Tourism in Africa, How Harmful Can It Be?
"We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do." (Ward). This quote by Barbra Ward exemplifies the blatant disregard that man has for the environment and it is beginning to take its toll. We kill creatures without mercy or purpose and we infiltrate and destroy their homes without any regard for the consequences. Now the results are becoming even more evident and I directly experienced this on my trip to Africa this past summer. I went to Tanzania where there exists a plethora of species that can not be found anywhere else on the planet. These fascinating creatures live in wildlife parks in which tourists can stay. What I noticed on my travels was that many of these animals were in short supply and that most of them were unafraid of human interaction. These aspects bothered me and through this paper one will note how unfortunate that these trends are for the survival of our environmental treasures.
All animals and their environments should be cherished and study by humans—not bothered or killed. This first image features one of the most dangerous animals of the African adventure—the rhinoceros. Rhinos are usually not aggressive, but if they feel threatened, they will attack an on-comer with unwavering force and mercy. With all of these points taken into consideration, it is ridiculous that I was able to stand next to and touch the animal without it attacking me. Rhinos are endangered so it is rare to see one, but seeing one this up close kind of takes away from that special feeling that one gets when they see a wild creature. As the creature stood there, I realized that this was a once in a life time opportunity, but i...
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...ions decline and the animals themselves become more domesticated. These third-world countries do not have the government funding to protect the disappearing species, and the corruption that exists, prevents any of the foreign aid from reaching its intended destination. The only way for true environmental protection to occur would be a worldwide cause to keep human interaction away from these life forms. Sanctuaries are aimed towards a good cause, but they only end up increasing the animal’s dependency on human care. It is amazing to see all of these animals, but the experience is becoming hindered because the animals’ mentalities are not as “wild” beasts, but as creatures that are used to human harassment.
Works Cited
Ward, Babra. "Environmental Quotes." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 11 Nov. 2006 .
The inspiring documentary film, E.O. Wilson—Of Ants and Men, showcases biologist Edward Osborne Wilson’s passion for preserving the biodiversity of our natural world. E.O. Wilson not only values the fascinating creatures (particularly ants) that he comes across during his research and in his daily life, but he also takes action and participates in the Gorongosa Restoration Project at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, Africa. The destruction of Gorongosa demonstrates the call for us—Homo sapiens—to realize how critical it is to concern ourselves with protecting the very ecosystems that have molded us into the complex species that we are; according to E.O. Wilson, “We adapted over millions of years to wild environments…We really need them” (CITE?). The better effort we make to understand that we are a part of this large, interdependent ecological community, the better equipped we become in not only being
Our world is very unique. We share the world with all sorts of creatures from animals of all sizes, and shapes. Creatures that crawl, slide, run, swim, fly, or burrow. As scientists expand their knowledge about the world they unmask many types of species living on this planet. Scientist has discovered about 1.7 million species, and 13,000 more species are being found every year. It is very rare to know that there are many unknown animals, such as large birds or even mammals, but there could be million little creatures wanting to be discovered such as insects, spiders, shellfish, and even worms. As we share our world with many animals is very heartbreaking to know that we are also destroying their habitat and making their way of
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.
The Animal Kingdom is a modern exhibit designed to follow the “natural pattern” of an African community. The most eye-popping attraction, the Kilamanjaro Safari, is an open-air, nearly barrier-free animal reserve at Florida’s Walt Disney World. It was a major shift from a cow playground to a zone of care for other wise caged animals. Here, African animals freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers, and rocky hills. The rider is advised to be aware, “You never know what could happen in the wilderness” (Tate 1).
In my introduction I will go over my three main points I wish to discuss whether animals should be kept in captivity for we all at some point in our lives we all have felt that what zoo’s do leave negative impacts on animals there are also positives. One of the key facts shows that negatives have outweighed the positives. The three reasons I wish to express to you and support towards my question today through a perspective against the matter include the fact that animals are often striped of their natural behaviours when coexisting together in their natural habitats compared to living in a cage or reserve. It’s said that they often become stressed and bored for they are often forced against their will to live in these centres after being randomly in their eyes stolen from the previous way of life. My final point says that most animals are never returned to their habitat for many of them are either sold or bargained for extra profit to provide for the zoo’s personal requirements.
The practice of keeping wild animals in a zoo or aquarium is looked at favorably in most aspects but what we fail to realize is that we have placed animals which at one point lived freely in wide open spaces into captivity. Society is assuming these animals are happy to be taken from their natural habitat and placed in pens and cages because they have every need handed to them. David Suzuki asked “What gives us the right to exploit other living organisms as we see fit?” (681). Through selfishness, people have justified zoos and aquariums to be an educational benefit to children, to help them learn about animals, their individuality and where they come from. Zoos and Aquariums are for society’s personal entertainment not for the good of the animals and should be closed down.
Ever since the dawn of human civilization, people have enclosed animals for their own personal enjoyment. In modern times, animals are now kept in zoos and aquariums not just for entertainment, but also for preventing the extinction of a diversity of species. For the past few decades, animal rights activists have been disputing whether or not if these captive areas have been benefiting the animals or if they are just depriving them from their natural rights. Even though supporters of zoos and aquariums argue that these isolated environments improve animals’ lives; the emotional state, habitat, and nutrition change drastically causing problems for the captive animals.
When people go on a trip to the zoo, it can be assumed that they do not think about much more than what they can see. Signals that make zoos unfair and sometimes unbearable for the captive animals are not visible to most spectators. This essay will explain how zoos are unjust and should not be supported. Animals should not be held captive due their negative behavioral changes, lack of natural habitat and the zoos failure to effectively preserve endangered species.
"Do We Need Zoos?" : An All Creatures Animal Rights Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
The foremost troubles for animal facilities, such as zoos and aquariums, range from ethical issues of captivity to the creatures in themselves. While animals preserve their heavy reliance on their innately natural instincts, how they use their instincts has been in demonstration countless times. In some facilities, the performance of unexpected behavior is highly regarded as dangerous and often punished accordingly. For example, in the San Francisco Zoo, Tatiana, a tiger, expressed aggression towards a worker in the form of a physical attack, but the incident was isolated as territory protection-driven and not thought of much. In another instance, the same tiger ...
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.
The dynamic natural environment and abundant wildlife are the most prominent features of the African continent. Due to its wide variety of biomes ranging from tropical forests to arid deserts, Africa consists of bountiful wildlife diversity. However, because of environmentally harmful human interactions, the variety of biomes is shrinking to all-time lows, which causes wildlife to die out. These detrimental human interactions, particularly livestock overgrazing and desertification, occur partly because the native people who depend on the land for daily life do not realize the potential benefits of wildlife and the unsustainability of their current ways. Poaching for horns and other valuable animal parts has also contributed to the decreasing amount of species present in the wild. However, the methods for conserving the wildlife environment differ in how they address the issue of the dwindling wildlife populations. The conventional method of conservation created in the mold of the Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in their Natural State (also known as the London Convention) involves the complete centralization of wildlife resources to the government. The newer, more effective method called the Sustainable Use Approach makes drastic changes to the London Convention principles by decentralizing ownership of wildlife and allowing small communities and villages to manage it themselves.
The degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity is increasing at an alarming rate every year. Humans are certainly not the only reason for this, but they are the main contributors. The well-being of ecosystems affects our everyday lives - consumption and consumerism depend on natural resources. Everything humans use is derived from them, in seemingly indirect and direct ways. Yet despite the fact that humans are destroying the environment, many continue to and neglect to take important measures to protect it.
Loss of biodiversity is an environmental issue that is causing a lot of global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth. There are measures that are being taken worldwide to prevent loss of biodiversity. Many wildlife sanctuaries have been built worldwide to preserve the lives of various endangered species. However, it is important to remember that every individual has a role in the protection of wildlife and biodiversity. Every human being should play his part of the role by following simple rules such as stopping others from the hunting of endangered species, preventing deforestation, encouraging reforestation and creating awareness among fellow human beings.
Imagine a world with barren trees in overgrown fields. The only sound to be heard is the wind blowing through the tall grass. A world once full of life now lays empty do to extinction. This is the result of a world that failed to understand the importance of wildlife conservation. Why is wildlife so important? What steps need to be taken to preserve wildlife? How can one become involved in wildlife conservation? These are all important questions that need to be explored in order to help maintain the delicate ecosystem on Earth. Wildlife plays a vital role in this fragile ecosystem and without wildlife the human race would not survive.