Mistreatment Of Animals In Zoos And Aquariums

As the animal rights movement has developed and grown substantially in recent years, there has been an increased focused on the welfare of captive animals. A popular institution that has received much attention for keeping animals captive is the zoo. Because of this focus, zoos have responded by publicizing their positive benefits for existence in order to justify keeping these animals on display. Since the term “zoo” can have a wide variety of meaning and characteristics, it is important to define what constitutes a zoo in this essay. Zoos are defined as a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and

In the article “Zoos Are Cruel and Unnecessary,” Earth Times posed a question, “With the internet, as well as DVDs, 3D TV, etc., are zoos really necessary to teach people about animals in the 21st century?” In the response given by Liz Tyson, director of the Captive Animals’ Protection Society, she argues an animal and its environment in a zoo is “out of context” and there is no substitution for an animal’s natural habitat. Therefore, viewing animals in such environments distorts the message that a zoo’s primary purpose is to conserve these habitats in the wild. By focusing solely on the artificial habitats, Tyson fails to mention the educational opportunities that zoos and zoological parks can provide, such as interactive visitor programs, breeding and rehabilitation programs, and up-close animal encounters.

Imagine families going to a zoo, children are amazed by the different kinds of animals and learning many things about each animal. The children are having a blast and the parents are glad to see the smiles on their faces and seeing animals that could be seen at any time without it being a once in a lifetime experience especially for the rare and exotic animals. Unfortunately, the same feeling couldn’t be said for the animals. These animals are trapped in displays and couldn’t experience the wild like they used to or never experience it at all. Over time, they experience defects that made them depressed or aggressive. Animal Captivity has been a heated debate for years and still continues to this day. Zoos have downside with the effects on the animals and why resorts would be the best option for animals.

lessened with the advancements of technology and habitats almost identical to the lands of the animals’ home countries, the abuse has not only continued, but has worsened. The popularity and exploitation of animals in captivity has increased according to this statistic that shows that, “50 million children visit AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, including 12 million students in the United States” (Zoos and Aquariums, 2017).

Animals that are kept in captivity by zoos and aquariums are being forcefully removed from their natural habitats. Although zoos and aquariums can help animals going through dangerous situations, they do not always return the animals back to their

According to AZA more than 195 million visitors explore zoos, aquariums, and circuses annually, but do the visitors really understand the conditions associated with the three attractions? Families around the globe love their pets and would do anything for them to have a excellent life. Yet families allow exotic wild animals to be put in small-scale cramped enclosures, forced to be seen by thousands of visitors each day. Zoos, aquariums, and circuses have a reputation as being excellent research and learning centers. However, the conditions of zoos, circuses, and aquariums are actually harmful to the animals they contain.

As many know, humans are naturally attracted to animals because they give off a feeling of joy and sometimes even safety. However, there are 751, 931 animals in Accredited Institutions as of 2017, and some of these institutions can be very harmful to the animals. Animal Captivity, such as in zoos and aquariums, prevents animals from receiving necessities they need in order to survive or live a healthy life. This cruel mistreatment can have multiple effects on the animals such as; starvation, sham chewing, and self-mutilation.

There are over 10,000 zoos in the United States alone that hold animals against their will. Zoos believe they are keeping more animals alive but they are actually changing the animals’ lives. They are changing their lifestyle and behavior for the worse by keeping them in captivity from their natural habitat. Although animals in zoos are being kept from going extinct, zoos’ should not be allowed to hold animals in captivity because the zoos’ are keeping animals in tiny and unbearable places and the habitat they are in is not natural.

will not realize how much of the zoos efforts they will not see. So much goes

Zoos have made an appearance in almost all of our lives at some point. These wildlife parks are seen as a form of entertainment where visitors pay to see all of the beautiful animals roam around their small, individual habitats, and study their every move. We as humans are oblivious to the fact that these animals kept in small enclosures are nowhere near as happy as the people watching them from the outside. According to a survey taken by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (2011), in collaboration with national and regional zoo associations, “annually more than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums worldwide”. Although zoos today involve a more humane treatment of animals than zoos in the past, they still deny animals their basic rights. Behind the walls of these cages are hidden acts of

that level. Every day, I hear tons of news and tragic stories of animal living in captivity, how they suffered to amuse human, how they live without care in unqualified conditions. Detroit Zoo mentioned in the article “Detroit Journal; Ripples of Controversy after a Chimp Drowns” was opposed by letting many chimps drown because of the moat they use for chimp exhibit. The other case is Lincoln Park Zoo which was drawing criticism from animal right activists by the dead of nine animals in the short time. Although zoo officials pointed out many excuses to protect themselves, animal right activists argued that inappropriate space and climate change were the main causes of animal deaths. They defended animal died because of being left outside under the cold weather and lacking of space for living. I do not mean to criticize all the zoos, but it is undeniable that many animals are suffering in captivity. According to Ferkenhoff in the article “In Chicago, Animal Deaths Put Spotlight on Zoo,” $200 million has been investigated over the past decade to develop living conditions of animals in The Lincoln Park Zoo; however, animals were still found death because of insufficient space. If the zoos cared more for animals instead of focusing on their economic value, their life would be much better.

When people go on a trip to the zoo, it can be assumed that they do not think about much more than what they can see. Signals that make zoos unfair and sometimes unbearable for the captive animals are not visible to most spectators. This essay will explain how zoos are unjust and should not be supported. Animals should not be held captive due their negative behavioral changes, lack of natural habitat and the zoos failure to effectively preserve endangered species.

The existence of zoos has sparked off controversial debates for a very long time. Critics and animal rights activists argue that it is inhumane to take animals out of the wild where their natural habitats are, and lock them up in a cage for people’s entertainment where animals are suffering due to the lack of care and responsibility from zoos. To set this essay in the right context, some terms and words need to be defined as they can be interpreted differently. Firstly, inhumanity is defined as being “extremely cruel or causing unacceptable suffering”. (“Inhumane” 905) Secondly, 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.” (Oxford

In his article “Zoos Not an Enemy to Animals,” Dr. Clement Lanthier argues that zoos and aquariums are meant to protect the welfare of the animals and prevent the species extinction. Currently, there are at least 248 species in the nation listed as endangered, “our nation is part of the global mass extinction that has seen 60 per cent of vertebrates disappear over the past 40 years. In that same period, 80 per cent of our ocean fish biomass has vanished due to commercial fisheries.” (Lanthier). Zoos and aquariums help educate people to understand how crucial it is to protect the wildlife, which is not only good for future generations, but also teaches them what the needs of animals are and the importance of their cultivation. Lanthier reiterates that the rescue programs that zoos and aquariums offer help to preserve the endangered species, so that they could be reintroduced back into their natural habitats in the near future. Lastly, zoos are crucial for scientists to carry out studies on ecosystems, supporting conservation projects and ensuring the acquisition of new techniques and medicines to take care of the animals.

On average about 175 million people visit a zoo per year. However, the majority of these people fail to notice a relative issue that is lying in front of their faces. That these animals within these zoos are suffering every day from mistreatment and abuse. Most of the society ignores the many factors that are displayed out in front of them every time they enter a zoo. Instead, society focuses in on issues that are happening right now, the issues that draw out the media and are on the cover of every newspaper. However, these animals facing this mistreatment are relevant and do impact society. Every time an animal is taken from the wild and placed in the captivity of a zoo it impacts the mental health of the animal and endangers everyone and everything around it. Zoos are to blame for this endangerment, yet so is the public for overlooking mistreatment such as an early death in animals, mental illness, and being imported illegally from the wild.