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Importance of zoos
Protecting endangered species research paper
Importance of zoos
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Did you know that when you go to a zoo you learn more about the animals that live there? Also zoos help animals that are endangered. In my opinion, I strongly agree that zoos are great for the animals. The purpose of this paper is to persuade you that zoos are great for animals. The focus of this paper are how zoos help the animals not die out, kids, visitors, and scientists can learn about the animals that live there, and zoos give the animals the safety that they probably don’t have out in the wild.
Zoos help animals not retire! Specifically, because zoos are important because they keep some of the animals off the endangered list. The reason is that animal’s food is getting really low, they’re getting killed, and their homes are getting
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.
A memorable experience for both young and old, zoos have educated and entertained visitors for decades; however, zoos have been criticized, especially by animal rights activists. These critics say that zoos don’t provide for all the animals’ needs found in their natural habitat. Are zoos worldwide assisting animals, or are the animals better off in the wild?
Zoos have been with us throughout our history, and can provide a good barometer of public beliefs and values at any given time. Therefore it seems necessary to explore whether in today’s society contemporary zoos are a means of educating and conserving or still seek to control and exhibit animal others for human benefit. In order to make this assessment there are a number of contributing factors. Firstly it is important to establish context by considering the history of zoos and looking at the changes from the early menageries to contemporary zoos who strive to be institutions of refuge for animals facing twenty-first century global challenges. This links into how the physical space of zoos has changed over time and whether these advancements have made any crucial difference to the welfare of animals. Following this conservation, education and scientific research will be explored in detail in order to assess whether they provide good enough motives for keeping animals in captivity. I will seek to argue that although attempts have been made to point zoos in the direction of conservation and education, in my opinion the concepts of dominance and human superiority are still at the core of modern zoos.
Even though zoos try to imitate the natural habitat of each animal, the area for the zoo might not be able to support the animals needed environment. When visiting a zoo many people fail to notice that the animals have living areas measuring an acre or smaller. “Their enclosures are often small, barren, and without shade or privacy” (Laws). “Animals also need to endure dirty living conditions, stagnant water, and hard floors to sleep on at night” (Laws). It’s obvious that in the wild any animal has almost unlimited space to live in. They catch and forage for food naturally and mate naturally.
Thousands of zoos worldwide are visited by citizens yearly to admire and satisfy their curiosity of the beautiful wild animals that mother nature has to offer. Zoos have been around for hundreds of years and have become a known tradition for numerous school field trips and family outings. The ongoing debate between animal rights activists and zoo officials remains, should wild animals be taken from their natural habitats to live in city zoos for education and entertainment purposes?
Citizens visit thousands of zoos worldwide to admire and satisfy their curiosity of the beautiful wild animals that mother nature has to offer. Zoos have been around for hundreds of years and have become a known tradition for numerous school field trips and family outings. The ongoing debate between animal rights activists along with zoo officials remains to be a question of concern, should wild animals be removed from their natural habitats to live in city zoos for education and entertainment purposes?
"How Zoos Are Saving Our Animals." – Features – ABC Environment (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
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.
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.
Do you know why we have zoos? Do you know what the zookeepers look out for? Well people support having zoos by taking care of the zoos and the animals. What the zookeepers look out for protection, conservation, and education. Zoos should be kept because it keeps the animal safe.
Over the years, the role of the zoo has changed dramatically, starting thousands of years ago as a display of wealth and power, morphing into places for entertainment, then education, and now incorporating aspects of conservation as well (“History”). What their priorities should be is something that is up for debate however. Do the animals take precedence over the visitors? Should the main objective of the zoo be to entertain and educate the public, or support and fund as many conservation projects as possible? Much has been written on the subject, and depending on who is asked, the answer may be very different.
“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
Thousands of people visit zoos annually, but they don't know what happens behinds those glass windows. Zoos give the privilege to be able for people to see animals, what they don't know is how they are being treated and the mental issues the animals have. Wild animals should be able to be more freely and not in tight and small areas where they are incapable of doing what they should naturally do. Zoos claim to ensure to gain knowledge but nothing is gained because their is noting that is enhancing learning. While the keeping of animals in zoos may prevent extinct, animals should have healthier environments as well as being taken care of properly.
Zoos have been used for a long time as a way for humans to view wildlife from a close distance. In earlier centuries zoos were used as a way to display one’s power and wealth. Transitioning from showcasing power to observing animals for scientific reasons, zoos have gone through changes that may not have justified their existence. Conservation and preservation would be the words used to describe the purpose of some zoos nowadays, but for most, it is the viewing pleasures of the public that keep them operating. Animals from all over the world are put in exhibits in the middle of San Diego, Chicago, and many other cities, just to be seen as an object that is stared and taunted at.