Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Ecological benefits of zoos
Utilitarian perspective on zoos
Ecological benefits of zoos
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Animals should not be held captive in zoos because it is inhumane and unfair to the animals. There are so many records of terrible things that have happened to animals in zoos over the past few centuries the go under the radar too often. Too few people even know about these animal care atrocities, and therefore the New York Times decided to bring light upon this situation. The times did a first of its kind analysis of 390 elephant fatalities at accredited U.S. zoos for the past 50 years (Berens 3). It found that most of the elephants died from injury or disease linked to conditions of their captivity from chronic foot problems caused by standing on hard surfaces to musculoskeletal disorders from inactivity caused by being penned or chained for days and weeks at a time. Of the 321 elephant deaths for which The Times had complete records, half were by age 23, more than a quarter before their expected life spans of 50 to 60 years. For every elephant born in a zoo, on average another two die. At that rate, the 288 elephants inside the 78 U.S. zoos could be “demographically extinct” within the next 50 years because there’ll be too few fertile females left to breed, according to zoo industry research (Berens 4). Most people think that zoos protect animals, but it can clearly be seen in the records provided by the Times that the zoos are doing the exact opposite of protecting animals. The American zoos, including the accredited ones, have led to the near demise of elephants. As if that alone isn’t enough to prove that zoos are cruel and unfair, there are many professionals and experts who gravely look down upon zoos too. Delcianna Winders, director with the PETA foundation, said “Renowned oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau reported that... ... middle of paper ... ...s in Captivity?." The Independent (London, England). 26 Feb. 2010: 50. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Rinaldi, Ray Mark. "You Can Unpack Your Trunk Here." Denver Post. 03 Jun. 2012: E.3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Seely, Ron. "Sure, the Animals Are Cute, but Vilas Zoo Also Has a More Serious..." Wisconsin State Journal. 17 Dec. 2010: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. "The Bill Is Due." Modern Healthcare 39.2 (2009): 36. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. Winders, Delcianna. "Zoos: Misery Behind Bars." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 26 Aug. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issue Researcher. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. "Zoos Find Pandas Don't Make the Cash to Cover Their Keep." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 07 Aug. 2005. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. “Zoo Nutrition.” Chester Zoo. Chester Zoo. N.p.,n.d. 29 April 2014
Los Angeles Times: A.1. Aug 30 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. The Web.
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.
Zoos. Mercy for Animals, A voice for the rights of all animals. 4th Sept 2011
Wilson Quarterly Vol. XXX, No. 4. Autumn 2006: 52-58. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 May 2012.
San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA). 05 Jan 2010: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web.
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
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
Well over 181 million people visit zoos and aquariums each year. However, there have been recent reports that reveals that not all zoos and aquariums are the same. For example, Sea World has been under fire for the past several years for unethical practices of capturing and keep their orca whales ever since documentaries like Blackfish (2013) had come out. Zoos have been called out for their unsuitable exhibits for their animals. Even our own Oregon Zoo has been exposed for using concrete grounds for the elephant exhibits which causes extreme pain for the elephants are they weigh so much, stand on the concrete for many hours, and even getting foot disease leading to an early death. The ethical question it raises is, it ethical to keep wild animals in zoos for human viewing pleasure the expense of the animals well being? People have been putting animals in zoos since the ancient Greek times to profit off of humans wanting to view exotic animals. While some zoos have ethical practices in regards to the treatment and acquiring
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.
Strolling down a dusty dirt trail, hearing the sound of children’s laughter in a earshot and the king of the jungles mighty roar bellowing for attention. Seeing the sign labeled “Lions Beware” you enter a shadowy cave, the air smelling of must, you come upon a window that allows you to come face to face with the beast. Witnessing its motionless face laying on the rigid ground, you lose interest and continue your journey. Many people feel that zoos do everything correctly to maintain the animal’s health and well being, as well as debating that zoos even have a breeding program to keep up with all the species of animals. However, many people aren’t aware of the cruelty behind zoos and how animals are mistreated, murdered and suffer from malnutrition. Lions are cramped into small cages and sea lions swim in water that contains chemicals, causing them to lose eye sight, is just a few examples. The breeding program that many debate about gives the public a false sense that something meaningful has happened but in reality animals might show no interest in mating and zoo babies are just crowd-pleas...
"Zoos: Myth and Reality." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale, July 2000. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.
ProQuest LLC. 2014: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
The median life span for an African elephant in a zoo is 16.9 years, whereas an African elephant on a nature preserve typically dies of natural cause around 56 years old ("Pitiful," 2017). Researchers are unsure of the exact reason for the lower lifespan, but they believe it to be the lack of space and absence of their natural habitat. Animals that are held in captivity are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them ("PETA," 2017). Many do not understand the immense capacity of danger an animal's life is put in when they are captive. Zoos and animal parks such as, SeaWorld, advertise how they are helping animals, and educating people. But, they are actually doing quite the opposite. Zoos and public aquariums should be banned
The zoo is an unnatural environment that exposes animals to numerous dangers. Diseases often spread between species that would never live together naturally. For example, many Asian elephants have died in US zoos after catching herpes from African elephants. 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.