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Controversy of zoos
Controversy of zoos
Animal mistreatment in zoos
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Over the years, we have seen propaganda, documentaries, misinformation, beliefs and choices that have been made in and by zoos. With all of this, it means our judgement and others have been clouded by what media has told us. If we look at zoos in other regions, and those affected by war, then does your viewpoint change on what and how you see zoos?
What about zoos in other regions of the world? This question is a good one; as it applies to regional views. Zoos all over the world have different rules; for visitors and their animals, depending on who and where they are located. China has a main focus on saving their giant pandas from extinction; note they are vulnerable, but can end up endangered once more. Some zoos run on donations; Cheyenne Mountain zoo and Dartmoor zoo, while others are federally paid; Denver zoo. Each zoo has a mascot to be the main view; Cheyenne mountain has a giraffe, Denver has a lion, Australia zoo has a crocodile, but under that mascot are other animals branched out. This means that no zoo is a like; they may have the same animals, but their rules and lifestyle are entirely different.
How about war torn regions? Wars have been going on for years; my dad fought in Baghdad twice, and not only is it devastating to the people; but to the zoo animals. Taiz zoo in Yemen; who’s animals are
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This does not change it as zoos are here as conservation and education; we are here to save the animals, and make more people aware of the situation at hand. I believe that we shouldn’t turn our heads or back to problems that zoos are suffering, going through misunderstanding or beliefs of what others say. This means propaganda, misinformation, or organizations; for example, PETA, should not matter on what actions we are to make. We have a job to do for these animals, and this world; because if we don’t take that first leap, then we have not just lost the fight but we have lost the
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.
Zoos have been very controversial lately with debate about animal cruelty and speculations shifting around the industry, so what is the truth about zoos? Zoos are known to be a safe area for animals and humans, entertain individuals and be a safe containment for endangered animals. Knowing this information it’s factual to say that this sounds like the perfect place for animals and humans, and they are.
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.
...provide a habitat for animals that had there’s destroyed. Furthermore they need to improve their captive breeding programs and abandon the failed programs. Zoos need to address the concern that animals are not living up to there actual life span and either release them into there natural habitat or find an alternative. Animal stress is also of big concern because it is causing physiological harm.
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.
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.
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.
A modern question in today's age, are zoos bad for the animals. There are facts from both sides of this argument. They are not capturing the animals from the wild anymore they are born and raised in the zoos. They use antidepressants to keep the animals happy from being in a pen. Zoos are bad for animals in the fact of keeping them penned up and not letting them be free.
Zoos are an unsuitable environment for wild animals and should, therefore, be abolished. Firstly, zoo animals are kept in a very confined area compared with 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.
Tigers, lions, giraffes, and other exotic animals are rarely seen in the wild. However the public, without humans and/or animals being harmed at the same time, can see exotic animals when a zoo opens. Zoos for many are a wonderful experience, but to others they see the animals as being treated poorly and not able to roam free. These people do not consider the beneficial sides of zoos. Zoos around the world help species that have been endangered by protecting and caring for them. Otherwise they would have became extinct and killed for their valuable fur or feathers. Zoos were created for a purpose that needed to be filled. If there were no purpose for them they would have not been created. Zoos are needed and if there is a need in this world, the spot will most likely be filled without hesitation. Some zoos were not trained properly and do not treat their animals very well. Some bad zoos do not feed their animals enough and keep them in a confined cage. Although some zoos are harmful for both animals and people, many of them are good zoos and take care of their animals better than most people take care of them selves. It is amazing to be able to see such care and love are associated with zoos. Not only do zoos help the endangered animals they also help people learn to respect such amazing creatures. Zoos are a good attribute to society because they promote education, research, protect, conserve, and outlook.
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. In “The White Heron” the heron was protected from the hunter by a girl. The girl could represent a zoo, while the young hunter could represent people who exploit animals for personal reasons, such as money. Zoos promote the awareness of animals that are going extinct. This would allow people to help fund the repopulation of those animals.