Do Zoos Protect or Harm?
December 10, 2021
Zoos Can’t Move
Sophomore Giselle Urbina believes in the sanctuary that zoos afford different animal populations.
One of the greatest dilemmas of our day and age is whether or not zoos should be banned. I believe that they shouldn’t because of the fact that they protect certain species from extinction, help researchers, and help to educate everyday people about wildlife and conservation efforts.
Have you ever gone to the zoo and seen the sign “Less than 5,000 left in the wild?” That is because almost all of the local zoos across the country house endangered animals. A huge part of why zoos were created in the first place was to protect the number of species out there.
While rare animals could go extinct in the wild, something we have no control over, the zoologists here can help breed these animals and keep their numbers up. For example, the San Diego Zoo is home to the vulnerable Giant Panda. They are partnered with facilities in China that specialize in helping the population growth of these animals and have expert tips in taking care of them.
Another benefit of having zoos around is that we have access to new information that could never be discovered in the wild. Due to researchers’ quick access to these animals, they are able to make observations easily and accurately. Professionals are able to experiment with what works for these animals best to the point that we learn more about their eating patterns, sleeping habits, and more. Zoologists are now more educated because new research regarding all animals is being spread world-wide.
The discoveries that these scientists make impact the world significantly by helping experts in the field manage animals in the wild and other zoos take better care of their own animals. While it may be difficult to say, part of why these animals are successfully living in the wild is because of the fact that others are in captivity. The groundbreaking information that is discovered about the different species in zoos is a vital part of why the population numbers in the wild are growing.
It is no secret that going to zoos is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Whether it is taking the new baby or the eager toddler, our zoos get a lot of attention from the people. However, this isn’t a bad thing. Certain people think that the animals inside are being abused and tormented for the pleasure of the people.When the reality is, the attention that these animals receive helps bring awareness to wildlife and conservation efforts.
People are becoming more educated about the animal itself and their everyday living conditions than when they walked in. While yes, some zoos are corrupt, the majority aren’t. If people observe the treatment of animals at their local zoo, they could report misconduct and have the animals sent to a better establishment. Having people take the initiative to learn about these creatures and observe the way that they are living, helps the animals not only at the zoos but the undomesticated.
I think beyond a shadow of a doubt that zoos should be kept around. Due to population increase, new information being discovered, and informing the public, they benefit both the animals in them and out.
Zoos are a major part of our society whether it be one as famous as the Central Park Zoo or something personal like local Zoo Miami. However, one thing is for certain: our zoos can’t move!
The Need for the Dismissal of Zoos
Junior Jennifer Hoover argues for the removal of zoos because it is never in the animals’ best interests.
Zoos have been viewed as fun tourist attractions that have brought entertainment to millions of families over the years, but in reality, the animals that are kept in zoos are at a disadvantage.
Our society needs to ban zoos due to all the problems they pose. Zoos deserve to be banned since they have negative influences on the animals living there due to poor living conditions, limited zookeeper knowledge, and the inability of animals to return to their natural habitats.
According to Environmental Conscience, animals in zoos are kept within small artificial environments that do not allow them to roam free as they would in the wild, which shows that animals should live in the wild instead. These living conditions do not measure up to environments in the wild, which causes these animals to face worse circumstances in comparison. Since these environments are filled with as many animals as possible, each animal has a limited amount of space to thrive.
This causes many animals to live unhappily, possibly leading the animals to develop mental issues in the future. Every animal needs proper living conditions in order to be happy, and since zoos don’t provide this, they should be banned.
Besides the fact that zoo animals live in poor environments, the argument for the removal of zoos is further enhanced by the improper treatment of animals due to the insufficient knowledge of some zookeepers. Many zookeepers do not have enough knowledge about different animal species to treat them properly.
“Zoos should be banned from my perspective because I feel that the treatment of animals in zoos could be much better than what zookeepers give them at the moment,” junior Carolina Heimes said. “I feel that even though zookeepers go through training, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are able to take care of each of these animals.”
Each zookeeper must be trained to treat specific animal species since each species requires different care, but many zookeepers are not prepared to offer this. Zookeepers who do not understand this concept treat animals improperly. The inadequate awareness of zookeepers is a cause for the banning of zoos since animals would be much better off taking care of themselves than being treated incorrectly.
Since zookeepers are responsible for taking care of animals within zoos, it is very difficult for animals to return to the wild due to lack of life skills, so we should ban zoos for hindering each animal’s capabilities.
They do not know how to take care of themselves since they rely on zookeepers. Likewise, they don’t have to search or hunt for their own food since it is provided to them.
According to National Geographic, only about 33% of carnivores are able to survive once put back into the wild for this reason. Animals often lose their natural instincts to hunt and compete when placed in zoos. Their lack of natural survival skills leads to disadvantages when they are placed with animals who have lived in the wild their entire lives. Zoo animals would not be able to return to the wild in the future since they would most likely die, so zoos should be eliminated for causing a lack of survival strategies.
Meanwhile, many people believe that zoos are beneficial to our society. Many people view zoos as sanctuaries for endangered animals. Even though some zoos are sanctuaries, this is not true in all cases, so we all need to do our research to verify that the zoos we visit are beneficial to animals before we support them. Our society’s misconception that all zoos are sanctuaries causes many people to think that animals should be removed from the wild for protection, but they often do not know that it is very difficult for these animals to return to the wild.
In fact, many animals would die in the wild after living in a zoo due to lack of natural skills. Zookeepers take care of them and give them food in zoos, which causes many to lose their hunting and survival skills, so they would not be able to return to their ordinary lifestyles in the wild. Furthermore, the cycle of losing survival skills continues when these animals are bred in captivity, so these animals will never be able to move to the wild since they do not know how to survive on their own.
We must all choose to ban zoos as a society in order for animals to receive the life they deserve. Animals within zoos face inhumane practices as a result of poor habitats, lack of zookeeper expertise, and loss of survival skills, causing them to be unable to return to the wild. We must take action to help these animals have a better and happier life in the wild and to stop animal breeding in captivity since it only continues this cycle of animal mistreatment within zoos.