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Among many other fun and exciting attraction to visit around our community, a visit to the zoo has always been a memorable experience. This cost effective priceless lifetime experience is being undermined by a group of activists all around the country. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), world largest animal rights organization, argue that zoos deprived animals from satisfying their most basic needs. They urge not to patronized zoos and claims that the money spent on ticket purchases pays for animals to be imprisoned and traded, not rescued and rehabilitated. They go on saying in summary that zoos strip animals from their rights. So this heated debate revolves around the animal rights and how the zoo industry inhibits it. Are zoo really bad for the animals? Should we get rid of the zoo and let the animals back to the wilderness? Mazur and Clark (2001) state that zoo is a monument to a long-standing tradition of people’s fascination with non-human nature. Since the early societies of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese, wild animals have been maintained in captivity in order to satisfy human curiosity with exotica (p 185). Most western zoos today, however, embrace far more benevolent values such as supporting the conservation of biodiversity through specialized animal breeding, research, and education programs.
The role and purpose of the zoos have change enormously in recent decades. Many modern zoo today aims to provide their visitors with the opportunity to encounter the natural world and to become involved in conservation action. A series of studies and survey were performed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in order to assess the impact on a visit to a zoo or aquarium. This study revealed that zoo ...
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Works Cited
Amy Miller, (2014). What zoos do: U.S. Zoos work to preserve animals around the world through conservation, research, and education. Scholastic News. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews
BBC News, (2003). Born Free Star McKenna Honored. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-factsheets/zoos-pitiful-prisons/
Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Why Zoos & Aquariums Matter: Assessing the Impact of a Visit. Association of Zoos & Aquariums. [fact sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.aza.org/uploadedfiles/education/why_zoos_matter.pdf
Mazur and Clark (2001). Zoos and Conservation: Policy Making and Organizational Challenges. Yale F&ES bulletin. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic983317.files/Readings%20October%2026/Mazur%20and%20Clark.pdf
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
Stotts uses scholarly articles, newspaper articles and historical monographs to show the changing ideologies and perception of zoological parks in America. He addresses the reasons adults and children alike were attracted to these parks. Stotts addresses the appeal of the zoo to American families, which extends upon the social history of the United States. Furthermore he addresses how zoos came to become sanctuaries, preservers and protectors of America’s wildlife for future generations.
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.
Importance of Zoos: Rhetorical Analysis of "Let 's Keep Zoos: Learning stewardship is a good thing."
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.
From our loving pets that welcome us home every day, to the birds chirping in the morning, to the exotic animals we admire; animal safety and animal rights is a priority that gathers attention across the world. Being up close and personal with animals is a coveted experience that zoos try to bring to everyday life. While it is breathtaking to see these glorious animals it can possibly bring danger to their lives and call into question someone’s morals. The Denver Zoo claims that they rescue endangered or suffering animals from hostile environments and bring them into a safe, nurturing facility where they cater to the animals’ needs. With the demands of the people it is truly amazing that the Denver Zoo can properly care
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.
The difference between right and wrong is not always perfectly clear. A long-standing part of cultures across the world, zoological and animal parks have been around for hundreds of years. While in the past concerns and issues regarding the ethical problems zoos seem to impose were less prominent, in recent times the rise of animal rights activist groups and new generational values have influenced the way people view these parks. Critics believe that zoos are an unnatural habitat for animals and force them to live in captivity, having a negative impact on their health. Yet, there are still many remaining who fully support zoos, citing business and educational reasons. Some supporters even acknowledge the ethical problems zoos face, but choose
Fravel, Laura. “Critics Question Zoos' Commitment to Conservation.” National Geographic News. National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 13 Nov. 2003. Web. Nov. 2013.
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.
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.
"Do We Need Zoos?" : An All Creatures Animal Rights Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
The first zoo in the United States was established in 1874 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia zoo first only had 813 animals but has grown today to have 1,300 animals, still having the same forty-two acres as it did when it first opened. Today there are zoos in almost every major city across the country and even more around the world. But along with zoos, there are marine parks and aquariums. The most famous marine park is SeaWorld, which has three different locations in the nation: Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio. Zoos and aquariums were first brought about to learn about the species that we live with on this planet. To be educated about the wild creatures who are so different from ourselves. Zoos and the caging of wild animals have been around for centuries, there is evidence from Egypt of rulers having wild animals as pets, locking them in cages, just like how today people have hamsters but instead, you would have a wild animal. Today, zoos are used for education to teach people about wild animals so that we can learn ways to conserve the planet and the animals’ habitats, in order to prevent more animals from becomin...
giving an exciting experience to the visitors (Ganzert). These results prove that zoos encourage and teach people to help save the animals rather than keep destroying their homes, poaching, and selling them on the black market. The AZA says that the positive change is a result from the zoos and aquariums that do their job and making their visitors knowledgeable about any topic that is risen about animals (Dunaway). The way zoos and aquariums have been going with educating their visitors, adults and children are constantly learning how they can, and what they can do to help conserve the lives of animals from the education from the zoo. Education can also teach many visitors why the animals are there like for breeding reasons, or animals that
Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey.