Black-footed ferrets and red wolves in the United States and golden lion tamarins in Brazil all endangered, as well have been bred at zoos for reintroduction into the wild. Tigers and lions have around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would in the wild. This is due to the fact that many zoos want to keep as many animals as . The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Going to the zoo is sort of a short vacation for many people. Below are a dozen reasons why zoos can be bad for animals: No matter how dedicated a zoo is, it cant meet the space requirements for most of its animals. Animals are an important part of nature and should have the right to live in their natural environment. The process of training an animal is a long and brutal one. Elephants are particularly unhappy in zoos, given their great size, social nature and cognitive complexity. This is evident in killer whales' most vital body part: their teeth. Yes And Someone is Paying Attention, Swimming with The Seahorse: Discover Their Mystical Charisma. Sanctuaries occupy a "gray area," says Tanya Espinosa, a . On the other hand, the researchers reported, there were no significant differences in survey responses before entering an exhibit compared with those obtained as visitors were exiting., A 2008 study of 206 zoo visitors by some members of the same team showed that while 42 percent said that the main purpose of the zoo was to teach visitors about animals and conservation, 66 percent said that their primary reason for going was to have an outing with friends or family, and just 12 percent said their intention was to learn about animals., The researchers also spied on hundreds of visitors conversations at the Bronx Zoo, the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Bears and cats pace. All of these options afford you a close view of nature exactly as it was intended. While researching my book on the ethics of human interactions with wild species, Wild Souls, I examined how, exactly, zoos contribute to the conservation of wild animals. Zoos are a part of culture across the world. Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage! Here is an example of just how harsh it can get when an animal is being trained to perform tricks. There are zoological park associations that were formed to keep zoo owners on their toes. or the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria have studbooks and genetic pedigrees and carefully breed their animals as if they might be called upon at any moment to release them, like Noah throwing open the doors to the ark, into a waiting wild habitat. Zoos have been around for thousands of yearsas far back as 3500 BC in Egypt. They could either bite, peck, scratch, kick, or flap their wings. In many cases, animals in captivity do not have the space or resources to roam and live as they would in their natural habitat. These are highly intelligent animals with complex social constructs that scientists have studied for . These are species that would have vanished totally were it not for captive populations around the world, many of which reside in zoos (or, for plants, botanic gardens). The polar bears in Winnipeg have disco poo. Thousands of animals are captured and put in zoos and aquariums for tourist attractions every year. YES. Animals in the wild are naturally shy to humans. The environment that these animals are kept in isnt natural to them more so the animals that are taken from the wilderness and kept in zoos. Animals are not able to bear living in small, unsuited environments. In this way, they could lead the predator away from their nest. A 2000 survey of U.S. and Canadian zoos found that nearly half of respondents were giving their gorillas Haldol, Valium or another psychopharmaceutical drug. Depressed monkey Due to the low density of the population of some animals in their natural ecosystems they struggle to find partners. Lack of Sufficient Space No matter how dedicated a zoo is, it can't meet the space requirements for most of its animals. For many wild animals, this is a vital part of their life, and they can struggle to redefine their footing. Artificial environments. However, only a certain number of each species are really needed, and so should breeding result in a sharp increase, these numbers are reduced via various methods. ", Published in the June 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK), What to do in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, How to plan and book an Indian rail odyssey, Four of the best luxury sleeper trains in India, How Miami is re-embracing its modernist architecture, Where to eat in Clitheroe, the Ribble Valley's culinary hotspot, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society. Private individuals with the financial means use their money to procure rare or exotic animals from zoos to add to their own private collections. Some zoo animals try to escape. According to an article inPlant Based News, marine parks and aquariums are a billion-dollar industry that exists to entertain the public by catching fish and sea mammals from the wild and using them as live exhibits. The California condor breeding program, which almost certainly saved the species from extinction, includes five zoos as active partners. Why Animals Should Not be Kept in Zoos These animals oftentimes live in inhumane conditions, and pose a serious threat to public safety. What if they sent all the animals that need really large areas or lots of freedom and socialization to refuges? In zoos, elephants are often given a small outside enclosure and an internal house. This is nowhere near enough space to provide an elephant with a life comparable to that of its wild counterparts. says that its members host more than 50 reintroduction programs for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Nevertheless, a vast majority of zoo animals (there are 800,000 animals of 6,000 species in the A.Z.A.s zoos alone) will spend their whole lives in captivity, either dying of old age after a lifetime of display or by being culled as surplus.. Your email address will not be published. I once overheard two schoolchildren at the Smithsonians National Zoo in Washington confess to each other that they had assumed that elephants were mythical animals like unicorns before seeing them in the flesh. Many zoos claim to be helping preserve dwindling populations. Their sleeping quarters can get overcrowded and this can lead to the animals harming each other. Four of the zoos and the aquarium in New York City, for instance, are managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is involved in conservation efforts around the world. facilities report spending approximately $231 million annually on conservation projects. Visit animal sanctuaries instead of zoos, marine parks or circuses. These refuge-zoos could become places where animals live. Animals held captive in zoos are in very small environments such as cages, and they have no freedom. Grizzly Bear vs Black Bear: Whats the Difference. Some studies have shown that as many as 80 percent of zoo carnivores, 64 percent of zoo chimps and 85 percent of zoo elephants have displayed compulsive behaviors or stereotypies. The first zoos housed animals behind metal bars in spartan cages. However, in a zoo, the boundaries between the wild and captivity are rearranged. A gorilla named Togo at the Toledo Zoo used his incredible strength to bend the bars of his cage. Zoo animals sustain both physical and psychological scars from harsh zookeepers. The shooting of Harambe the gorilla spawned the most-shared meme of 2016 and caused a hounded Cincinnati Zoo to suspend its social media accounts. Profits are also gained through the selling of animals to other zoos or circuses. A zoological park is defined as an establishment designed for conservation, study, and public display. These are wild animals, who are dangerous by nature and cannot be domesticated. That's not a record that justifies tens of millions of wild animals kept in zoos. People assume that because an animal can move great distances that they would choose to do that. If they have everything they need nearby, he argued, they would be happy with smaller territories. Before anyone starts sprinkling the stuff on their cornflakes, this isn't the hottest new beauty trend nor is it a natural phenomenon: Assiniboine Park Zoo's keepers use coloured glitter in the bears' feed to identify their droppings. They normally find themselves locked in cages, and only released into an artificial habitat when there are visitors at the zoo. In addition, when animals are removed from their natural habitats, they are also removed from their family structure and social hierarchy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It is not humane to keep large mammals like orcas, dolphins or elephants in zoos or theme parks. These experiences are often harmful to wildlife and dangerous for you. Alex started writing from the moment he could hold a pen. A small exhibit is never going to truly capture the vastness of the open world. They are removed from their natural habitats and confined to small limited spaces and often forced to perform tricks or entertain visitors. A species protected in captivity provides a reservoir population against a population crash or extinction in the wild. The forerunners of the modern zoo, open to the public and grounded in science, took shape in the 19th century. His father works for a large national Cat charity in the UK, and Alex has regularly taken part in fundraising events for them through the years. Students and the general public get a chance to learn about different species of animals. (This law does not affect zoos or circuses.). Carl Hegenbeck, a German exotic animal importer, introduced the modern model of more natural habitats for animals instead of obvious cages at his Animal Park in Hamburg in 1907. People dont go to zoos to learn about the biodiversity crisis or how they can help. All Rights are Resvered. A 2014 study by the Society for Conservation Biology found that of over 2,800 children surveyed following visits to London Zoo, 62% showed no positive learning outcomes. All of these animals are well studied and have a plethora of documentaries and video footage of them in the wild. The others ran, and she pursued them, ignoring all other humans in her path. We use cookies to help ensure the best experience on our website. Chimps pull out their own hair. In the past five years, the number of zoos has been gradually going up. Our EIN number is 94-2681680. In addition, baby animals that are deemed excess to requirements find their way into black market sales. Unfortunately using real animals for these purposes involves tremendous cruelty. This conservation focus must be a key component for institutions that want to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a nonprofit organization that sets standards and policies for facilities in the United States and 12 other countries. While zoos can definitely be exciting places for families to visit, the fact remains that they are bad for animals. The lack of enough vegetation will then lead to global warming due to less carbon in the atmosphere. Animals have been going extinct for as long as there has been life on earthany weakling or disadvantageous animals get wiped out. The Humane Society of the United States believes that animals in bare tanks do not present a realistic image of natural behaviors or natural habitats. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Cons of zoos Animal cruelty in zoos continues to be extremely common. In 2018, the Eighth Circuit issued a unanimous decision in Cricket Hollows appeal of that case, that it can be a violation of the Endangered Species Act when captive animals arent given proper care. Throughout history, men have accumulated large and fierce animals to advertise their might and prestige. This could cause problems for the animal. Visitors will hammer on the glass or clamor around an animal enclosure, calling and shouting for the creature to perform for their pleasure. Why? Some of the captive-born animals are not capable of sustaining themselves in the wild and they could pass on these genes dooming the whole species in that region. This paper is going to discuss why animals should not be kept in captivity. Even without a consciousness (that we know of) animals are alive and should be treated as such. By designing these enclosures so that many animals could be seen at once, without any bars or walls in the visitors lines of sight, he created an immersive panorama, in which the fact of captivity was supplanted by the illusion of being in nature. CreditPhotographs by Peter Fisher for The New York Times. In several cases, animals held in poor conditions at roadside zoos have been transferred to sanctuaries, after the Animal Legal Defense Fund brought lawsuits under the Endangered Species Act.
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