Are Animals Worse Off In Zoos And Amusement Parks

Do you ever think about where the animals in zoos and amusement parks came from? For many years there has been controversy about whether animals are better or worse off in zoos and amusement parks. Many people believe zoos and water parks are educational for children and they help with saving endangered species. Although, others believe that zoos put distress and keep animals in a small enclosed space, resembling nothing like their natural environment.

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, there have been at least 156 Orcas taken out of their natural environment since 1961, a staggering 129 of these Orcas are now dead, fourty-eight of which died at SeaWorld. One of the Orcas that died is Tilikum, he was captured near Iceland in 1983 at only two years old (Over 30 Years and Three Deaths: Tilikum’s Tragic Story). He

One incident that happened at Copenhagen Zoo in early February of 2014 was with a giraffe they had on exhibit. The giraffe was put to sleep despite offers from many other zoos to take him. The giraffe, Marius, was put to sleep in front of the visitor at the zoo and then he was skinned and fed to the lions while baffled visitors watched in horror (Kantameninti). Another incident of animals being mistreated at zoos is occurring at The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. In 2013 the zoo decided to double their cheetah population without adding anymore space in the exhibit, which meant another half a dozen animals were brought into the zoo. The zoo continued to be struck with a zebra attack on the veterinarian, two animals breaking their neck, and multiple animal injuries and deaths (Katntameninti). Some may argue that these incidents are due to the staff handling the animals poorly, but the zoo is the one at fault because they do not put the animals in a safe environment and they do not take enough safety