Why Are Zoos Inhumane? The feeling of being trapped in a confined space is the reaction animals have towards being put into zoos. Since the middle ages, Kings and Emperors kept undomesticated animals to symbolize power in one’s household. Very little entertainment was available and people put animals into arenas to fight to the death. Due to injuries from the confrontations, they were not treated well. Since zoos have existed for a long time, new purposes were invented. In my opinion, zoos should not exist unless for rescued animals. In this essay, I will discuss why zoos should not exist because of their inhumanity, inconsistent behavior, and that we should only have zoos that contain animals that can no longer survive in untamed environment. …show more content…
These trapped animals lose their true self once enclosed in a cage. A quote that stood out to me was “Unlike a drop of water, which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.” B. R. Ambedkar illustrates that animals may not lose their identity when captured because of the research they perform, but after awhile they become Strong 2 used just for entertainment purposes. If being has grown up knowing the imprisoned lifestyle, they will never learn their history. An example may include hunting or working as a team in a pack. Even though this may seem irrelevant to the inhumanity of zoos, basic life skills and history are essential to one's identity. Without identity, a living thing cannot be seen as human. Blindsided by the lies we hear in our daily lives can also relate to the inhumanity of zoos. Vegetarian times created the article called Nature Behind Bars to focus our attention towards the cruelty behind these cages. Critics say, “zoos are abnormal and self-destructive behavior.”(Mary Beckoff). The confinement and loss of enjoyment is minimal when a wild animal is imprisoned. This is important that we only help rescued animals that cannot survive alone in the wild, but not capture any just for pleasure or
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
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.
Lets start with zoos, where animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public viewing. Millions of people visit zoos thinking the animals are happy, when in all reality they are miserable. You can try to replicate the animals enclosure to their natural habitat, but they can never replace their homes. An animals rights organization states, “Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind,” (PETA). Although, zoos are said to ‘help’ these animals, they really are not, it is more a collection of different animals in order to show off to the audience and gain money off of them. People begin to believe it is okay to keep these wild animals captive and have their lives be controlled by someone else.
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.
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.
" This quote proves that either the zoo isn't supporting their needs correctly, or being held captive messes with their mental state. Which tells us that no matter the zoo, they can't possibly beat the animal's natural habitat, the wild.
“The Reality of Zoos” written by Michelle Carr works to exploit the ethical travesties of Zoos to the general society and advocate for stricter law enforcement for protecting animals. Carr persuades the reader that “captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them,” thereby denouncing Zoos and all they stand for. Carr attempts to expose the cruelty of zoos by describing the “artificial environments” these once while animals must unwillingly endure. Carr employs harsh, to-the-point language to convey her opinion and to evoke a sense of guilt out of all
Furthermore, while zoos should conserve and encourage educational experiences within their parks, Allen points out it’s also important to take a compassionate approach in caring for each individual animal. As zoos focus more on education and conservation, they sometimes forget that animals are not alive in terms of population and individual welfare is important. Thus, it appears that Allen is taking a middle ground approach to the ongoing debate about zoos, because she is open to zoos, when they are compassionate, yet fully recognizes the downside of animal cruelty.
Zoos introduces captive-bred projects to take care of some animals for years and reintroduce them back to the wild. However, captive animals usually lose their survival skills in wild after under an absolute protection for a long time, especially those who are used to learning from their parents. They no longer able to escape from predators or track preys. Reintroduction often needs to be abandoned permanently.
In the film, Madagascar, zoos are depicted as a sanctuary in which all the exotic animals are kept safe and are open for the public to view. But many would argue that zoos are inhumane, the caging of animals for our personal entertainment is unjustifiable. Those who believe that zoos are wrong and should be destroyed are animal rights activist; they believe that animals should be allowed to choose their own destiny. Those that believe that zoos are an important part of our lives are scientist and zoologist. This debate has gone on for generations and average folk are stuck in the middle, not knowing which side to stand on. The animals being kept in captivity could not be interviewed; their side of the story will be based on interpretation on their movement and interaction with animals in the zoo and in the wild. Are animals better suited to live in the harsh conditions of the wild or are they better suited to live their lives safely in captivity?
middle of paper ... ... Freedom is precious and animals are constantly suffering mentally and physically from the lack of freedom that captivity brings to them. Although many zoos are visited by millions of people annually, they still operate at a loss and have to make budget cuts. Funds that should be used to provide humane conditions for animals are often wasted on cosmetic improvements such as landscaping, refreshment stands, and gift shops in order to draw visitors, leaving the animals behind steel bars and glass trapped in a concrete jungle for no reason without hope of ever being free.
Zoos and aquariums are not putting animals in captivity without a driving purpose. Although not a perfect solution, society should view zoos and aquariums as a bulwark against the world’s extinction crisis. These conservation centers are commonly associated with brutality and unethicality, when in reality they’re offering a great deal of care and hospitality towards the animals. Conserving animals in an artificial environment is a way to restore the damage we’ve done towards their ecosystems. This is done while ensuring the animals being safeguarded receive the care and compassion they deserve.
When bred in captivity, animals are oblivious to their natural habitats and how to socially interact with their species. The article “Animals Used as Entertainment” lists rodeos, circuses, bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, dog fighting, and zoos as examples of the many ways animals are used in entertainment. Circuses and zoos are the two most relevant forms of animal mistreatment. Both of these are sources of entertainment for children and adults. Zoos declare that they are used for mostly educational purposes and preserving various species, but the reality is that they fall short on both (“Animals Used”).
Furthermore, zoo animals are often exposed to chemicals, solvents and other toxic substances. Finally, it is common for visitors to tease and provoke caged animals. In conclusion, therefore, it is not true to say that zoos are educational or they help to protect endangered species.
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.