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Home Page Environment Environmental Issues Animal Welfare Should animals be kept in captivity in Zoos and Wildlife Parks Essay Example
Should animals be kept in captivity in Zoos and Wildlife Parks Essay Example
Should animals be kept in captivity in Zoos and Wildlife Parks Essay Example

Should animals be kept in captivity in Zoos and Wildlife Parks Essay Example

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Animal Welfare, Animals, Natural Environment, Zoo
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Animals play important roles in humans’ lives, whether it is a pet or simply the animals at the zoo By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of the animals. This exposure and education motivates people to protect the animals. Also, seeing an animal in person is a much more personal and more memorable experience than seeing that animal in a nature documentary.

Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation and predators. Many zoos also have breeding programs for these species, because in the wild these individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding.

All animal exhibitors are regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which establishes high standards for

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care. Also, many, even though not all zoos care very much about their animals, for examples, as you can see in the image on the right hand side, the San Francisco Zoo, brought in ten tonnes of man made snow for the polar bear’s 30th birthday. This was also very expensive and it shows us how much the San Francisco Zoo cares about It’s animals, considering that it is very rare for it to snow in San Francisco.

Arguments Against Zoos:

  • From an animal rights standpoint, we do not have a right to breed, capture and confine other animals, even if they are endangered. Being a member of an endangered species doesn't mean the individual animals have fewer rights.
  • Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom and confinement. Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals get sold or
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traded to other zoos, and no pen or even drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild.

  • Baby animals bring in visitors and money, but this incentive to breed new baby animals leads to overpopulation. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos, but also to circuses, canned hunting facilities, and even for slaughter.
  • The vast majority of captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild. The offspring are forever part of the chain of zoos, circuses, petting zoos, and exotic pet trade that buy, sell and barter animals among themselves and exploit animals. Ned the Asian elephant was born at an accredited zoo, but later confiscated from an abusive circus trainer and finally sent to a sanctuary.
  • Removing individuals from the wild will further endanger the wild population because the remaining individuals will be less genetically diverse and will have more difficulty finding mates.
  • If people want to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary.
  • A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.
  • An individual's rights should not be infringed for the sake of the species. A species is not asentient being and therefore has no rights.
  • If zoos are teaching children anything, it's that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable.
  • At least one study has shown that elephants kept in zoos do not live as long

    • as elephants in the wild.

  • The federal Animal Welfare Act establishes only the most minimal standards for cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing, food and water. For example, enclosures must provide"sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns." Violations often result in a slap on the wrist and the exhibitor is given a deadline to correct the violation. Even a long history of inadequate care and AWA violations, such as the history of Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, will not free the animals.
  • Sanctuaries also rehabilitate wildlife and take in unwanted exotic pets, without breeding, buying and selling animals like zoos do.
  • Animals sometimes escape their enclosures, endangering themselves as well as people. There have even been incidents of zoo animals eating other zoo animals.
  • 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: Firstly, the ecosystem became unbalanced. If the humans kept the wild animals in the zoo, they will ruin the food chain. For instance, plants are provided by the nature, being eaten by the reindeers then the tigers hunt reindeers for their food. If the tigers were being captured by the humans and kept in cages, we humans instantly break the chain. And the consequences are we going to have a dramatic increase in reindeer’s population and more plants are being consumed. (Tutorvista, 2010) Secondly, the lack of freedom and space in the zoo.

    Animals were being kept in cramped and small cages. Even though they were made similar to the animal’s natural environment, but still it is different. Tigers need to run a lot, but kept in the zoo where it is lack of spacious area. They need to hunt for their own food, however while in the zoo the foods are provided. There is no freedom for the animals for being kept by humans. Worst case possible is animals would get depressed and attack people randomly. People should not blame the animals if they got attacked; it is their own fault for keeping the animals in cages.

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