplayed or even lied about those incidents. An orangutan at the Omaha Zoo kept wire for lock-picking hidden in his mouth. Climate change has become a very real threat for the next and even current generations. As long as there is demand should zoos exist essay them, zoos will continue to exist. Elephants figure prominently in his book, in part because they are so big that when they escape it generally makes the news. When the zoo replaced the bars with thick glass, he started methodically removing the putty holding it in. The worst ones are the malicious keepers who enjoy hurting animals in captivity. Our EIN number is 94-2681680. A study by Bristol University found that many British zoos fail to provide animals with the required minimum standard of care. "Animals in zoos suffer tremendously, both physically and mentally. For example, the law does not restrict the display or private ownership of captive wild animals or prohibit the use of controversial bullhooks, whips, electrical shock or other devices commonly used in circuses. The animals too have rights and they shouldnt be subjected to half the things they undergo. This type of behaviour is almost unheard of in their wild counterparts. For example, smaller and faster animals with a lot of predators in the wild tend to thrive in zoos. Grizzly Bear vs Black Bear: Whats the Difference. While zoos can definitely be exciting places for families to visit, the fact remains that they are bad for animals. Things to Know. The first efforts to keep wild and exotic animals for non-utilitarian uses began about 2500 BCE, when rulers in . For example, the typical enclosure designed for a polar bear is about a million times smaller than its natural roaming grounds. Polar bears have one million times less space. The Arabian oryx, an antelope native to the Arabian Peninsula, went extinct in the wild in the 1970s and then was reintroduced into the wild from zoo populations. A zoological park is defined as an establishment designed for conservation, study, and public display. Read on to find out why animals should not be kept in zoos. An example of this is a snake that will bite whatever is threatening them since they are not as good at running away as other animals. Captive tigers pace back and forth, and in a 2014 study, researchers found that the time devoted to pacing by a species in captivity is best predicted by the daily distances traveled in nature by the wild specimens. It is almost as if they feel driven to patrol their territory, to hunt, to move, to walk a certain number of steps, as if they have a Fitbit in their brains. Groundhog More than Just a Weather Prognosticator! What Cause Extinction What Can We Do To Stop It? The real question is, how can we change things? Zoos can be productive when it comes to reviving an animal species on the brink of extinction. These animals oftentimes live in inhumane conditions, and pose a serious threat to public safety. A criticism is that protections are less robust for species that are economically valuable, and that CITES is not as transparent in its decision-making or enforcement as would be ideal. And it is true that the territory size of an animal like a wolf depends greatly on the density of resources and other wolves. They are kind people, bonded to their charges and immersed in the culture of the zoo, in which they are the good guys. This isnt always guaranteed since the breeding practices could be insufficient or even produce animals that are not suitable for survival in the wild. Read more: Should I worry about chemtrails? There are a number of reasons why animals should not be kept in captivity. This was the first time that the ESA has successfully been used to protect captive wild animals. However, they are really just teaching children about caring for animals in captivity. This is seen as a cheaper option as opposed to moving them back into the wild. Writing at the end of 2020, Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States. worldanimalfoundation.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Other Programs, an affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to the Partners. at the time estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 animals are euthanized in European zoos each year. But this is not the norm. That doesnt mean there havent been criticisms. Having seen a majestic leopard in the zoo, the visitor becomes more willing to pay for its conservation or vote for policies that will preserve it in the wild. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Captures Dramatic Hour-by-Hour Changes of Dart Mission Slamming on an Asteroid, Can Humanity Deflect Potentially Hazardous Asteroids? These are wild animals, who are dangerous by nature and cannot be domesticated. Power-mad men from Henry III to Saddam Husseins son Uday to the drug kingpin Pablo Escobar to Charlemagne all tried to underscore their strength by keeping terrifying beasts captive. Whats Causing Their Decline? Some of the captive-born animals are not capable of sustaining themselves in the wild and they could pass on these genes dooming the whole species in that region. The idea of conserving animals that are at risk of going extinct is a great one; the problem is that not most zoos live up to it. Declawing is extremely painful and causes permanent disability. Another time, one of the orangutans, Kumang, learned how to use sticks to ground the current in the electrical wire around her enclosure. The surpluses are then sold off to zoos, aquariums, or even circuses. So when they face a threat, wild animals believe that they should survive by fleeing, fighting, flirting, or freezing. One way that is rarely documented is the sale of other animals into the exotic pet trade. Unlike in the wild where these endangered species have to worry about staying safe, in these breeding programs they get taken care of. In many modern zoos, animals are well cared for, healthy and probably, for many species, content. As a result, many zoos breed animals. The state and local laws protecting wild animals in captivity are spreading. Animals kept in an unsuitable environment or fed the wrong diet can suffer, and this can lead to illness or death. To many people, a trip to the zoo is a fun day out for the family. Wildlife experts said that the incident was just another proof that wild animals should not be kept captive because it would not happen had the dolphin was only in the wild. But that incident has triggered conversations on the negative impacts of marine parks and aquariums on wild animals. Lets get into the nitty-gritty details of why keeping animals in zoos is bad: Wild animals often suffer in captivity because they were meant to be free. More tigers live in cages in this country, than exist in all the wild. Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage! The confined living areas are a big contributor to animal stress and lack of physical stimulation like would be gained from a nice sprint. However, there are some disadvantages of zoos to the environment ranging from overpopulation of a species to global warming. A species protected in captivity provides a reservoir population against a population crash or extinction in the wild. Chimps pull out their own hair. Some sad facts about zoos are that at times, the people hired to take care of and protect these animals arent very qualified. Zoos also say that they save the endangered animals, but all they really care about is how much crowd the animal draws. This may be true to some extent; however, many zoos are running breeding programs for their own benefit and have no interest in releasing their animals back into the wild. In the 1980s, a group of orangutans escaped several times at the San Diego Zoo. Most zoos or animal sanctuaries dont have the space or the facilities to truly recreate the wild. For some animals in zoos, the shock of their relocation alone can be fatal. If you go on holiday to any major destination, the chances are high that there will be at least one zoo and/or one aquarium nearby. Mr. Ashe, a former director of the U.S. Tell lawmakers you support animal-friendly legislation and local bans on using animals in entertainment. This could cause problems for the animal. Look out for the GFAS seal of approval. Here are my eight reasons why zoos are critical to conservation: 1. Yes, it is time consuming and it is expensive, but if it is possible, we have to try, simply because is the right thing to do.". Even if the animals are being fed well, the lack of freedom can cause them to be stressed. Wrong! I pointed out that we cant ask animals whether they are happy with their enclosure size. With their apes, elephants, big cats, and other large and smart species gone, they could expand enclosures for the rest of the animals, concentrating on keeping them lavishly happy until their natural deaths. Breeding programs in zoos eventually lead to some animals being sold off to other zoos or worse circuses. Meanwhile, small changes at the officemight be one good way to cut significant emissions, writes Carlos Gamarra. Even the best zoological park cannot fully capture the wild, and many smaller zoos fail to take effective measures to ensure the health and well-being of their animals. See Related: Most Comfortable Animals in The World. There are a few exceptions. A.Z.A. Zoo animals, this new narrative went, function as backup populations for wild animals under threat, as well as ambassadors for their species, teaching humans and motivating them to care about wildlife. This alone increases the risk of disease, as animals are exposed to viruses they have never encountered before. But that day of release never quite seems to come. Existing refuges often do allow visitors, but their facilities are really arranged for the animals, not for the people. By designing these enclosures so that many animals could be seen at once, without any bars or walls in the visitors lines of sight, he created an immersive panorama, in which the fact of captivity was supplanted by the illusion of being in nature. It's the first travel company to publicly make such a move. Elephants bob their heads over and over. People assume that because an animal can move great distances that they would choose to do that. If they have everything they need nearby, he argued, they would be happy with smaller territories. The law, adopted by Congress in 1966, protects so-called warm-blooded animals who are bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially or publicly exhibited, like in a zoo or circus. However, that does not stop the silent damage that captivity delivers to such roaming animal species. Sanctuaries promise to take in and care for any animals that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and to keep them for life. In some environments, we believe it's best not to keep certain wild animals at all, as their needs simply can't be met. In zoos vets and biologist help to prevent inbreeding. There have also been reported cases of zoos not properly disposing of dead bodies when animals die on their premises. Eventually, the only animals on display would be a few ancient holdovers from the old menageries, animals in active conservation breeding programs and perhaps a few rescues. After being captives of the pandemic for more than a year, we have begun experiencing the pleasures of simple outings: dining al fresco, shopping with a friend, taking a stroll through the zoo. Early in the pandemic, the Neumunster Zoo in northern Germany coolly announced an emergency plan to cope with lost revenue by feeding some animals to other animals, compressing the food chain at the zoo like an accordion, until in the worst-case scenario, only Vitus, a polar bear, would be left standing. This can have huge negative effects on the environment in many adverse ways. Zoos provide opportunities for nice family trips. Zoos are expensive to run, often have a very tight budget, and cannot afford to maintain and support animals that do not pull their weight in terms of attraction. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Another similar behavior of flirting is freezing, in which an animal does not move when there is no way of escape, like being caught in a trap or net even though they are terrified. People dont go to zoos to learn about the biodiversity crisis or how they can help. Display would be incidental. The first modern one was opened in Paris, France in 1793. In 2014, the director of the E.A.Z.A. Another problem of zoos is that animals often only have rather limited space to move. Running a successful zoo is about drawing in visitors as much as it is caring for animals. In a 2011 study, researchers quizzed visitors at the Cleveland, Bronx, Prospect Park and Central Park zoos about their level of environmental concern and what they thought about the animals. Zookeepers also often may neglect their healthcare needs. Their death can be caused by either: lack of space, physical problems, diet, and PTSD. In 2014, the Animal Legal Defense Fund successfully brought a lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act against a roadside zoo called the Cricket Hollow Animal Park, that was mistreating protected animals. Should Animals Be Kept In Zoos However, there are various reasons that explain why zoos are unethical. Another serious problem is that the chronically-understaffed USDA conducts inspections infrequently. Animal Legal Defense Fund,National Headquarters The bill helps end the rampant abuse of tigers and other big cats in captivity by banning private possession. An animal lover, Alexs family, have all been involved in various animal welfare charities. Visiting a zoo is a chance for many people to see exotic animals they would otherwise be unable to see. Before anyone starts sprinkling the stuff on their cornflakes, this isn't the hottest new beauty trend nor is it a natural phenomenon: Assiniboine Park Zoo's keepers use coloured glitter in the bears' feed to identify their droppings. William Randolph Hearst created his own private zoo with lions, tigers, leopards and more at Hearst Castle. The window to the world of. These wild animals are sold at auctions, pet stores or over the internet. All Rights Reserved. As a late Gen-Xer-cum-early-Millenial, my childhood was rich with trips to visit zoos. 7 reasons why animals in captivity deserve freedom. Healthy animals in zoos are killed because they are not needed. I do not doubt that some people had their passion for a particular species, or wildlife in general, sparked by zoo experiences. Copyright OurEndangedWorld | All Rights Reserved, Environmental Organizations in The Philippines, Environmental Organizations in North America, Environmental Organizations in South America, Best Energy-Efficient Electric Fireplaces. Zoos accredited by the A.Z.A. In this way, they could lead the predator away from their nest. "An even smaller proportion are part of captive breeding programmes and, of those, a tiny fraction have been released back into the wild. This relocation alone can come as a large shock and wreak havoc on the animals mental health. Yes And Someone is Paying Attention, Swimming with The Seahorse: Discover Their Mystical Charisma.