Institutions Misinterpreted According to the iucn organization, currently, there are 41,415 species that are categorized as endangered. With these overwhelming numbers of endangered species, there has to be a way to safeguard their threatened existence. The many causes of this tragedy are widely debated, but the one proven solution is clear. The easiest and most logical solution to this problem are zoos. There are over 10,000 zoos in the United States, and many more throughout the world. Most of these zoos are WAZA accredited, meaning, they have been awarded a seal of certification that credits the recipient for their ethical and humane treatment of animals. To earn this certification Zoos and Aquariums must prove themselves through a series …show more content…
The primary focus of most zoos, though often unnoticed, is to promote conservation awareness to the general population. To show the relation between the two, this perfectly suited statement from Michael Hutchins, a reporter at Boston.com shows the connection. “Today, zoos are meant to entertain and educate the public, but have a strong emphasis on scientific research and species conservation.” The purpose of educating people on the importance of conservation is so they are educated on the matter and by doing so, they develop the ability to participate in it. Furthermore, Zoos are playing an important role in connecting people to the natural world while tearing people away from the ever preferable internet education. This quote, also from Hutchins shows the unnoticed strides that Zoos have made for an improved education. “At a time when children learn more about the world around them from television and computers than from personal experience, modern zoos - and aquariums, for that matter - offer fun, safe opportunities to view living wild animals up close and personal.” This shows that most Zoos have a large emphasis on giving people the opportunity to learn about their world in person. This provides ample opportunities to educate people on conservation while enjoying …show more content…
First of all, some people might point out the fact that It is hard to care for the mental well-being of animals even in “optimal conditions.” How Stuff Works asserts that “Even in optimal conditions, some experts contend, it 's incredibly difficult to provide for the needs of animals like elephants.” The author is implying that larger animals like elephants when left in small enclosures remain bored and develop a severe case of depression that may affect the animal 's adherence to a healthy diet and quality of life. This argument can be proven otherwise due to the fact that an increasing percentage of zoos are now starting to develop huge safari-like animal enclosures to suit animal 's mental and physical needs. Also, one might suggest that most zoos fail to offer any real support to rescue initiatives like the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation). According to Zoos: Myth and Reality by Rob Laidlaw, zoos have nothing to show for their work and consumption of money. Laidlaw points out, “Yet, with an estimated 10,000 organized zoos worldwide, representing tens of thousands of human workers and billions of dollars in operating budgets, only a tiny percentage allocate the resources necessary to participate in captive propagation initiatives, and fewer still provide any real support for the protection of wildlife and their natural habitat.” Laidlaw is arguing that there is little real
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
Peoples Trust article “Zoos & Conservation” touched surface solely on zoos located in Britain. What about the rest of the world? Luckily there is a group called the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) that inspects zoos and aquariums making sure that they are fit for conservation. For instance, the Giza Zoo In Cairo was shut down for killing two gorillas that may have been infected with disease and for extra pay putting visitors in danger so they could pet any animal they requested. Now if one of these animals were to attack a visitor then they would put down the animal in which is just doing what its instincts tell them.
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.
Zoos have been with us throughout our history, and can provide a good barometer of public beliefs and values at any given time. Therefore it seems necessary to explore whether in today’s society contemporary zoos are a means of educating and conserving or still seek to control and exhibit animal others for human benefit. In order to make this assessment there are a number of contributing factors. Firstly it is important to establish context by considering the history of zoos and looking at the changes from the early menageries to contemporary zoos who strive to be institutions of refuge for animals facing twenty-first century global challenges. This links into how the physical space of zoos has changed over time and whether these advancements have made any crucial difference to the welfare of animals. Following this conservation, education and scientific research will be explored in detail in order to assess whether they provide good enough motives for keeping animals in captivity. I will seek to argue that although attempts have been made to point zoos in the direction of conservation and education, in my opinion the concepts of dominance and human superiority are still at the core of modern zoos.
Animal rights have become a very serious issue here in the United States over the last few decades. One issue that has been discussed is whether or not zoos serve a good purpose or are they just a torture chamber for the animals. Locked up in small cages so people can yell at them and stare. Or are zoos the key to save our species in an ever growing human population. Rachel Lu, a philosophy teacher and senior columnist, writes the article, “Let’s Keep Zoos: Learning stewardship is a good thing.”, published April 18, 2014, argues that zoos are worth keeping. Rachel Lu uses her personal experiences to appeal to her audience that zoos are valuable to people especially young children because it gives them a perspective on nature.
Zoo’s enclosures and parks have been around for quite a while now, and it is the duty of the public to go to these parks to explore a new world and experience the “true” animals. People are attracted to new experiences and to learn about exotic animals and see them in their “natural” habitat, or so owners try to present zoos to the public in that way. The seller ideas to get the public to continue to go to the zoos is gaining new exotic animals that you wouldn’t normally see around your house or near civilization. As stated by DeLuca and Slawter-Volkening, zoos are used to “bringing a taste of wilderness” to its public (3), trying to give a false reality of the wilderness. Later in the same article, they stated that “fundamentally zoos exist to amuse people…..animals are reduced to actors in the play/world created by humans for humans” (DeLuca and Slawter-Volkening 4). This statement shows that humans do in fact enjoy the “fake” over the real, and that animals are only objects or toys used to amuse the people.
Some supporters even acknowledge the ethical problems zoos face, but choose to ignore them for what they believe is the overall positive impact on society. In “Why zoos are good” Dr. Dave Hone highlights education as one of the main reasons he supports zoos, mentioning how many people who live in cities may never get to experience wild animals if it weren’t for zoos. Hone states educational videos and documentaries are an option, but they “pale next to seeing a living creature in the flesh, hearing it, smelling it, watching what it does and having the time to absorb details” (Hone). Not only do zoos provide interactive learning opportunities and a direct opportunity to experience how animals behave in the flesh, Hones notes zoos can be educational elsewhere, as a significant amount of work is being sent to conservatives to help educate others on how to improve conditions for the animals.
Zoos today say that one of their main goals is to conserve endangered species and eventually reintroduce them back into the wild. However, Benjamin Beck, former associate director of biological programs at the National Zoo in Washington, found that over the past century only 16 of 145 reintroduction programs worldwide ever actually restored any of the animals back to the wild (qtd. in Fravel). He also found that a majority was carried out by the government and not the actual programs themselves. Beck noted that the billions of dollars the zoos were receiving were going towards hi-tech exhibits and marketing strategies to get people to go to the zoos. So which zoos are actually attempting to save the lives they claim to be? According to David Hancocks, a former zoo director with 30 years’ experience, many zoos that are not affiliated with the AZA do not spend hardly any of their fu...
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.
In today’s world, zoos are a meaningful part in a large number of people’s lives. Zoos are not only a home for animals, they are also a place for people to really enjoy themselves. Everybody has been to the zoo; they have fed the fish, enjoyed a show with seals, or just admired all of the wildlife. My Grandma and I used to go to Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska every year to do just these things. Henry Doorly Zoo is a place worthy of closer analysis because in 2016, TripAdvisor ranked it the number one zoo in the world. Henry Doorly Zoo has a countless number of stunning animals, though zoos inevitably upset the natural ecology for animals. Throughout the world, zoos are often a site of controversies. Henry
What do you think about zoos? Children standing in front of big cages, feel excited to see those lovely animals and share the joy with their parents. Parents will then read aloud the information on the signs to educate the children. At lunch hour, animals in bonds wait for delicious dishes provided by zoo keepers and live happily ever after. It seems that zoos are really a heaven to us and animals. It gives us a place to keep close to nature, saving those little pitiful things in wild. Unluckily, that is not the truth we wished. Indeed, zoos magnify their contribution to educational circle, exaggerating the importance of role play in conservation work, in order to cover those disgraceful secrets behind.
Most people think that zoos protect animals, but it can clearly be seen in the records provided by the Times that the zoos are doing the exact opposite of protecting animals. The American zoos, including the accredited ones, have led to the near demise of elephants. As if that alone isn’t enough to prove that zoos are cruel and unfair, there are many professionals and experts who gravely look down upon zoos too. Delcianna Winders, director with the PETA foundation, said “Renowned oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau reported that...
"How Zoos Are Saving Our Animals." – Features – ABC Environment (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
Even though some zoos have an endangered species exhibit with the intention of protecting and rehabilitating animals, many do not do an adequate job of protecting the animals. Zoos have been harmful to the very animals they have sworn to protect. Animals in captivity often suffer from anxiety, boredom and other severe issue related to prolonged confinement. Most animals are unable to thrive in small enclosure with unnatural weather and climates. For example elephants are known to walk as far as 30 miles per day, but the association of Zoos and aquariums only require a space the measures $0 feet by 45 feet, which is about the size of a three car garage, to house these large animals. (peta.org) the drastic difference in the amount of space their allowed ...
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.