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Protecting endangered animals
The role of a zoo in conservation
The role of a zoo in conservation
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Recommended: Protecting endangered animals
Did you know zoos raised about 16 billion dollars to support animals(Zoo Statistics)?Zoos improved in many ways and are helping a lot of animals. Zoos help with endangered animals, zoos try their hardest to care for the animals, and zoos try to make animals feel like they are at home.Zoos do not keep animals captive but help them.
Zoos play a vital role in the conversation of our endangered animals. According to Dr.Lisa, vice president of conversation and science at Chicago's Lincoln' park zoo, states “ Accredited zoos and aquariums AZA [Association of Zoos and Aquariums]contributed some $160 million to conservation efforts in 130 countries, and thousands of zoo scientists are studying innumerable subjects that contribute to the greater understanding of wildlife “(Ganshaw). This shows that zoos are working hard and trying to earn money to help endangered animals. Also, studies show that first that they had only 22 California condors by 1998 but zoos helped and now there are over 400 California condors(Granshaw).This means that zoos are working together to keep endangered animals alive by breeding them so they don't go extinct.This shows that zoos help endangered animals.
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Even though although zoo animals aren’t treated quite like guests at a four-star hotel, their care has improved tremendously.This is because a gorilla named Colo was born in a zoo and lived about for 20 years longer than gorillas born in the wild.
She only lived so long because of the care she had (Klein). Also “We’re not going to be able to emulate what animals do in the wild,” said Dana Hatcher, a nutritionist at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, “But we are trying to do things that help recreate these natural behaviors to the best of our abilities”(Klein). This shows that they are going to try animals to live longer and give them all the care they need.This is how zoos are helping animals
significantly. Some people might think that animals have to live in a cage and have a very small space to live. Also, they think that zoos are a prison for animals.However, zoos did improve and made animals have a more habitable condition. "Enrichment is a dynamic process," said Erin Dowgwillo, the elephant manager at the zoo and an organizer of the day's events. The goal is to get animals "to express those natural behaviors" that they would in the wild”(Zoo keeps animals healthy, happy with the play, exercise). This shows that they are trying to help animals feel at home in the zoos and not trying to make animals feel like they are captivated. Also, most programs focus on making animals forage and work for food, solve puzzles for treats, or even hunt live prey, letting them practice natural behaviors and stay sharp (Zoo keeps animals healthy, happy with the play, exercise). This shows that they are trying to help animals feel like that they are in the wild and at home. Thus, zoos do not hold animals captive but help the animals. This is because zoos help endangered animals, zoos try to care for animals and zoos try to make animals feel at home. It's important to tell that zoos support animals and not keep them as an attraction. Zoos are not prisons for animals but instead a safe place where animals can live.
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.
The difference between right and wrong is not always perfectly clear. A long-standing part of cultures across the world, zoological and animal parks have been around for hundreds of years. While in the past concerns and issues regarding the ethical problems zoos seem to impose were less prominent, in recent times the rise of animal rights activist groups and new generational values have influenced the way people view these parks. Critics believe that zoos are an unnatural habitat for animals and force them to live in captivity, having a negative impact on their health. Yet, there are still many remaining who fully support zoos, citing business and educational reasons. Some supporters even acknowledge the ethical problems zoos face, but choose
Tigers, lions, giraffes, and other exotic animals are rarely seen in the wild. However the public, without humans and/or animals being harmed at the same time, can see exotic animals when a zoo opens. Zoos for many are a wonderful experience, but to others they see the animals as being treated poorly and not able to roam free. These people do not consider the beneficial sides of zoos. Zoos around the world help species that have been endangered by protecting and caring for them. Otherwise they would have became extinct and killed for their valuable fur or feathers. Zoos were created for a purpose that needed to be filled. If there were no purpose for them they would have not been created. Zoos are needed and if there is a need in this world, the spot will most likely be filled without hesitation. Some zoos were not trained properly and do not treat their animals very well. Some bad zoos do not feed their animals enough and keep them in a confined cage. Although some zoos are harmful for both animals and people, many of them are good zoos and take care of their animals better than most people take care of them selves. It is amazing to be able to see such care and love are associated with zoos. Not only do zoos help the endangered animals they also help people learn to respect such amazing creatures. Zoos are a good attribute to society because they promote education, research, protect, conserve, and outlook.
Kaufman, Leslie. "To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 May 2012. Web. 12 May 2015.
Zoos today say that one of their main goals is to conserve endangered species and eventually reintroduce them back into the wild. However, Benjamin Beck, former associate director of biological programs at the National Zoo in Washington, found that over the past century only 16 of 145 reintroduction programs worldwide ever actually restored any of the animals back to the wild (qtd. in Fravel). He also found that a majority was carried out by the government and not the actual programs themselves. Beck noted that the billions of dollars the zoos were receiving were going towards hi-tech exhibits and marketing strategies to get people to go to the zoos. So which zoos are actually attempting to save the lives they claim to be? According to David Hancocks, a former zoo director with 30 years’ experience, many zoos that are not affiliated with the AZA do not spend hardly any of their fu...
David Hone, a dinosaur and pterosaurs specialist and previous zoo volunteer, reveals that there are in fact good zoos. Again, he believes that good zoos are institutions that provide superb care and protection to the animals it houses. A monumental amount of species is going extinct and becoming increasingly threatened across the whole Earth. Dr. Hone clearly states, “Zoos protect against a species going extinct.” However, activists disagree and claim that captivity in zoos is not a humane way to preserve animal lives. Such activists believe that the wild animals kept in zoos should be left alone in the wild with their inherent freedom. In objection, Dr. Hone states, “A lot of very nasty things happen to truly ‘wild’ animals that simply don’t happen in good zoos and to cast a life that is ‘free’ as one that is ‘good’ is, I think, an error “(Hone). In totality, Dr. Hone concludes that fewer species would be living today if it were not for the efforts of zoological institutions to keep them alive. In his experience in working in two zoo facilities, he found that research in zoos is an important resource in keeping deteriorating species and ecosystems alive. Research scientists and experts can study living habits, behavior, and reactions of wild animals in zoos all while remaining safe. Because the animals are not in the wild, the scientists and experts experience less variables in their studies which results in better results. Dr. Hone explains, “Knowing say the
Even though some zoos have an endangered species exhibit with the intention of protecting and rehabilitating animals, many do not do an adequate job of protecting the animals. Zoos have been harmful to the very animals they have sworn to protect. Animals in captivity often suffer from anxiety, boredom and other severe issue related to prolonged confinement. Most animals are unable to thrive in small enclosure with unnatural weather and climates. For example elephants are known to walk as far as 30 miles per day, but the association of Zoos and aquariums only require a space the measures $0 feet by 45 feet, which is about the size of a three car garage, to house these large animals. (peta.org) the drastic difference in the amount of space their allowed ...
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.
If more people are aware of new animals on the endangered species list, there is more of a chance that researchers will get more funds. Zoos also create habitats for animals on the verge of extinction where otherwise there would be none. There is some controversy between zoos and endangered species. Because of the limited gene pool of a species, the variation is greatly limited. This will –as an end result- lead to inbreeding which will create mutations and defects in the offspring.
Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey.
In the first place, zoos help with so much research. Over 150,000,000 people visit zoos every year. All those people pay to get in, so that provides the zoos to do research. Also they have so many animals there at the zoo they don’t have to go out and find the animals to do there research.
The more research that is being down is the more chance that we have to save the animals. Although some people may argue that even though many zoos donate they don’t donate enough that makes a difference. However, considering that there are over ten thousand zoos the amount is not too big of a deal because if most zoos donate then the numbers will add up quickly. For example, according to The Blank Park zoo.com, it states that, many zoos participate in a multitude of charities and foundations that work with conservation. This zoo and many others have created their own projects such as, annual giving, planned giving, and also memorial and honorary gifts.
Lastly, many zoos have breeding programs which helps endangered species grow their population. In the wild some animals find it hard to find a mate and to successfully breed. At zoos they have professionals which make sure that the breeding goes successfully and that the baby grows into a strong and healthy adult. If you still don't believe that animals should be kept in zoos another option is an animal sanctuary where animals are able to run free but still have the care of a human if
Most of us have had the opportunity to visit a zoo before, whether it be in your home town, out of state, or maybe even out of the country. Well I think a lot of us may look at visiting a zoo simply as something fun to do with your family or friends, but today I would like to inform everyone on the other benefits of having these zoo’s. The main focus of Zoos are to help endangered animals, provide animal research, and educate the public about the animals living there. Some may disagree, but there is more to zoos than having them on display for viewer’s entertainment.