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Ethics of the roles of zoos
The consequences of zoos for animals
The consequences of zoos for animals
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Recommended: Ethics of the roles of zoos
The lengthy description of a zoo, as explained by the Oxford Dictionary, is an establishment that prides itself with an array of undomesticated animals kept in cages or fenced up for the public to view (“zoo”). These menageries have been around for ages and are used for a myriad of reasons including entertainment and conservation (Baker). People who support the notion of zoos believe that these establishments benefit both man and animal in bountiful ways. To begin with, they trust that zoos provide safer habitats than the diminishing wild that animals can thrive in (Sheen 33). Furthermore, they are also convinced that zoos aid in conserving wild animals as it allocates a secure sanctuary for endangered animals to reproduce, a last ditch attempt …show more content…
This is one of the key factors as to why many zoos should be shut down. Some irresponsible zookeepers dismiss hazards that threaten the livelihood of the zoo animals. A good example would be in Duluth Zoo, Minnesota. Recently in the month of June 2012, around 13 animals died due to a flood after a nearby creek spilt over (Chew). Before the tragic event occurred however, zookeepers dismissed the alarming rising water levels as nothing (Chew). The flood happened in the wee hours of one morning where the animals were left unguarded (Chew). The unimaginable horrors of watching the waters flood your enclosure with no route for escape must have been terrifying for these animals. This one example clearly highlights the constant danger to the defenseless zoo animals as they are at the hand of these irresponsible zookeepers. On the other hand, negligent zookeepers who forsake the animals also have a part to play in the rising number of animal deaths in zoo. One stellar example would be the Surabaya Zoo for instance. Famously known as the “Zoo of Death”, this zoo has about as many as 15 animal deaths per month because of the disgusting living conditions, lack of basic care and insufficient amounts of food and water given (Skarda). Many of the zoo animals are abnormally thin, especially the carnivores (Skarda). Delving deep into this, one of the residents in the Surabaya …show more content…
One lauded justification for keeping wild animals in zoos is to make sure that whenever the species becomes extinct in the wild, the zoo will release their captive bred animals back into the biodiversity of the wild (Kolbert 137). Zoos often make grandiose claims that they are all for conserving the wildlife (. But in fact, they are separating possible mates and reducing the size of the population. One would also think that the number of endangered animal species in the world would have gone down due to the zoo efforts. However in a recent study done by International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2599 animals are considered endangered in 2012 compared with 1998 levels of 890 (“Summary
Professor Livia Dobutsu from the University of Newcastle says: “Although we all know that zoos are very beneficial to the wild and saving endangered species, the fact
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.
It’s always fun to go with your friends and family to see cute and exotic animals when you go to the zoo, right? You may think that they have the best life having people to give them things that want and to protect them, but some of them are actually suffering just for our amusement from being in that small enclosure all day and all night. Animals should not be put in zoos because they can develop many mental and physical health problems due to the absence of some natural necessities and they are not always treated as nice as you think.
In the wild if an animal is sick or hurt they will most probably die, decreasing the animal population and increasing the chance of extinction for that animal. Animals are cared and treated for in a zoo, they are looked after until they are 100% better even then they are still very well looked after. You might be thinking “well it is natural for animals to die or who cares if just one animal dies”, well then think of it this way if you were hurt or sick you would like people to care
Since the recent event with a gorilla in the Cincinnati Zoo, people have questioned ethics. The author wrote this argument to explain why the safety of animals, as well as their survival in the future, depends on these enclosures. Some readers would accept that zoos and aquariums conduct a lot of research, but for those who are skeptical, the argument discusses that the “Zoological Society of London, for instance, is developing innovative methods to assess the risks of animals contracting disease when they are reintroduced into the wild” (2016, p. 2, para. 7). The effective evidence Ganzert brings in shows readers the benefits of zoos and aquariums in order to appeal to the value of the animals being well contained and protected while they are in the enclosures. Another strong example of Ganzert’s appeal to an audience that wants the facts is “The Phoenix Zoo helped lead the ensuing breeding and reintroduction programs, which ultimately birthed more than 200 calves from just nine individuals. Now between Oman and Jordan, there are about 1,000 Arabian Oryx living in the wild” (2016, p. 2, para. 4). In result, the audience receives information about an existing program as well as what has happened due to the creation of this program at the Phoenix Zoo.
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.
Some people believe that zoos are an essential part of our society and should continue to be open to the public. One reason people do not want zoos to be banned is because zoos provide protection for endangered species. For example, certain animals like the Arabian oryx, Corroboree frog, Bellinger river turtle, and Golden lion tamarin have been able to survive extinction because of zoo conservation (“10 Endangered Species Saved From Extinction By Zoos”). When well-known species are becoming endangered, it would make sense that people want to help protect these animals from disappearing forever by giving them an environment where they can interact with other animals and continue to increase the population of those endangered species. Another
The median life span for an African elephant in a zoo is 16.9 years, whereas an African elephant on a nature preserve typically dies of natural cause around 56 years old ("Pitiful," 2017). Researchers are unsure of the exact reason for the lower lifespan, but they believe it to be the lack of space and absence of their natural habitat. Animals that are held in captivity are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them ("PETA," 2017). Many do not understand the immense capacity of danger an animal's life is put in when they are captive. Zoos and animal parks such as, SeaWorld, advertise how they are helping animals, and educating people. But, they are actually doing quite the opposite. Zoos and public aquariums should be banned
Established to display and study animals, zoos raised the opportunity for scientists to carry out research in first hand and the possibility to introduce other variables without being immerse in wild life. Besides, zoos became an amusing way of learning about different animals and a form of cultural entertainment. We also have to
Or read a book or an article online? You might also be asking yourself, “How is putting animals into zoos harming them?” According to the book Reality Central, there is an article named “Two Views of the Zoo” which says that in zoos, animals are fed every day and therefore have very little to do. Meanwhile in the wild, animals spend most of the day either hunting or looking for food. If animals are kept in zoos for too long, they might lose their natural instincts and not be able to survive when they get released back into the wild, if they get released.
Zoos seem to be a common argument in the modern day world from a source of entertainment to serious matters. Zoos are a great place for study and can be amusing to people of all different ages. However, these zoological areas can also carry assistance to not only humans, but to the animals as well. There are creatures in the wild that are currently being hunted down. Many poachers slaughter these creatures for money or simply for the reason of entertainment.
Zoos are an unsuitable environment for wild animals and should, therefore, be abolished. Firstly, zoo animals are kept in a very confined area compared to their vast natural habitat. Secondly, breeding programmes are far less successful than zoos claim. Thirdly, zoo animals are exposed to many diseases and other dangers. Zoo animals are usually kept in very cramped enclosures and do not behave like their wild counterparts.
Picture this- you live the first few years of your life happy with your family. You live in a nice house, your family is healthy, and you have a nice community of people around you. Then, out of nowhere, you are captured. You are scared- you do not know where you are, where you are going, or where your family is. After what seems like an eternity, you wake up in a small, dirty cage. The cage is just big enough for you to stand and walk eight paces. The cage is littered with trash and is just terrible smelling. You are alone, with nothing to do all day except for sit or sleep. You are hungry too; you have not been fed in a day or two. The only thing left to eat is the trash that bystanders throw into your cage. Obviously, this does not happen to humans in this time in America. But it is, however, happening to thousands of animals in Indonesia’s largest zoo. Animals are captured and are forced to live in the zoo’s harsh conditions, where they are overcrowded, underfed, and neglected. The Surabaya Zoo of Indonesia is a horrendous zoo with terrible conditions, and should be closed down due to the mistreatment of the zoo’s animals.
Zoos bring human kind closer to wild life. Though, sometimes that means taking the animal out of its natural habitat. Some animals have lost most of their habitat and are on the verge of extinction. In this way, the zoo helps the animals rather than using them as a form of human entertainment. Zoos also allow humans to study different kinds of animals more closely. Some zoos on the other hand manipulate the animals to acquire as much revenue as possible rather than being concerned with the welfare of each animal.