There has been a long-standing debate surrounding the nature of zoological parks. In recent years, the concern over the health and safety of animals in captivity has grown significantly. This is due, in part, to the rise in attention people have started paying towards the way these animals are treated and held captive within zoological parks. On the news, more cases pop up yearly involving animals that have been abused, neglected, and even killed. Furthermore, animal rights groups have become larger in numbers and more outspoken regarding the problematic existence of zoos. Though despite these facts, there has not been a decline in the amount of people visiting zoos, the economic revenue is as strong as ever, and the establishments are still …show more content…
An example of these unethical problems is displayed through the killing of animals that often happens when zoos consider them surplus to their park. The act of killing animals due to captivity restrictions and a surplus amount of certain species within zoos has become known as “zoothanasia,” predominantly a problem throughout Europe. According to the article “Cruel to be Kind?” by Marc Bekoff and Daniel Ramp, the killings of surplus animals have reached around 5,000 annually alone in Europe and show how, “human interests trump those of the non-human animals.” These animals are, “harmed or killed ‘in the name of conservation’, or for the ‘good of their own (or other) species’” (Bekoff and Ramp). These deaths are decided by human zookeepers and inconsiderate to the value of an animal’s life. The result of this is unnecessary suffering and morally unacceptable outcomes. Hence, this presents a clear unethical dilemma that would not be a problem if the animals weren’t in captivity to begin with, or if zoos decided to release surplus animals back into the wild. In their natural and wild environments, too many of one species would not be problematic. The animals could live peacefully without the threat of being killed off because they didn’t fit into a specific breeding program or the zoo needed more room for endangered …show more content…
However, educational benefits zoos provide are minimal because animals are in their unnatural environment and behave differently. In his book Wild Animals in Captivity, Rob Laidlaw describes how animal behavior at zoos is completely different from behavior in natural environments. Small spaces and boredom leads to frustration and repetitive actions, such as a monkey rocking back and forth continuously. Laidlaw writes, “At many of the zoos I visit, I see animals doing things their species never do in the wild” (Laidlaw 9). Therefore, what an individual observes at the zoo is untrue to the animal’s natural behavior and the educational experience is false. Moreover, there would be more of an educational benefit from watching documentaries about animals in the wild or reading books on how certain species behave and interact. Even though zoos provide up close interaction with animals, they lack the ability to educate visitors on how animals truly behave. Additionally in a study that further undermines the educational value of zoos, Eric Jenson’s “Evaluating Children 's Conservation Biology Learning at the Zoo” examines the before and after effects surrounding children’s (ages 7-15) knowledge of animals and conservation. He found that the standard unguided zoo experience resulted in negative understanding of animals and their habitats. Only when children were lead by a guide where they more likely to
Animal rights have become a very serious issue here in the United States over the last few decades. One issue that has been discussed is whether or not zoos serve a good purpose or are they just a torture chamber for the animals. Locked up in small cages so people can yell at them and stare. Or are zoos the key to save our species in an ever growing human population. Rachel Lu, a philosophy teacher and senior columnist, writes the article, “Let’s Keep Zoos: Learning stewardship is a good thing.”, published April 18, 2014, argues that zoos are worth keeping. Rachel Lu uses her personal experiences to appeal to her audience that zoos are valuable to people especially young children because it gives them a perspective on nature.
Analysis of Argument for Ethical Zoos and How They Benefit Animals Due to the recent events in the Cincinnati Zoo, arguments have been sparked about the ethics of zoos. Most articles try to argue against zoos and closed environments, but there are those that still support zoos and the programs that they provide for endangered species. The argument “Zoos Are Not Prisons”? They Improve the Lives of Animals” focuses on the positives of animal enclosures and fights for support to keep zoos in business. The author, Dr. Robin Ganzert, ties examples of programs that zoos help create and what type of research is conducted in the zoos, to support his claims.
Considering the many challenges animals face in the wild, it is understandable that people may be eager to support zoos and may feel that they are protective facilities necessary for animal life. In the article “ Zoos Are Not Prisons. They Improve the Lives of Animals”, Author Robin Ganzert argues that Zoos are ethical institutions that enrich the lives of animals and ultimately protect them. Statistics have shown that animals held in captivity have limited utilitarian function resulting in cramped quarters, poor diets, depression, and early death for the animals thus, proving that Zoos are not ethical institutions that support and better the lives of animals as author Robin Ganzert stated (Cokal 491). Ganzert exposes the false premise in stating
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 who fully support zoos, citing business and educational reasons.
There are many places where people can go to see live animals such as aquariums, zoos, and safari parks. A pleasant way to define a Zoo is to call it “an establishment that maintains a collection of wild animals”. (Google def) Another way to say that is a facility in which animals are “enclosed in cages for public exhibition”. I believe zoos are ethical; however, changes need to be made to eliminate problems I have discovered. In this argumentative essay, I will be arguing the ethics of zoos and certain problems that need to be addressed that people are not aware of. Zoos are great places to take the family out for the day to have entertainment; however, problems such as captive breeding, length of life, and animal stress need to improve.
"Do We Need Zoos?" : An All Creatures Animal Rights Article. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
Zoo’s enclosures and parks have been around for quite a while now, and it is the duty of the public to go to these parks to explore a new world and experience the “true” animals. People are attracted to new experiences and to learn about exotic animals and see them in their “natural” habitat, or so owners try to present zoos to the public in that way. The seller ideas to get the public to continue to go to the zoos is gaining new exotic animals that you wouldn’t normally see around your house or near civilization. As stated by DeLuca and Slawter-Volkening, zoos are used to “bringing a taste of wilderness” to its public (3), trying to give a false reality of the wilderness. Later in the same article, they stated that “fundamentally zoos exist to amuse people…..animals are reduced to actors in the play/world created by humans for humans” (DeLuca and Slawter-Volkening 4). This statement shows that humans do in fact enjoy the “fake” over the real, and that animals are only objects or toys used to amuse the people.
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...
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.
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.
Blindsided by the lies we hear in our daily lives can also relate to the inhumanity of zoos. Vegetarian times created the article called Nature Behind Bars to focus our attention towards the cruelty behind these cages. Critics say, “zoos are abnormal and self-destructive behavior.”(Mary Beckoff). The confinement and loss of enjoyment is minimal when a wild animal is imprisoned. This is important that we only help rescued animals that cannot survive alone in the wild, but not capture any just for pleasure or
”Zoos help raise the number of endangered animals but their artificial settings restrict the natural behavior of animals” (Animalsake). “The shocking evidence of animal abuse in some circuses, dolphinariums, and zoos have pushed many environmental and wildlife activist groups to campaign for the closure of many of the institutions that keep wild animals in captivity” (netivist.org). “Zebras at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. starved to death because of insufficient or incorrect food, and the same zoo’s red pandas died after ingesting rat poison”(animals.how stuffworks.com). Most people know that zoos help protect many animals from becoming extinct but zoos does more harm than good. In the movie “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” reboot there was a scene where this ape keeper was torturing the apes by spraying them down with a high pressure of water, spitting on them, yelling at them, and using a taser on their cages and shocking them which shows how real ape zookeepers do to real apes instead of treating them like good zookeepers.
Very few people seem to read the long drawn out information on the displays. Without reading this information, people are clueless as to what environment is more beneficial to the animals. “Even if there was an abundance of signs, descriptions, and educational displays beside the animals’ cages, very little of this information, if any, will be remembered” (“Last Chance for Animals - Zoos”). The displays only provide basic information about the animals. This limited information on the displays do not give the people visiting accurate information about the animal’s situation.
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.