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Are zoos good for animals
Arguments against zoos
Arguments against zoos
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In the film, Madagascar, zoos are depicted as a sanctuary in which all the exotic animals are kept safe and are open for the public to view. But many would argue that zoos are inhumane, the caging of animals for our personal entertainment is unjustifiable. Those who believe that zoos are wrong and should be destroyed are animal rights activist; they believe that animals should be allowed to choose their own destiny. Those that believe that zoos are an important part of our lives are scientist and zoologist. This debate has gone on for generations and average folk are stuck in the middle, not knowing which side to stand on. The animals being kept in captivity could not be interviewed; their side of the story will be based on interpretation on their movement and interaction with animals in the zoo and in the wild. Are animals better suited to live in the harsh conditions of the wild or are they better suited to live their lives safely in captivity? Many animal rights activist argue that animals should be allowed to live their lives in the wild instead of captivity. That we as humans have no right to neither alter the fate of other species nor use them for our personal benefits. PETA who is well known for their animal rights view argue that “Captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them and as a result, they become bored and lonely and many even suffer from a condition called zoochosis.” (PETA 1) Zoochosis is a condition in which the animal wonders back and forth usually in the same position for hours on end. This condition is only seen in the zoos as a result of the animal’s captivity. As a result zoos provide these animals with Prozac, which is a mood-altering drug to help prevent public atte... ... middle of paper ... ... in todays society. But one thing is for sure many would argue that zoos have brought humans and animals closer together for the good and the bad. Works Cited "Zoos." Animal Cruelty -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. Lin, Doris. "Emaciated Asian Elephant Started Life at Busch Gardens." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. Kaufman, Leslie. "To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 May 2012. Web. 12 May 2015. "Do We Need Zoos?" : An All Creatures Animal Rights Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015. "CSA - Are Zoos Necessary." CSA - Are Zoos Necessary. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015. Hone, Dave. "Why Zoos Are Good." Thegauardian. N.p., n.d. Web. Tuesday 19 August 2014 "How Zoos Are Saving Our Animals." – Features – ABC Environment (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
Considering the many challenges animals face in the wild, it is understandable that people may be eager to support zoos and may feel that they are protective facilities necessary for animal life. In the article “ Zoos Are Not Prisons. They Improve the Lives of Animals”, Author Robin Ganzert argues that Zoos are ethical institutions that enrich the lives of animals and ultimately protect them. Statistics have shown that animals held in captivity have limited utilitarian function resulting in cramped quarters, poor diets, depression, and early death for the animals thus, proving that Zoos are not ethical institutions that support and better the lives of animals as author Robin Ganzert stated (Cokal 491). Ganzert exposes the false premise in stating
Zoos. Mercy for Animals, A voice for the rights of all animals. 4th Sept 2011
Stotts uses scholarly articles, newspaper articles and historical monographs to show the changing ideologies and perception of zoological parks in America. He addresses the reasons adults and children alike were attracted to these parks. Stotts addresses the appeal of the zoo to American families, which extends upon the social history of the United States. Furthermore he addresses how zoos came to become sanctuaries, preservers and protectors of America’s wildlife for future generations.
Have you ever seen an animal sitting in a cage all alone with nothing to do. Well, zoos are trying to change that fact. They will allow the animals to live in an environment that is like their home. Many people don't realize this, but zoo are keeping and breeding these animals because they would not survive in the wild alone. In the three passages, ¨The Stripes Will Survive,¨ ¨The Zood Go Wild from No More Dodos,¨ ¨Our Beautiful Macaws and Why They Need Enrichment.¨ All of these articles present one claim, that is that the role of zoos is no longer to keep animal, but to protect them.
Isacat, Ben. “Zoos.” Animalethics.org. How to Do Animal Rights, April 2008. Web. 16 November 2013.
Cope, Doris L. Week 2 Environmental Ethics Essays 1 Zoos are immoral because they capture wild animals from their native homelands, transport them to strange lands, and hold them captive for human amusement and entertainment for long periods of time while largely ignoring their intrinsic right. The only way zoos can possibly be moral is if zoos really put the interests of the animals first and if zoos found ways for us to observe them. (Sanger 2014). In response to the philosophically based animal rights movement of the 1980s, The Zoological Society of San Diego had to admit that concerns for humane treatment and quality of life within zoological institutions mirrored the attitudes of society toward human-animal relationships…and
Zoo captivity is substandard and inadequate for animals. Zoo animals are deprived of their right as animals they are treated unjustly and unfairly. Animals should not be forced to kept in a cage away from their natural environment and be used as a form of entertainment to humans. The animals also suffer from stress and are driven insane by being trapped behind bars. The zoo is supposed to provide safety to these endangered animals but instead, these zoo animals are put at risk towards a variety of dangers such as vulnerability to diseases and starvation.
There are many places where people can go to see live animals such as aquariums, zoos, and safari parks. A pleasant way to define a Zoo is to call it “an establishment that maintains a collection of wild animals”. (Google def) Another way to say that is a facility in which animals are “enclosed in cages for public exhibition”. I believe zoos are ethical; however, changes need to be made to eliminate problems I have discovered. In this argumentative essay, I will be arguing the ethics of zoos and certain problems that need to be addressed that people are not aware of. Zoos are great places to take the family out for the day to have entertainment; however, problems such as captive breeding, length of life, and animal stress need to improve.
Among many other fun and exciting attraction to visit around our community, a visit to the zoo has always been a memorable experience. This cost effective priceless lifetime experience is being undermined by a group of activists all around the country. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), world largest animal rights organization, argue that zoos deprived animals from satisfying their most basic needs. They urge not to patronized zoos and claims that the money spent on ticket purchases pays for animals to be imprisoned and traded, not rescued and rehabilitated. They go on saying in summary that zoos strip animals from their rights. So this heated debate revolves around the animal rights and how the zoo industry inhibits it. Are zoo really bad for the animals? Should we get rid of the zoo and let the animals back to the wilderness? Mazur and Clark (2001) state that zoo is a monument to a long-standing tradition of people’s fascination with non-human nature. Since the early societies of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese, wild animals have been maintained in captivity in order to satisfy human curiosity with exotica (p 185). Most western zoos today, however, embrace far more benevolent values such as supporting the conservation of biodiversity through specialized animal breeding, research, and education programs.
Ever since the dawn of human civilization, people have enclosed animals for their own personal enjoyment. In modern times, animals are now kept in zoos and aquariums not just for entertainment, but also for preventing the extinction of a diversity of species. For the past few decades, animal rights activists have been disputing whether or not if these captive areas have been benefiting the animals or if they are just depriving them from their natural rights. Even though supporters of zoos and aquariums argue that these isolated environments improve animals’ lives; the emotional state, habitat, and nutrition change drastically causing problems for the captive animals.
On one hand, people see zoos as a place for endangered and neglected animals that need assistance to survive. It has been a tradition for decades to visit a zoo and spend time with family and friends. By visiting a zoo, the public is educated and can personally see the beauty of nature, unlike a documentary. Visitors may then be encouraged to donate money to conserve and research wildlife. Not only do zoos benefit mankind, but they also work for the welfare of the animals. Take into consideration the story of orphan Leo, a snow leopard cub from Pakistan. Although once abandoned, Leo is now alive and well, thanks to the Bronx Zoo. Many endangered species have be...
Lemonick, Michael D. “Who Belongs in the Zoo?” Time. Time, 11 June 2006. Web. 12 Dec.
Since approximately 1250 B.C., ancient Egyptians had created and practiced the capture and display of animals in what are now known as zoos (Fravel). Records describe such exotic animals as birds, lions, giraffes, and tigers in captivity (Fravel). Since then, zoos have continued to entertain millions with the exciting chance to view exotic animals up close and personal. Even in ancient Greece, exotic animals were on display in fighting arenas, and in enclosed viewing areas. Originally in America, zoos were just created so that royalty and the wealthy could flaunt their exotic animals to the public (Leolupus). Today, with species threatened and habitats disappearing worldwide, zoos are serving a new purpose other than the mere exhibition of animals – conservation. (Fravel). When you think of a zoo, you either think of a fun, entertaining place that provides close-up and exciting exhibits of wild animals that you would otherwise never get the chance to see, or a place where people keep suffering, unhappy animals captive just for entertainment and display. However, despite whichever view you hold, and despite the stereotypes, some zoos have evolved to serve alternative and helpful purposes. Although some zoos face controversy due to allegations such as lack of space and quality care, neglect, and cruelty, some zoos have programs specifically designed to help and protect animal species. For example, these zoos have programs that help such conservation efforts as breeding.
Some people may argue that zoos protect animals and species under this polluted world, however, do animals in zoos really need our “help”? Yes, but surely not that many. According to Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS), 79% of animals in United Kingdom zoos and over 70% of elephants in European zoos are wild-caught. It seems that zoos need them rather than they need zoos.
Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey.