Zoos are places where animals are kept in pens and enclosures for the pleasure of human entertainment. Most of you know that, and have been to one. But, when you were there did you ever think about the animals well being? Imagine you being in a zoo and having thousands of people walk by you every day staring so deeply at you it scares you a little. Animals in zoos aren't only depressed and sad, but some die because the zoo didn’t have a bigger enclosure. This is why zoos are bad.
OK, so i said that animals in zoos aren't happy. That is because most of the large ranging animals like bison, tigers, and zebras who need miles of land to roam, get little less than 200 feet to live in. And that’s with 3 or 4 animals. I’m not the only one to say it though. No take it from Outdoor Magazine contributor Tim Zimmerman, “ What we definitely know is that animals suffer in zoos- there are high mortality rates, there are injuries, and there's DEPRESSION. “. And that's not the worst of it. Animals in zoos get so depressed that THEY ARE GIVEN ANTIDEPRESSANTS! Seriously, some zoos would go out of business if it wasn't for their animals taking antidepressants.
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They are supposed to be doing conservation. But no. Animals in zoos that actually need help to save their species only make up of 1% of all the animals that live in zoos. The only reason that zoos should stay is of they take in animals such as the Amur Leopard, which only 30 has been confirmed to be living in the wild since 1969. Zoos could also take in animals that got hurt or orphaned and release them back into the wild when they are
Animal cruelty is the abuse or failure to care for an animal. Before the past couple of years, people did not have to worry about how the animals in zoos were treated. For centuries, families have gone to zoos to be educated on the different species of animals. As years have gone by, zoos have become a trending topic of animal cruelty. While zoos do not physically abuse the animals, they have been known to not properly care for them. “According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), there are over 10,000 zoos worldwide” (Fravel 2). Of these 10,000 zoos, only some of them actually care about their animals. Caring for wild animals is extremely hard because zoos have to recreate the animals’ natural habitat. Zoos believe that they are protecting the animals’, yet; they tend to forget how it affects the animals. In reality, the animals are depressed and bored. These wild animals are being taken out of their natural habitats and are enclosed in small cages and habitats. Wild animals should live in their natural habitats, the wild, not in a zoo for the entertainment of zoo visitors. Therefore, banning zoos will end the horrible cycle of animal cruelty.
Zoos and other places that have animals are a great place for families or even just people to visit. They are entertaining for young children to see the different kinds of animals, yet still enjoyable for adults as we as humans never cease to be fascinated by them. How could a place that seems so wonderful, be so bad? It isn’t.
Animals can become depressed and lifeless when living in a zoo. They start showing unnatural behavior such as pacing and sleeping all the time.
As a kid, I had always looked forward to days at the zoo. I was, however, far more interested in the jungle-themed surroundings than the educational parts. I was told that zoos protected animals and took good care of them. Now I'm not too sure that's the truth. Animals like tigers, lions, and elephants are born to live and grow up in the wild. They aren't meant to live inside of a cage in a zoo. Not only that, but the animals' health isn't as good as you'd expect. Although lots time and money has been spent on zoos, animals are still suffering. Zoos are fun and exciting for kids and tourists, however, the animals aren't enjoying it as much as us.
Even though while in zoos they can have more stress being around people zoos will help the animals
Zoos are public parks that claim to display animals for the purpose of education and procreation of endangered species; but in reality Zoos area actually doing more harm than good. Animals that live in zoos are more likely to suffer from illness or injury as opposed to those who live in the wild, and they also have shorter lifespans.
Throughout time, some zoos have mimicked an animal 's natural habitat. While some zoos are becoming more suitable for the animals, many are still left behind. Many of the smaller zoos continue to have small cement enclosures with little nature. When an animal is placed in a small enclosure they are unable to complete their needs that the wild can easily give them. Animals such as elephants are used to walking 30 kilometers per day, at the zoo they are unable to fulfill their needs. Needs that can not be fulfilled leads to unhealthy behavior. According to PETA, “Many develop neurotic and self-harming behavior [known as] zoochosis, that is rarely, if ever, observed in the wild. Primates throw feces and eat their own vomit. Birds pluck out their own feathers. Tigers pace incessantly and polar bears swim endless figure-eights. In the zoo animals can also not experience hunting for their own food. Most of the animals at the zoo are predatory animals, that enjoy hunting for their food. A zoo can not provide that; therefore, the animals are fed in bowls. A zoo is nothing compared to the wild. There is no limit to where the animals can walk, fly or swim. There is no cement around just pure nature. Animals live an authentic life in the wild while playing an important role in their ecosystem. Hunting is an exciting part of the day for some animals while other animals face challenges against natural selection. In their
Animals held in captivity in zoos are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them. Taking animals out of their natural habitat makes them mentally ill. As a result, they become bored, lonely and depressed and many suffer from a condition called “zoochosis”. If you have ever watched captive animals in zoos pacing, chewing on bars or engaging in various of other abnormal behaviors, you have seen the disease close-up. Some animals are so depressed in their new environment they would tear holes in their own skin! Can you imagine doing that to yourself out of depression and loneliness? Zoochosis is so common that some zoos give animals a mood-changing drug, because the visitors have started to notice. Bears spend 30 % of their
“Zoos cannot provide the amount of space animals have in the wild” (“10 Facts About Zoos”). Animals get enough exercise from roaming all day when they live in their natural environment. The animals’ health is at stake without the ability to roam in the wild. “When these animals are imprisoned in cages or small enclosures at zoos, they
The best zoos are shifting their focus to the animals’ emotional and psychological needs by providing mental challenges and stimuli to enrich the animals’ daily lives (Wilkens, 2016). This can therefore prevent the psychological issues that were present in many other animals in the past. Zookeepers are also putting in more effort into making animal enclosures as similar to their natural habitats as possible (Wilkens, 2016). Zoos aim to allow animals to have more room and have more control over their daily lives, which in turn can improve the health of the animal. Keeping animals in close proximity also allows scientists to study them better, and therefore enables them to make even further improvements, especially on the health and physical care of the animals (Kelly, 2016).
Do you remember going to the zoo as a child and seeing the animals sunbathing, nursing young, or playing with each other? Do you remember reading signs with fun facts about the animals? Do you also remember leaving the zoo knowing more than you did before you went? That’s what zoos do, but that’s not all they do. Not only do zoos find creative and fun ways to educate children, but they also save many animals that would not have lived without help.
Zoos do not make the best environment for animals. Zimmerman had stated in his article, “what we definitely know is that animals suffer in zoos-there are high mortality rates, there's injuries, and there’s depression.” Keeping animals in an enclosed takes away a big of their persona space that they would get if they were left in the wild where they belong. Animals living in a zoo do not get to use all of their natural instincts, therefore it is taking
Zoos are an unsuitable environment for wild animals and should, therefore, be abolished. Firstly, zoo animals are kept in a very confined area compared to their vast natural habitat. Secondly, breeding programmes are far less successful than zoos claim. Thirdly, zoo animals are exposed to many diseases and other dangers. Zoo animals are usually kept in very cramped enclosures and do not behave like their wild counterparts.
Zoos are a very old idea. Zoos can trace their origins back to 19th Century Menageries. They have evolved past this simple state to become actual habitats for the creatures that inhabit them, not just bars and cages to hold animals captive. In fact, some zoos have partnered with the Worldwide Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). As you can see by these statements, zoos are an important way to save endangered.
Would you be willing to risk your fun and enjoyment for an animal’s happiness? Everytime families go to the zoo and give them money, they are making an animal suffer. The more money zoos get, the more animals are taken. Animals are depressed every day because they are being deprived of their rights; their right to be free. It’s obvious that zoos are harmful to animals because the animals become depressed, the scientists wouldn’t learn much, and because they are not prepared enough when they are released back into the wild.