Keeping Animals In Captivity Is Wrong Essay

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Keeping animals in captivity is wrong. People fail to realize that these animals, such as Orcas, are losing their natural instincts by being placed in a small enclosed cage or pool. The life spans of these Orcas drop tremendously once placed into a stressful environment, such as a zoo. According to Richard J. Harrison, in his book Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises, he stated that the “unawareness of the social organization that exist in the wild, dolphins and orcas that attempt to join pods of animals of a different species are often attacked. In fact, the mortality rate of the released captive animals is 15 percent”. Many of these animals develop physiological distress from not having the appropriate nutrition and adequate facilities which then makes it dangerous for the staff as well as the visitors to be around them. Understanding the definition of “wild” should give a clear picture of why keeping a caged “wild” animal is not only inhuman, but morally wrong. Orcas taken away from natural habitat and placed in a pool have caused these innocent creatures to live shorter lives because of the stressful transition and the living conditions. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), male whales typically live for about 30 years, but can live as long as 50-60 years and the females typically live about 50 years, but can live …show more content…

Health issues occur in these animals and they suffer from inadequate living conditions causing them to live less than they normally would. Orcas suffer from malnutrition, depression, or even develop mental illness. The behavior of these whales are not domesticated and once one becomes irritated or irrational, they will harm nearly anything. Wild animals should stay in the wild, not be kept in a confined

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