Today, zoos can be a controversial subject. Many believe that animals belong in the wild, where they can roam free, and not be subjected to the hordes of people that surround them in captivity. But this was not always the case. In the beginning, zoos were created with the goal to conserve wildlife. Nazis, believe it or not, were strong proponents of animal rights and conservation. They actively passed laws to ensure the safety and well-being of animals native to Germany. Top ranking members of the Nazi Party, such as Heinrich Himmler, made the conscience effort to ban the hunting of animals. Set in the late-1930s and early-1940s, Diane Ackerman’s, The Zookeeper’s Wife, tells the captivating and true story of Jan and Antonia Zabinski, two zookeepers that risked their lives to save over three hundred people from …show more content…
Jan’s wife, Antonia, was incredibly compassionate for animals, treating them as if they were her own children. Unfortunately, all of this came to an end when Germany invaded Poland in September of 1939. The couple’s zoo was just another casualty in the mass destruction of the city. After becoming involved with resistance movements against Nazis, Jan and Antonia began to give refuge to Jews that had escaped the Warsaw Ghetto. Referring to them as “guests”, the couple disguised the refugees as helpers, relatives, and even hid them in the empty animal cages that sprawled the zoo. The theme of bravery and courage is very pronounced throughout the novel – with the main characters endangering their lives just to help those in need. Later on, Jan joins the Resistance where he is taken hostage, leaving Antonia to fend for herself. Despite being threatened by German soldiers, Antonia powers through the overwhelming fear and manages to push through until the war comes to an end. Jan then returns from a concentration camp and the two begin to rebuild their
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
They stayed here during the winter while Alicia still searched for food, in the process, making many friends. News came one day that the Germans were beginning to fall back from the Russian fronts and Germany’s grip on the Jews in Poland was weakening. This news made Alicia and her mother move away from the old man who helped them.
“Nazi Hunting: Simon Wiesenthal.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 10 June 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2014
Loman demonstrates that Spiegelman did not just randomly choose these animals to represent all the people during the Holocaust. Spiegelman used these animals to help demonstrate how these people were feeling. The Jewish people during the Holocaust suffered from dehumanization and treated like vermin. All the advertisements used by Nazi Germany during this time depict th...
Four journalists named Helen Jones, Larry Andrews, Marcia Glaser, and Fred Myers thought it would be a good idea to create a nonprofit organization to help animals that have are treated cruelly by either abuse or when they are left alone. The Humane Society has been helping animals since November 24, 1954(2). Their mission since the beginning has been celebrating animals and confronting cruelty. There are a great number of things that the Humane Society has been doing for the animals, like saving them from people who want to harm them. The list of animals that the Humane Society helps is very long, because they don’t just help the household pets that you might have thought. The conditions of the Humane Society change due to the types of animals
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.
Art Spiegelman’s Maus is a novel about the Vladek and his experience as a Polish Jew during the Holocaust. It narrates the reality of the Holocaust wherein millions and millions of Jews were systematically killed by the Nazi regime. One of the themes in the story is racism which is evident in the employment of animal characters and its relationship with one another.
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.
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.
The painting “The Lion and His Zookeeper” by Norman Rockwell exhibits a caged lion looking at a presumed zookeeper, who is plausibly engorging himself with some meal. The man holds a sandwich in one hand, seemingly made of meat. A bite is taken from the sandwich, positioned a close distance from his face, perhaps he has just taken this bite as his mouth seems to be chewing. His head and eyes are looking down intently at a newspaper in his lap, facing towards the perspective of the artist. Additionally, his feet are propped up on top of a railing which spans straight across the perspective. In his other hand he holds a black thermos or mug, helping to prop up the newspaper very close to his lap. He wears a light blue uniform and black hat with
Citizens visit thousands of zoos worldwide to admire and satisfy their curiosity of the beautiful wild animals that mother nature has to offer. Zoos have been around for hundreds of years and have become a known tradition for numerous school field trips and family outings. The ongoing debate between animal rights activists along with zoo officials remains to be a question of concern, should wild animals be removed from their natural habitats to live in city zoos for education and entertainment purposes?
Sophie was a Polish women and a survivor of Auschwitz, a concentration camp established in Germany during the Holocaust in the early 1940s. In the novel we learn about her through her telling of her experiences, for instance, the murder of her husband and her father. We also come to learn of the dreadful decision she was faced with upon entering the concentration camp, where she was instructed to choose which one of her two children would be allowed to live. She chose her son. Later we learn of her short lived experience as a stenographer for a man by the name of Rudolph Hoss, the Commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. During her time there, Sophie attempted to seduce Hoss in an attempt to have her son transferred to the Lebensborn program so that he may have been raised as a German child. Sophie's attempt was unsuccessful and she was returned back to t...
Everyday, while people are living their comfortable lives, animals are getting closer and closer to being wiped out. Animals live in fear of poaching, habitat destruction, and many more dangers that people could help control. People may have the ability to stop these issues but few care, they would rather sit back and watch as millions of animals die each year. Zoos are taking the lead in conserving endangered animals by acting as sanctuaries and giving animals the protection they lack in the wild (“Zoo”). Without the help of zoos many more species will disappear never to be seen again. Zoos are not only important to the animals held captive but to future wildlife as well because they give animals a safe place to live and help prevent extinction.
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.
People all around the world love visiting the zoo - especially the kids! To be able to see their favorite animals playing around or just admiring the beauty of these creatures makes their eyes sparkle. Although seeing the animals is truly amazing, a question that is frequently asked is: “How do they manage in captivity? Are they happy living in here?” Merely looking at the animals may not reveal much about how they feel or manage in captivity, unless someone could speak to the animals but that’s not likely. Therefore, this topic requires some research. So let’s grab some thinking helmets. First, we will explore the history of zoological gardens or zoos in general.