The Necessity of Animal Captivity

903 Words2 Pages

Animal captivity is a much discussed issue for both its benefits and detriments to the animals. Many people view animal captivity as a harm and believe that it should be stopped; however, what is not taken into account is its benefits. Animal captivity aids both animals and humans in multiples ways, but the majority of help animal captivity offers is through preservation of animal species, and education benefits that zoos and aquariums represent to man. The preservation of animals must continue so that generations to come can not only benefit from what the animals have to offer for the ecosystems they thrive in, but so that the human race can continue to further its understanding of nature for future use.
While some say animal captivity should be stopped because of how it damages the mental and emotional behavior of animals, the captivity of animals must continue on because of its ability to preserve wildlife, and the benefits it presents for education. Measures exist which can be taken to prevent damage to the mental and emotional behavior to these animals, and zoos and aquariums across the world take these precautions every day. Zoos like Riverbank Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina provide mazes and realistic environments in order to benefit the health of the animals. While it is not the real environment, it still benefits the animals’ physical and mental health.
Animal captivity aids in the preservation of endangered animals because of the care zoos and aquariums show to endangered species. Research done by M. Gusset and G. Dick of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), shows in a graph that the efforts done by zoos and aquariums have aided in the preservation of endangered species. Gusset and Dick surveyed multipl...

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GUSSET, M., and G. DICK. "‘Building A Future For Wildlife’? Evaluating The Contribution Of
The World Zoo And Aquarium Community To In Situ Conservation." International Zoo Yearbook 44.1 (2010): 183-191. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Hull, Debra B. "Observing Animal Behavior At The Zoo: A Learning Laboratory." Teaching Of
Psychology 30.2 (2003): 117-119. PsycINFO. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Randler, Christoph, Barbara Kummer, and Christian Wilhelm. "Adolescent Learning In The Zoo:
Embedding A Non-Formal Learning Environment To Teach Formal Aspects Of Vertebrate Biology." Journal Of Science Education And Technology 21.3 (2012): 384-391. PsycINFO. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

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