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Zoos,Worth It or Not?
Zoos could be considered wonderful, as well as being considered unacceptable. Either way zoos are a massive part of society, as millions of people visit them worldwide. Zoos have had their positive parts and their critical parts. Despite the negative parts that have taken place over the years. Zoos should be recognized as an extraordinary thing. As well as a thing that is up in arms for the animals that inhabit them. Accordingly zoos keep animals safe and alive.Shirley McMarlin a staff writer at the Tribune-Review states the following on her opinion on zoos.“Zoos are an essential resource for the consecration of many endangered and threatened species.” Afterwards goes on to cite
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several other expert opinions. “Zoos are one of the most effective conservation tools when an animal fails to thrive in the wild.” Continuing she states.
“Contends, conservation efforts succeed when zoos coordinate their efforts with international conservation organizations, other zoos, and conservation centers that administer breeding and behavioral research programs.” Sharing the same opinion as Shirley is a man named Joe Gaspard. Joe is a director of conservation and research at the Pittsburgh Zoo, and PPG Aquarium. He says,“If we think it's tough going on a day-to-day basis for humans, it's a tough world out there for the animals. The sad truth is that many just don't thrive in the wild anymore.” Here we see two experts saying the same thing, animals need zoos. If we look at poachers worldwide, along with humans, forcing these animals to leave their home. Not to mention with the climate change! Zoos are a safe place for these animals that they just can't get survive in the wild any longer. Just at the Highland Park zoo alone hosts about 4,000 animals, along with representing 475 species on 77 acres. Michael T. Robinson, a former head of Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Along with having 23 years of expansion and modernization in the zoo. He is also an animal ethologist and has been at the Panama
Institute for the past 18 years, he is also “mad for animals”. Born in England, and studied at Oxford under the Dutch zoologist, Nikolaas Tinbergen. He has the, “feel for the tropics that can only come from long exposure there.” Over 69 million animals are killed a year out in the wild. While the number of animals killed in zoos are 3,000 to about 5,000. Along with this Poachers may kill millions of animals every year. Zoos keep these animals safe and out of harm's way, sure they're not perfect, but the number of animals saved in a year in a zoo compared to the wild is huge!
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.
Peoples Trust article “Zoos & Conservation” touched surface solely on zoos located in Britain. What about the rest of the world? Luckily there is a group called the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) that inspects zoos and aquariums making sure that they are fit for conservation. For instance, the Giza Zoo In Cairo was shut down for killing two gorillas that may have been infected with disease and for extra pay putting visitors in danger so they could pet any animal they requested. Now if one of these animals were to attack a visitor then they would put down the animal in which is just doing what its instincts tell them.
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
part in conservation. Both in and out of the park, zoos and their scientist do
Furthermore, while zoos should conserve and encourage educational experiences within their parks, Allen points out it’s also important to take a compassionate approach in caring for each individual animal. As zoos focus more on education and conservation, they sometimes forget that animals are not alive in terms of population and individual welfare is important. Thus, it appears that Allen is taking a middle ground approach to the ongoing debate about zoos, because she is open to zoos, when they are compassionate, yet fully recognizes the downside of animal cruelty.
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.
I have always loved animals and enjoyed going to zoos the see exotic animals that I don't see in every day life. Today people think that zoos are harmful to the animals. Zoos are more helpful than harmful to the animals in them. We can save zoos and the animals in them by remembering that zoos take care of animals and protect them.
In conclusion, zoos are not an internment camp for animals. There are more to zoos than how they are portrayed. How they care for their animals needs to be acknowledged and educated to the public. There are too many animals in the wild that cannot survive on their own and need to go through a rehabilitation and breeding program in order to survive. Ninety percent of animals who enter these programs are released back into the wild. If they are not, it is within the best interest of the zoo to provide a safe, exciting, and happy environment for its permanent
Zoos today say that one of their main goals is to conserve endangered species and eventually reintroduce them back into the wild. However, Benjamin Beck, former associate director of biological programs at the National Zoo in Washington, found that over the past century only 16 of 145 reintroduction programs worldwide ever actually restored any of the animals back to the wild (qtd. in Fravel). He also found that a majority was carried out by the government and not the actual programs themselves. Beck noted that the billions of dollars the zoos were receiving were going towards hi-tech exhibits and marketing strategies to get people to go to the zoos. So which zoos are actually attempting to save the lives they claim to be? According to David Hancocks, a former zoo director with 30 years’ experience, many zoos that are not affiliated with the AZA do not spend hardly any of their fu...
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.
When your parents tell you, “We’re going to the zoo today,” usually the first expressions that come to mind are excitement and surprise. You may also think to yourself, “Oh, yes! We get to see the tigers today! Those are my most favorite animals ever!” Believe me that is the exact same thing I think. At the same time, I feel sorry. Why? Keeping animals in a zoo is not fair to the animals. I believe that zoos should be changed (to the animals benefit and not just ours) in the United States.
Zoos display fascinating animals from all over the world for human entertainment, research, conservation, and education. Many scientists conduct studies on animals in captivity that they may not have been able to in the wild. Zoos educate all the visitors that come; they let people know everything that they know about the animals on display. We do learn a lot from these animals, but not all of the animals in the zoo are behaving like they normally would in the wild. Larger animals, such as elephants and orcas (commonly known as killer whales), have trouble with being confined in such a small area. However, many smaller animals benefit from zoos because they provide protection from predators, natural disasters, and poachers. They also benefit from conservation efforts; the babies being born get all the care they could ever need. Some animal rights activists are concerned that the conservation efforts are limiting the gene pool of the species. They argue that the small number of animals able to breed in captivity limits biodiversity and leads to weaknesses in the species overall. Zoos are wonderful places to study and learn about animals, but we need to improve the living standards for animals that struggle with captivity.
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...
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.