Importance Of Zoos And Aquariums

Do you remember your first visit to a zoo or aquarium? Do you remember how young you were? Do you remember how fascinated you were to see some of the world’s most beautiful animals? Zoos and aquariums play a vital role in our society. They allow children to see wild animals, that they otherwise would have to travel across the world to see, up close. They also get to learn about the animals and their natural habitats. They allow people to see, touch, and experience these animals first hand in a humane environment. If people were not able to see animals this way, they would not care to protect them or their natural habitats. Zoos also help contribute to conservation. Many zoos across the world participate in programs that help control the populations

It is theorized that pharaohs demanded the captation of various wild animals for entertainment and intimidation purposes. The first public aquarium opened in London in the 1800s, and the first modern zoo opened in France in 1700s. Animals in early zoos and aquariums were usually kept in small displays, with as many animals in it as they could fit. Throughout the last few decades, zoos and aquariums have improved their enclosures by making them bigger and look more natural. But the enclosures still are not accommodating to these wild animals. Elephants can walk up to fifty miles a day in the wild and are naturally, very social animals, but in zoos, elephants live in enclosures that are about 1,800 square-feet and either live in pairs, or even isolated. Elephants in zoos often exhibit signs of being stressed and bored, and their lifespans are shortened by about sixty years. They also get arthritis from standing on such hard surfaces all day, and become obese because of a lack of space to walk. Wild orcas travel hundreds of miles a day and can dive up to one thousand feet, but Seaworld’s tanks are only about thirty-five feet deep and three hundred and fifty feet long. Also, polar bears and lions that showed signs of frustration were studied in a zoo in London. The scientists found that the animals pace around about a quarter of the time, but in

About 75% of animals in captivity die within the first 20 months due to depression and psychological problems. In the 90s, a polar bear in the Central Park Zoo compulsively swam figure eights in his enclosure for up to twelve hours a day. He would also stare at young child like they were his prey. A polar bear’s range is up to a million times bigger than its zoo enclosure. Many chimpanzees in captivity show abnormal behavior, such as repetitive rocking, drinking of urine, and in some cases, self mutilation. These behaviors are thought to be linked to traumatic experiences, such as maternal separation and social deprivation. In captive wide-ranging carnivores, like elephants and lions, irregular pacing is a common behavior. Over time, this behavior becomes more intense. When the pacing initially begins, the animals are easily distracted by sights or sounds, but after some period of time, the animal may appear to be in a trance-like state, and is unable to break their pace or gaze. Often, this behavior is found in egg-laying hens and broiler chickens held in factory farms. Parrots and other birds in captivity were found to compulsively groom themselves. This behavior is found in other animals in captivity, but is severe for birds. They often over pluck their fathers, to the point of baldness. Animals appear to have a constant desire to groom themselves