https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/opinion/zoos-animal-cruelty.html, Photographs by Peter Fisher for The New York Times. ALSO READ: Man in Uganda Beats Lion With Bare Hands In Bloody Battle Before Feasting on the Beast for Dinner. Black-footed ferrets and red wolves in the United States and golden lion tamarins in Brazil all endangered, as well have been bred at zoos for reintroduction into the wild. This could cause problems for the animal. As we snap a selfie by the sea lions for the first time in so long, it seems worth asking, after our collective ordeal, whether our pleasure in seeing wild animals up close is worth the price of their captivity. Should Animals Be Kept in Zoos? | KQED Education Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage! Watching these is a much healthier and more educational way to learn about wild animals than visiting a local zoo. [WATCH], Armored Dinosaur Magnificently Preserved After Face, Skin, Spikes Survived Fossilization. WHY ANIMALS SHOULD NOT BE KEPT IN CAPTIVITY By "Phillip" Hungry, depressed, and unable to connect. Photographs by Peter Fisher. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. What Cause Extinction What Can We Do To Stop It? Apes are excellent at escaping. And it is true that the territory size of an animal like a wolf depends greatly on the density of resources and other wolves. Our EIN number is 94-2681680. I pointed out that we cant ask animals whether they are happy with their enclosure size. Should animals be kept in captivity? - The Current She could then climb the wire without being shocked. Gus, a polar bear at the Central Park Zoo, was given Prozac as part of an attempt to stop him from swimming endless figure-eight laps in his tiny pool. Zoos shifted just slightly from overt demonstrations of mastery over beasts to a narrative of benevolent protection of individual animals. Bears and cats pace. The Humane Society of the United States believes that animals in bare tanks do not present a realistic image of natural behaviors or natural habitats. So when they face a threat, wild animals believe that they should survive by fleeing, fighting, flirting, or freezing. Many zoos claim to be helping preserve dwindling populations. T he video above shows the tragic reality of how animals in captivity are mistreated and never get to experience freedom, or live how they were . In 2014, the Animal Legal Defense Fund successfully brought a lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act against a roadside zoo called the Cricket Hollow Animal Park, that was mistreating protected animals. The worst climate risks, mapped: In this feature, select a country, and we'll break down the climate hazards it faces. But relatively early in their evolution, a German exotic animal importer named Carl Hagenbeck changed the way wild animals were exhibited. Non-native animals are held in conditions that vary greatly from what they are used to living in. Should zoos be banned? | National Geographic Animals such as lions, elephants, and tigers dont get even close to one percent of the area they roam in the wild. However, suffering doesnt have to be physical; boredom, confinement, and stress can cause an animal a lot of suffering. There were five such states until 2017, when South Carolina passed a law banning wild and exotic animals to be kept as pets. The surpluses are then sold off to zoos, aquariums, or even circuses. The shooting of Harambe the gorilla spawned the most-shared meme of 2016 and caused a hounded Cincinnati Zoo to suspend its social media accounts. Are Zoos Ethical? Arguments for and Against Zoos - Treehugger Few federal laws protect the millions of wild animals who live in captivity in aquariums, circuses, theme parks and zoos in the U.S. When it rains, the topsoil gets washed away leaving the land more exposed. at the time estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 animals are euthanized in European zoos each year. Its said that Texas has the worlds second-largest tiger population, due to private citizens propensity for keeping these big cats as pets. When in their natural environments, wild animals are not used to being confronted by humans. What could these zoos do with it, besides enlarging enclosures? What Mr. Ashe wants visitors to experience when they look at the animals is a sense of empathy for the individual animal, as well as the wild populations of that animal.. A few zoos are famous for their conservation work. But that incident has triggered conversations on the negative impacts of marine parks and aquariums on wild animals. Visiting a zoo is a chance for many people to see exotic animals they would otherwise be unable to see. However, they are really just teaching children about caring for animals in captivity. Thousands of animals are captured and put in zoos and aquariums for tourist attractions every year. Visitors will hammer on the glass or clamor around an animal enclosure, calling and shouting for the creature to perform for their pleasure. On the other hand, the researchers reported, there were no significant differences in survey responses before entering an exhibit compared with those obtained as visitors were exiting., A 2008 study of 206 zoo visitors by some members of the same team showed that while 42 percent said that the main purpose of the zoo was to teach visitors about animals and conservation, 66 percent said that their primary reason for going was to have an outing with friends or family, and just 12 percent said their intention was to learn about animals., The researchers also spied on hundreds of visitors conversations at the Bronx Zoo, the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. However, not all of them are suitable for captivity and are better left alone in the wild. There are currently 421 zoological gardens and aquariums and a 2.9% business growth this year despite the pandemic. Animals are often bored and, as a result, some become aggressive and can lash out at other animals or zookeepers. Sadly, most of these associations end up protecting the interests of their members, and not the animals they should be protecting. The United Kingdom, for example, has announced a plan to phase out all circuses featuring wild animal performances by 2020. The problem is that these large predators control the population of herbivorous animals in their domain. Things like ensuring animals arent caged and treated less than they deserve. See Related: What Is The Hunters Role in Wildlife Conservation? Kings would keep hippos, baboons and large cats. An orangutan at the Omaha Zoo kept wire for lock-picking hidden in his mouth. Weve discussed the reasons and can surely all now answer the question of why are zoos bad. But few federal laws protect these animals, who may be forced to perform or kept confined in small cages with little to keep their minds occupied and bodies well. The researchers divided the odd behaviors of captive animals into two categories: impulsive/compulsive behaviors, including coprophagy (eating feces), regurgitation, self-biting and mutilation, exaggerated aggressiveness and infanticide, and stereotypies, which are endlessly repeated movements. These are highly intelligent animals with complex social constructs that scientists have studied for . Zoo elephants tend to die young. This is due to the inhumane conditions that these animals are forced to endure. Required fields are marked *. Boycott businesses that profit from cruelty to animals. Should Animals Be Kept in Zoos? | The Minimalist Vegan The statistics on the number of big cats alone that have died in captivity between 1990 and 2021 is 126. The better alternatives to zoos are the options that dont result in animals being held in conditions that are unsuitable and forced to live in natural environments. When confined they rock, pull their hair and engage in other tics. The Toledo Zoo has dosed zebras and wildebeest with the antipsychotic haloperidol to keep them calm and has put an orangutan on Prozac. But this is not the norm. Others allow private parties to keep animals like tigers or primates with a permit. These are species that would have vanished totally were it not for captive populations around the world, many of which reside in zoos (or, for plants, botanic gardens). One of the best examples of this advantage is the Przewalski's horse. They are just some of the millions of wild animals living in captivity across the United States. How Does Saving Water Help Climate Change? Local laws are often most effective in governing the private possession of exotic animals. Below are a dozen reasons why zoos can be bad for animals: No matter how dedicated a zoo is, it cant meet the space requirements for most of its animals. Ive heard and read some of their stories. There is no wild animal census in the United States, and many states have lax oversight, so any estimates about the population of wild animals in captivity is at best an educated guess. 9 Reasons Not to Visit Zoos - PETA UK The process of training an animal is a long and brutal one. YES. They go to get out of the house, to get their children some fresh air, to see interesting animals. Marine mammals are best protected by cleaning up and protecting their habitats. Wildlife experts said that the incident was just another proof that wild animals should not be kept captive because it would not happen had the dolphin was only in the wild. Many zoo animals are forcefully removed from their natural habitat. This is how animals get physical and psychological scars from abuse. There are a great many negative effects of zoos on animals.When we visit zoos, we can see they often go to great lengths in order to recreate the animals natural habitats. For example, Charles Harvey and Kurt House argue that subsidies for climate capture technologywill ultimately be a waste. Big cats, such as lions and tigers, used in circuses are forced to live in tiny cages that are transported across the country. Zoological gardens have been working to help ensure that any endangered species are given another chance to thrive again over time. Alex started writing from the moment he could hold a pen. The Los Angeles Zoo has used Celexa, an antidepressant, to control aggression in one of its chimps. Profits are also gained through the selling of animals to other zoos or circuses. Reasons Why Animals Should not Be Kept in Zoos - GradesFixer But theres no unambiguous evidence that zoos are making visitors care more about conservation or take any action to support it. Their death can be caused by either: lack of space, physical problems, diet, and PTSD. Elephants figure prominently in his book, in part because they are so big that when they escape it generally makes the news. When a female gorilla named Johari kept fighting off the male she was placed with, the zoo dosed her with Prozac until she allowed him to mate with her. See Related: Best Books on Endangered Species. This can make the animals neurotic, causing them to start biting bars, pacing repetitively, and swaying. Look out for the GFAS seal of approval. In zoos, elephants are often given a small outside enclosure and an internal house. This is nowhere near enough space to provide an elephant with a life comparable to that of its wild counterparts. This goes to the detriment of the animals in zoos and puts them at risk of receiving inadequate care. This is the image of the zoo I grew up with: the unambiguously good civic institution that lovingly cared for animals both on its grounds and, somehow, vaguely, in their wild habitats. When big predators are brought up on dead meat and never have to hunt for themselves, mingle with the prey they cant hunt, and entertain humans with tricks, they get further from their natural behaviors. Your email address will not be published. We do know that common animals kept as pets include lions, tigers, cougars, ocelots, servals, wolves, bears, alligators, snakes and nonhuman primates like chimpanzees. Animals kept in an unsuitable environment or fed the wrong diet can suffer, and this can lead to illness or death. Pros and cons of zoos: Should animals be kept in zoos? This relocation alone can come as a large shock and wreak havoc on the animals mental health. After being captives of the pandemic for more than a year, we have begun experiencing the pleasures of simple outings: dining al fresco, shopping with a friend, taking a stroll through the zoo. What if zoos stopped breeding all their animals, with the possible exception of any endangered species with a real chance of being released back into the wild? Kept in barren cages rarely larger than 20 by 20 feet, bears in roadside zoos spend their days pacing, sleeping abnormally long periods of time, and bobbing their head all indications of extreme psychological distress. There are zoological park associations that were formed to keep zoo owners on their toes. Your voice is needed, so that captive wild animals in the United States, and elsewhere, are better protected. Some are in aquariums, circuses, theme parks and zoos, others live caged at private homes. Theyre generally small menageries where wild and exotic animals like lions, tigers, monkeys, wolves, and others are kept in captivity, and often suffer badly. Animals are removed from their natural habitats. Tigers, lions, elephants, bears and nonhuman primates are all included in this law. Check out more news and information on Wild Animalsin Science Times. A quick google search reveals that a zoo is an establishment that maintains a collection of wild animals, typically in a park or gardens, for study, conservation, or display to the public. The shooting of Harambe the gorilla spawned the most-shared meme of 2016 and caused a hounded Cincinnati Zoo to suspend its social media accounts. There are dozens of other countries around the world with similar prohibitions, including Austria, Greece, Israel, Mexico, Peru and Singapore. You can see exotic animals without the need for traveling. The U.S. became a signatory to CITES in 1975. Alas, theres plenty of heartbreaking evidence that many are not. Here are my eight reasons why zoos are critical to conservation: 1. They learned from their parents to be mistrustful because they have no way of knowing whether people could be good or do them harm. The allure of baby animals and the crowds they pull can lead a zoological garden director to increase them to keep attracting customers. Zoos provide opportunities for nice family trips. These laws help the animals and also people, since wild animals in captivity present a serious public safety risk. Protect animals by boycotting roadside zoos. Is Keeping Wild Animals In Zoos Unethical?: Arguments For - WorldAtlas Zoos can be productive when it comes to reviving an animal species on the brink of extinction. Mr. Hagenbecks model was widely influential. The fewer than two dozen non-participants include North Korea, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Turkmenistan. A common criticism is that the inspectors are often inadequately trained to look for sign of problems such as abuse and neglect. Animals such as lions, elephants, and tigers don't get even close to one percent of the area they roam in the wild. Why Animals Should Not be Kept in Zoos These animals oftentimes live in inhumane conditions, and pose a serious threat to public safety. Zoo owners go to great lengths to build enclosures that have a wild aesthetic and give paying visitors a taste of the wild world. When it comes to lethal force and animal welfare, at least, public opinion swiftly sides against zoos. Others are captured from their native habitats, or come from backyard breeders or the black market. WorldAnimalFoundation.org is reader-supported. facilities report spending approximately $231 million annually on conservation projects. They could either bite, peck, scratch, kick, or flap their wings. If an untrained zookeeper comes across a stubborn animal, they might hurt it if they are impatient. They are removed from their natural habitats and confined to small limited spaces and often forced to perform tricks or entertain visitors. Instead, they will hire generalists with a degree of knowledge specificity and run with that. Here is an example of just how harsh it can get when an animal is being trained to perform tricks. Some surplus animals or injured animals are even fed to predators as a means of life-cycle maintenance. By designing these enclosures so that many animals could be seen at once, without any bars or walls in the visitors lines of sight, he created an immersive panorama, in which the fact of captivity was supplanted by the illusion of being in nature. I do not doubt that some people had their passion for a particular species, or wildlife in general, sparked by zoo experiences. This is only one of the Acts limitations. 2021 ScienceTimes.com All rights reserved. Animals are forced to live in artificial habitats that arent anywhere close to their former homes (the wild). The worst ones are the malicious keepers who enjoy hurting animals in captivity. In his Animal Park, which opened in 1907 in Hamburg, he designed cages that didnt look like cages, using moats and artfully arranged rock walls to invisibly pen animals. The Arabian oryx, an antelope native to the Arabian Peninsula, went extinct in the wild in the 1970s and then was reintroduced into the wild from zoo populations. 1. The truth is that zoos are a prison for animals. Here's What Experts Think. Elephants arent the only species that try to flee a zoo life. With increased awareness about the cruelty involved with keeping wild animals in captivity, more and more jurisdictions are enacting legal protections. Zoos often have insufficient knowledge of animals. A fine day out with the family might itself be justification enough for the existence of zoos if the zoo animals are all happy to be there. They are kind people, bonded to their charges and immersed in the culture of the zoo, in which they are the good guys. People assume that because an animal can move great distances that they would choose to do that. If they have everything they need nearby, he argued, they would be happy with smaller territories. The Enigmatic Wombats: Surprising Facts and Myths Debunked. Unfortunately using real animals for these purposes involves tremendous cruelty. This can lead to an appreciation of animals, which in return will see them being treated much better. Many zoos conduct such studies, and also run captive breeding programmes for endangered species. Tell lawmakers you support animal-friendly legislation and local bans on using animals in entertainment. Copyrights 2023. Humans have kept wild animals for thousands of years. This isnt always guaranteed since the breeding practices could be insufficient or even produce animals that are not suitable for survival in the wild. More than 6,000 comments made by the visitors were recorded, nearly half of which were purely descriptive statements that asserted a fact about the exhibit or the animal. The researchers wrote, In all the statements collected, no one volunteered information that would lead us to believe that they had an intention to advocate for protection of the animal or an intention to change their own behavior.. To many people, a trip to the zoo is a fun day out for the family. Investigators found sticks and pine cones inside the exhibit, most likely thrown by the boys. Can captive animals ever truly return to the wild? | BBC Earth However, this is often not much more than an illusion for the customer. A criticism is that protections are less robust for species that are economically valuable, and that CITES is not as transparent in its decision-making or enforcement as would be ideal. Even the best zoological park cannot fully capture the wild, and many smaller zoos fail to take effective measures to ensure the health and well-being of their animals. Keep on reading. A zoological park is defined as an establishment designed for conservation, study, and public display. The real question is, how can we change things? In normalizing captivity zoos, and teaching animals to perform tricks for human entertainment, zoos and animal sanctuaries are spreading the message that animal captivity to normal, healthy, and fully acceptable. Polar bears have one million times less space. Before anyone starts sprinkling the stuff on their cornflakes, this isn't the hottest new beauty trend nor is it a natural phenomenon: Assiniboine Park Zoo's keepers use coloured glitter in the bears' feed to identify their droppings. Personally speaking, Ive been to zoos in Sydney, Australia, and all over the UK. A.Z.A. Reasons why people think keeping animals in zoos is bad for their welfare: the animal is deprived of its natural habitat; the animal may not have enough room; the animal is deprived of its natural . Drugs given to animals include sedatives and antipsychotic drugs. Emma Marris is an environmental writer and the author of the forthcoming book Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World.. This can have huge negative effects on the environment in many adverse ways. Those who reported a sense of connection to the animals at the zoo also correlated positively with general environmental concern. An example of these associations is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which represents over 240 businesses across the globe. Once again, a change of this magnitude can cause captive animals to exhibit changing behaviors, which include self-destructive acts and unrelenting restlessness. Zoos are expensive to run, often have a very tight budget, and cannot afford to maintain and support animals that do not pull their weight in terms of attraction. Most states have no laws governing captive wild animals. That claim is up for debate. Existing refuges often do allow visitors, but their facilities are really arranged for the animals, not for the people. Such a transformation might free up some space. 2. 17 Pros and Cons of Keeping Animals in Captivity - ConnectUS NASA's DART Mission Successfully Changed the Trajectory of Space Rock Dimorphos, Asteroid Ryugu Richly Harbors Building Blocks of Life, Scientists Reveal, SpaceXs Crew-6 Astronauts Aboard Dragon Capsule Endeavor Will Arrive at Space Station Early Friday [WATCH LIVE]. That change prompted the shift in zoo narrative from entertainment to the protection of animals. Many people consider zoos amoral and cruel while others have the notion . On top of that, the animals dont have much freedom even in these tiny spaces that they are forced to live in. Some sad facts about zoos are that at times, the people hired to take care of and protect these animals arent very qualified. Exotic animals have become very popular, but they are also dangerous in so many ways. Carl Hegenbeck, a German exotic animal importer, introduced the modern model of more natural habitats for animals instead of obvious cages at his Animal Park in Hamburg in 1907. It is not possible to have zookeepers versed in a detailed understanding of every single species. Caring for the said animals, away from their predator will give their species a chance of repopulating. CITES does not directly address living conditions for captive animals. Yes, it is time consuming and it is expensive, but if it is possible, we have to try, simply because is the right thing to do.". Zookeepers also often may neglect their healthcare needs. Having seen a majestic leopard in the zoo, the visitor becomes more willing to pay for its conservation or vote for policies that will preserve it in the wild. "Animals in zoos suffer tremendously, both physically and mentally. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This gives the poor pets a home and creates a revenue stream for the zoos. Are Sliding Doors or French Doors More Energy Efficient? For animals in zoos, the AWA sets low requirements as to housing, food and sanitation, and, as is commonly noted, no requirements for mental stimulation of animals other than primates. This is particularly true if the animal is there for entertainment. Students and the general public get a chance to learn about different species of animals. However, the truth is that no enclosure can come close to matching the vastness of an animals natural environment. Being placed into a small tank, away from their family units, might not break existing animal protection laws. Some zoo animals try to escape. or the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria have studbooks and genetic pedigrees and carefully breed their animals as if they might be called upon at any moment to release them, like Noah throwing open the doors to the ark, into a waiting wild habitat. For some animals, reintroduction will always be difficult, such as baby elephants, or pet cheetahs, both of which habituate to human care very quickly, says Moore of IFAW. Opinion | Zoos Are Bad for Animals - The New York Times The educational day out model of zoos endured until the late 20th century, when zoos began actively rebranding themselves as serious contributors to conservation. "We engage huge audiences with wildlife, inspiring the conservationists of tomorrow," argues zoological director of ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, Professor David Field. They learned from their parents to be mistrustful because they have no way of knowing whether people could be good or do them harm. ", PETA's Bekhechi adds, the aim of breeding programmes is just "to produce baby animals to attract visitors.". Wildlife experts remind people that these animals do not know people's intentions, so they will try to protect themselves no matter what. (This law does not affect zoos or circuses.). Why Are Zoos Bad? Why Animals Should Not be Kept in Zoos In this way, they could lead the predator away from their nest. Some populations in the wild are weakened by endogamy too. For example, if the number of lions is drastically reduced in an area, their prey will thrive. But that day of release never quite seems to come. In a study done on 40 chimpanzees in six different zoos, all of the chimps exhibited behavior their counterparts in nature did not. A species protected in captivity provides a reservoir population against a population crash or extinction in the wild. Marine mammals in captivity | The Humane Society of the United States After all, more than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums worldwide every year, and biodiversity is still in decline. Privacy Policy. While researching my book on the ethics of human interactions with wild species, Wild Souls, I examined how, exactly, zoos contribute to the conservation of wild animals. An example of this is a snake that will bite whatever is threatening them since they are not as good at running away as other animals. Capturing animals even smart ones like apes, for amusement shouldnt be going on anywhere. Here they are relatively safe . As a result, many zoos breed animals. Running a successful zoo is about drawing in visitors as much as it is caring for animals. See Related: Animals With the Best Sense of Smell. Most zoos or animal sanctuaries dont have the space or the facilities to truly recreate the wild. Many suffer from arthritis and other joint problems from standing on hard surfaces; elephants kept alone become desperately lonely; and all zoo elephants suffer mentally from being cooped up in tiny yards while their free-ranging cousins walk up to 50 miles a day. They are contained in small spaces, often made docile through drugs and other medications, and slowly strip away all autonomy and freedom from all animals. An animals worth is only equal to the attraction it offers to visitors. And Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo has an on-site Wildlife Hospital to save sick and injured native species. The idea of conserving animals that are at risk of going extinct is a great one; the problem is that not most zoos live up to it.