Government Involvement In Zoos Essay

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Zoos and aquariums date back hundreds of years. They have been a fixture of big cities and states for many years, a staple of grade school field trips, and a place to take your family to see all the exotic animals. There is, however, a dark side to zoos and aquariums that many people do not realize exists. They lack regulation from the government, they can cause unnatural diseases in species, and put the welfare of animals in jeopardy, they cause moral and ethical dilemmas, on top of many other things. While all of that is detrimental, there are ways to change the status quo, and move towards a healthier future for these animals. With this paper, I hope to explain the aspects of government involvement in zoos, show the unnatural, harmful side …show more content…

She says that zoos, aquariums, and other places with contained animals, have little to no governmental regulations and these facilities are left to self-police the standards by which they keep their animals. She states that “the government increasingly expects public display facilities to self-monitor” (Conley 237), because they lack the enforcement officials, and these facilities fall very low on the priority …show more content…

If there is no help from the government, that means the infractions can run rampant within these facilities. This is dangerous for the enclosures and the animals within them, if there are no rules, then there is no guarantee that the animals are being taken care of. The only regulations there are for zoos, are established in the Animal Welfare Act. This act was passed in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and regulates the treatment of animals in research, transport, exhibition, and by dealers. This act establishes the bare minimum for the standard of care, and is enforced by the USDA. (“Animal Welfare

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