Should zoos be banned, or do they serve a positive purpose? This emphasis is still present today, with many facilities offering educational programs, behind-the-scenes tours, and various activities which encourage visitors to learn more about the animals which live there. From time to time, wild animals have to be caught and sent to zoos in order to sustain the populations of animals in zoos. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators. Lets try to understand the pros and cons of zoos through the following arguments. That means many animals suffer in extreme weather conditions (polar bears in hot regions, for example) they would otherwise never encounter. The ethical dilemma around keeping wild animals in captivity is significant. WebReasons Why Zoos Should Be Banned Therefore, zoos should be banned because they are very cruel to animals. In turn, those animals will lose part of their natural instincts and will no longer be able to survive in the wild due to that. 5. However, critics say this doesn't justify their existence. Over the past 30 years, many established zoos have endeavored to improve the level of animal care and rehabilitate their image in the public eye. Your comment is being posted. Zoos are not only important to protect endangered animals from extinction, they are also important from a financial perspective for many local communities all around the world. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Vote and join our debate (see below), Watch this video on "zoochosis" and the living conditions of animals in captivity. Romesh Ranganathan, a British comedian, stated, It still slightly surprises me that anybody thinks that we should have zoos at all. A gorilla named Madame Ningo, the firstgorillato arrive in the United States in 1911 who was to live at theBronx Zoo, was fed hot dinners and cooked meat despite gorillas beingherbivores, for example. 7, 2019), NBA, NBA Breaks All-Time Attendance Record for Fourth Straight Year, nba.com, Apr. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/zoos-top-3-pros-and-cons/, Eight Reasons Zoos Are Good for Conservation, National Geographic, Zoo, nationalgeographic.org (accessed May 8, 2019), Schnbrunn Palace, Zoo, schoenbrunn.at (accessed Apr. See also how much gasoline is in a barrel of oil Are zoos good or bad for animals pros and cons? In fact, the overall setting and also the visual appearance greatly differs across zoos and in case you get bored by your favorite zoo, you may just try another zoo. Why should animals be kept in zoos? Banning zoos could go a long way toward halting this practice or at the very least reducing its impact on the natural world. Web1030 Words5 Pages. [21][22] [23], Przewalskis horses, the last wild horses, were declared extinct in the wild in the 1960s when about 12 lived in zoos. 8. [31][32] [33], A study of captive chimpanzees found that abnormal behaviour is endemic in the population, and includes behaviors such as eating feces, twitching, rocking back and forth, plucking hair, pacing, vomiting, and self-mutilation, among others. Many of them are reported every week in the media, however, the large majority are kept secret and those responsible are never held accountable or punished. CON Zoos don't educate the public enough to justify keeping animals captive. 21 Pros and Cons of Zoos In my opinion, keeping animals in zoos can be justifiable as long as animals are kept under rather natural conditions and are not caged in pretty confined spaces. Zoo advocates maintain that their efforts make a difference in wildlife conservation and will continue to have a positive environmental impact well into the future. However, I will not take any responsibility for incorrect information and will not be liable for any negative consequences that might occur due to the reliance on this information. However, many people claim that taxpayers money that is spent on zoos could be much better spent on other important infrastructure projects. Then there are the circumstances where we try to profit off of their circumstances. When you visit the Memphis Zoo, then you can see an Okapi. Most of us referred to these parks as a zoo. "Zoos are prisons for animals, camouflaging their cruelty with conservation claims," Mimi Bekhechi, director of international programmes at PETA, explains. There are times when wild animals should stay that way. See also how much gasoline is in a barrel of oil Are zoos good or bad for animals pros and cons? Some elephant herds in the wild can grow to become 40 members strong. Thus, especially in countries with lax regulations related to zoos, animals will often be treated quite poorly and in those countries, governments should introduce stricter regulations in order to protect these animals. The indirect spending that zoos provide for their communities are significant as well, adding another 62,000 jobs across the United States to support visitors. This might take a few seconds, please wait. A study of 35 species of carnivores, including brown bears, cheetahs, and lions, found that zoo enclosures were too small for the animals to carry out their normal routines, which led to problems such as pacing and more infant deaths. Zoos can be construed as a. Please let us know! Because poaching activities qualify as criminal conduct, most attempts are thwarted. [4], Captive elephants live about half as long as wild elephants: 18.9 years v. 41.7 years for Asian elephants and 16.9 years v. 35.8 years for African elephants. The first modern one was opened in 1828 for scientific study in London, and then eventually became open to the public about 30 years later. 7. Furthermore, zoos often harbor non-native species unacclimatized to the local environment. Moreover, you can also educate children about the importance of behaving eco-friendly, which is crucial to assure a livable future for them and for the next generations.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_24',196,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); Another nice thing about zoos is that they are often quite different. 3. Some people say zoos are safe to place for animals to live because they do not have to seek for food to survive. Many zoos conduct such studies, and also run captive breeding programmes for endangered species. This article was published on August 13, 2021, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. Many animals in zoos also have a significantly lower life expectancy compared to animals who live in the wild. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-2','ezslot_21',190,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-leader-2-0');In fact, some zoos offer a home for some quite exotic species that are barely existent in the wild anymore. A zoo cannot provide the perfect environment for every type of animal. Animals in zoos are often kept in small cages where they cannot roam freely or express natural behaviors. In fact, the USDA states that allowing visitors to handle animals like baby tigers or lions violates the Animal Welfare Act. In turn, chances may increase that we can protect many animal species from extinction. 5. Pros and cons of zoos: Should animals be kept in zoos? Not only can we benefit from the experience of learning about new animals and their habitats by visiting a zoo, but it also gives families an opportunity to spend time together while enjoying the outdoors. Many of them are reported every week in the media, however, the large majority are kept secret and those responsible are never held accountable or punished. In fact, many children love to go to the zoo and it can also be a great location for school excursions since going to the zoo is rather risk-free and teachers may not have to worry too much due to that. For some cute marsupial, bear or cat-like faces that you might not get to see in a zoo either, check out our list of the 15 cutest exotic animals in the world! The behavior of animals will change when they encounter long periods of captivity. (Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / aknourkova) Pros: When ecological conservation emerged as a matter of public interest in the 1970s, zoos began to engage in conservation programs. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Zoos also pose a risk to animal health. 21 Pros and Cons of Zoos If you believe they should not, consider how else to accomplish zoos conservation efforts. Over 181 million people visit zoos and aquariums every year in the United States,and 25 million in the United Kingdom. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Of 77 elephants in 13 zoos, 71 were overweight and spent 83% of their time indoors, contributing to early death. One strong argument for why zoos should be banned is it is intrinsically wrong to place animals in captivity. Zoos save species from extinction and other dangers. To push conservation issues, many large zoos stopped having animals perform tricks for visitors. "Zoos are prisons for animals, camouflaging their cruelty with conservation claims," Mimi Bekhechi, director of international programmes at PETA, explains. WebUltimately, the decision of whether or not to keep animals in zoos comes down to a balancing of the pros and cons. Pros and Cons of Owning an Exotic Animal Animal Adovocacy Organizations to Partner With This is quite logical since every living organism needs suitable living conditions to feel good and to increase its population in the long run. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_20',189,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');Another benefit of zoos is that people may also behave eco-friendlier after they went to the zoo. Zoos are detrimental to animals' physical health. Another problem of zoos is that animals often only have rather limited space to move. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Zoos are ultimately a business that needs to make money. You will also see the staff members from local zoos making presentations at local schools and businesses to raise awareness for what they do. The only effective and sustainable way to save species is to support schemes that target the root cause of the extinction and endangerment of animals habitat destruction. Zoos are detrimental to animals' physical health. The pros and cons of zoos are often dependent on whether you view an animal as property or an independent individual. As such, reptile houses, aviaries, and insectariums were added with animals grouped taxonomically, to move zoos beyond the spectacle of big, scary animals. 3. Whenever visitors like animals and birds and pay more to visit them, they get luxurious food and habitat. Being stuck in the same enclosure every day also disrupts the natural migratory patterns of the species, which can have a dramatic impact on their mental health. CON Zoos don't educate the public enough to justify keeping animals captive. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Since the overall living conditions for animals are often quite poor in zoos, opponents of zoos also often claim that most zoos are cruel and should be closed. Our whole ecosystem is also the life cycle of every living It changes the lifespan of the animals held in captivity. A zoo can provide a protected environment for rare and endangered species. Zoos are also quite popular in many countries all over the world. That means a cycle of dependency begins that requires ongoing resources to maintain because that animal has no ability to live on its own. What Does Afforestation Mean and Why Is It Important? 23, 2019), Krista Langlois, Something Mysterious Is Killing Captive Gorillas, theatlantic.com, Mar. While there are many advantages of zoos, opponents of zoos often claim that zoos only offer unnatural environments for animals. Thus, if you are an animal lover and want to see as many animals as possible in a rather short period of time, chances are that zoos will be quite helpful for you. There are times when a zoo is absolutely necessary to the survival of the animal. In this article, well take a look at. Thus, by going to the zoo, people may be more eager to take additional efforts in their daily lives to behave as eco-friendly as possible, which is crucial to protect our animal and plant species from extinction and also to solve various other environmental problems. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. One of them is the confined spaces where the animals are forced to live in. These are the most common arguments in favor and against zoos. What people do not know is animals don't have the best interest in being in a zoo. What people do not know is animals don't have the best interest in being in a zoo. Let's take a look at the pros and cons and whether zoos should be allowed to stay in business. They even expanded and redesigned animal enclosures to improve the lives of captive animals. There are times when wild animals should stay that way. This advantage comes at the expense of the animals which are forced to spend their lives in an enclosure. This article was published on August 13, 2021, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. Largely modeled after the London Zoo in Regents Park, these zoos were intended for genteel amusement and edification, according to Emma Marris, environmental writer and Institute Fellow at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Consider the pros and cons with a video from Above the Noise. Zoos should be banned worldwide because the animals are living in an unnatural habitat, the zoos kill or sell surplus animals, and zoos are not educational. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-banner-1','ezslot_16',144,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-banner-1-0');Zoos can also play a crucial role to protect many animals from endangerment or even from extinction.
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