Persuasive Essay Zoos

The median life span for an African elephant in a zoo is 16.9 years, whereas an African elephant on a nature preserve typically dies of natural cause around 56 years old ("Pitiful," 2017). Researchers are unsure of the exact reason for the lower lifespan, but they believe it to be the lack of space and absence of their natural habitat. Animals that are held in captivity are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them ("PETA," 2017). Many do not understand the immense capacity of danger an animal's life is put in when they are captive. Zoos and animal parks such as, SeaWorld, advertise how they are helping animals, and educating people. But, they are actually doing quite the opposite. Zoos and public aquariums should be banned

in order to improve the lives of many animals that are placed in them.
Elephants are not the only animals that experience shortening lifespans when being confined to zoos and aquariums. Orcas in the wild have an average life expectancy of 30 to 50, while at SeaWorld the average age of death is 13 years old ("8 reasons," 2017). The psychological issues as well as physical health complications they experience take an extreme toll on their life. They experience many simpler health problems that all add up together leading to their early death. For example, all captive male adults have collapsed dorsal fins. In the wild, this is very rare, and hardly happens ("8 reasons," 2017). The negative impact of animals being held captive is shown by this. They would only in extreme rare cases have to experience collapsed dorsal fins if they lived in the wild, but since they are captive it is prominent they have this disadvantage. This shows how animals are not meant to be held in cages or tanks, but they should be free in their own habitat. By orcas being held in a tank at SeaWorld, one orca would need to swim 1208 laps around the largest tank in the park to equal what they would swim in the wild ("8 reasons", 2017). Orcas are very large animals, and should not have to be stuck in small spaces. The tank they are expected to live in is probably the equivalent of a bathtub to them. The tanks are no where close to the habitat that they should be in. So, how can they advertise that they are helping the animals when they are holding them back and in these tiny tanks? If they truly cared about the effects the animals they have at SeaWorld are experiencing, they would realize the best place for them is in their own habitat in the ocean.
Just like SeaWorld, zoos all over the world hold animals in cages or tanks, and believe they are giving them the best care they could ever experience. But truly, animals there are perceived as objects and little thought goes into their own physical, environmental, social, or psychological needs (Travers, 1993). Zoos ignore the animals true needs by keeping them confined. Because each zoo is a business, their beliefs and how the company can benefit comes first. Zoos routinely trade, loan, and sell adult animals they no longer want amongst themselves ("Pitiful", 2017). This disregards the animal's care for the benefit of the zoo itself. Many animals are traded or sold to zoos that have horrible care, and they pay no attention to it. PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world. They continually search for ways to help animals all over the globe. Not only do they spread awareness for animal rights, but they also take action to solve the problems. PETA found a chimpanzee, Edith, living in a filthy concrete pit at the AWR living zoo. She was living off a diet of rotten produce and dog food ("Pitiful", 2017). Many zoos and aquariums all over the world keep their animals in similar awful conditions. Organizations such as PETA are left to rescue those animals put into unsafe hands. It is not okay for zoos and aquariums to advertise themselves as safe homes for the animals, when they leave them in situations such as Edith's. An animal's life in the wild will never be properly portrayed in a zoo or aquarium, especially in a zoo where they are not taken care of. An animal's care should not be left in the wrong hands of these people, they should be in the wild where they can take care of themselves properly. It is unfair for them to be deprived of everything natural to them, and kept in a completely foreign place.
While being held in a foreign place, everything changes for the animal.

They are no longer the same species they once were in the wild. This can be seen through the difference in behaviors that starts to form. "There can be a deterioration in both physical and mental health such as the development of abnormal behavior, disease, and even early mortality" (Travers, 1993). Scientists sometimes call these behaviors 'Zoochosis' (Travers, 1993). This term was coined by Bill Travers, who created the Born Free Foundation. Zoochosis is used to describe the obsessive, repetitive and abnormal behavior that is shown by zoo animals. The behavior is caused by the unfamiliar living quarters, and how unnatural everything seems to them. Behaviors such as pacing, circling, rocking, self-mutilation, vomiting, and several others can be seen. "The climate, diet, and size and characteristics of the enclosure may be complete alien to species as it exists in the wild" (Travers, 1993). By relocating these animals from their typical habitat, they have to relearn how to live. In addition, they must also rely on humans, who may hardly care, to meet their needs. This causes stress amongst the animals, therefore starting these bizarre actions. An Oxford study found that animals such as polar bears, lions, tigers and cheetahs show the most evidence of stress and psychological dysfunction ("Pitiful", 2017). Although these animals show the most signs, all animals experience it. The stress build-up for the animals is unfair, and unnecessary. Their is no reason for these innocent animals to be taking on this great

amount