why animals should not be kept in zoos articles

says that its members host more than 50 reintroduction programs for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Nevertheless, a vast majority of zoo animals (there are 800,000 animals of 6,000 species in the A.Z.A.s zoos alone) will spend their whole lives in captivity, either dying of old age after a lifetime of display or by being culled as surplus.. The lawsuit asserts the agency must be able to remove animals if the USDA has deemed the facility unable to provide minimum standards of care set out by the Animal Welfare Act. The A.Z.A.s policies allow for the euthanasia of animals, but the president of the association, Dan Ashe, told me, its very rarely employed by his member institutions. Breeders: How to Stop Puppy FarmsPermanently. Likewise, consuming sustainable seafood provides a valuable source of food for people and helps promote sustainable jobs. All of these animals are well studied and have a plethora of documentaries and video footage of them in the wild. As an avid fan of botanical gardens, I humbly suggest that as the captive animals retire and die off without being replaced, these biodiversity-worshiping institutions devote more and more space to the wonderful world of plants. Boycott businesses that profit from cruelty to animals. They are just some of the millions of wild animals living in captivity across the United States. Forests Under Threat: A Comprehensive Look at the Latest Deforestation Statistics, Puppy Mills vs. If an animal cannot be given sufficient space or is suffering from stress and not behaving as expected, the zoo is within its right to kill the animal s. 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. CreditPhotographs by Peter Fisher for The New York Times. Regardless of the merits or ethics of zoos, one thing's for certain: they're going to be around for some years yet. Depressed monkey However, there are some disadvantages of zoos to the environment ranging from overpopulation of a species to global warming. 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. Animals in zoos can sense this, and over time their confinement can lead to worrying behavioral changes. But then theres the pacing, the rocking. This could cause problems for the animal. Bears and cats pace. I do not doubt that some people had their passion for a particular species, or wildlife in general, sparked by zoo experiences. Their death can be caused by either: lack of space, physical problems, diet, and PTSD. Zoos cannot begin to provide the amount of space animals have in the wild. From there, it was an easy leap to protecting animal species. 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. Its protections are minimal as well. See Related: War and the Effect on Wildlife. And Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo has an on-site Wildlife Hospital to save sick and injured native species. 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.. Read more: Should I worry about chemtrails? Earlier this month, footage of a dolphin attacking its trainer in Miami Seaquarium went viral. 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. The bill helps end the rampant abuse of tigers and other big cats in captivity by banning private possession. 2021 ScienceTimes.com All rights reserved. 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. It is impossible to read these stories without concluding that these animals wanted out. PETA says: "People who care about protecting endangered species should donate to organisations that safeguard them in their natural habitats if a species' native environment has been destroyed, there's nowhere left for the animals to go. 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]. These are highly intelligent animals with complex social constructs that scientists have studied for . Mr. Ashe, a former director of the U.S. It is always best to stay away from wild animals to prevent disastrous interactions. Zoos also say that they save the endangered animals, but all they really care about is how much crowd the animal draws. Few federal laws protect the millions of wild animals who live in captivity in aquariums, circuses, theme parks and zoos in the U.S. Its protections are minimal as well. 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. Animals such as lions, elephants, and tigers dont get even close to one percent of the area they roam in the wild. This conservation focus must be a key component for institutions that want to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a nonprofit organization that sets standards and policies for facilities in the United States and 12 other countries. The confined living areas are a big contributor to animal stress and lack of physical stimulation like would be gained from a nice sprint. See Related: How Similar is Human DNA to Other Animals. Zoos often do more harm than good, creating unnatural environments that look realistic enough to make any potential return to the wild all but impossible. How Does Saving Water Help Climate Change? But whether recent events have triggered a profound shift in public consciousness is harder to . Most people visit the zoo to see the big draw animals. Due to the low density of the population of some animals in their natural ecosystems they struggle to find partners. Sanctuaries promise to take in and care for any animals that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and to keep them for life. Visiting a zoo is a chance for many people to see exotic animals they would otherwise be unable to see. Tigers, lions, elephants, bears and nonhuman primates are all included in this law. (707) 795-2533 |info@aldf.org They go to get out of the house, to get their children some fresh air, to see interesting 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. I pointed out that we cant ask animals whether they are happy with their enclosure size. In most cases, animals in zoos lead very unhappy lives. Zookeepers also often may neglect their healthcare needs. Animal Legal Defense Fund,National Headquarters Zoological gardens have been working to help ensure that any endangered species are given another chance to thrive again over time. The daily stress and lack of stimulation often leads to abnormal and self-destructive behaviour - for example, pacing, walking in tight circles, rocking, swaying, or self-mutilation - a condition known as "zoochosis". In addition, baby animals that are deemed excess to requirements find their way into black market sales. Its said that Texas has the worlds second-largest tiger population, due to private citizens propensity for keeping these big cats as pets. ViewResources. But relatively early in their evolution, a German exotic animal importer named Carl Hagenbeck changed the way wild animals were exhibited. We use cookies to help ensure the best experience on our website. Alas, theres plenty of heartbreaking evidence that many are not. Existing refuges often do allow visitors, but their facilities are really arranged for the animals, not for the people. Anyone can read what you share. All rights reserved. These tours often pretend to talk about their animals natural habitat and inclinations. These experiences are often harmful to wildlife and dangerous for you. Just as we humans are free to do whatever we want so long as we follow the law, then it shouldn't be different for animals. In states without tight enough regulation, local jurisdictions oftentimes adopt ordinances that ban or restrict the display of captive wild animals. This alteration of the animals behavior will eventually do more harm than good. It is expensive and difficult to keep wild animals in captivity. 1. 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. According to an article inPlant Based News, marine parks and aquariums are a billion-dollar industry that exists to entertain the public by catching fish and sea mammals from the wild and using them as live exhibits. The trade in wild animals involves tremendous suffering at every stage of the process. Breeding programs in zoos eventually lead to some animals being sold off to other zoos or worse circuses. Local laws are often most effective in governing the private possession of exotic animals. People dont go to zoos to learn about the biodiversity crisis or how they can help. Another serious problem is that the chronically-understaffed USDA conducts inspections infrequently. All things considered, animals should not be kept in zoos or aquariums. The law, adopted by Congress in 1966, protects so-called warm-blooded animals who are bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially or publicly exhibited, like in a zoo or circus. You can see exotic animals without the need for traveling. They often display neurotic behaviour, like repetitive pacing, swaying, and bar biting. In a study done on 40 chimpanzees in six different zoos, all of the chimps exhibited behavior their counterparts in nature did not. For example, Orcas are migratory animals with a vast range. Jason Hribals 2010 book, Fear of the Animal Planet, chronicles dozens of attempts. Here they are relatively safe . Because so many diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as Ebola, Hantavirus, and the bird flu, zoos frequently conduct disease surveillance research in wildlife populations and their own captive populations that can lead to a direct impact on human health. There is more to natural environments than just looks. Ive been to zoos and aquariums in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Vancouver Island, not to mention those in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Zoo keepers are often trained and specialize in a particular breed or species. An estimated 20 red wolves are all that remain in the wild. Animals in zoos are easier to get various kinds of diseases because there are thousands of people around the animal every day. But, for every story that casts zoos in a bad light from Vince the rhino's poaching at Paris' Thoiry Zoo in March; Cincinnati Zoo shooting endangered gorilla, Harambe, last year after a child fell into his enclosure; or Copenhagen Zoo killing and publicly dissecting Marius, a two-year-old giraffe in 2014 there are heart-warming tales too. Many zoos will then resort to drugging animals in order to keep them docile and normal for the pleasure of the viewing public. While zoos can definitely be exciting places for families to visit, the fact remains that they are bad for animals. Do not reproduce without permission. There have also been reported cases of zoos not properly disposing of dead bodies when animals die on their premises. 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. A 2019 report by World Animal Protection found that captive animals exhibitedabnormal levels of aggression, indicating that the attack in Miami Seaquarium was a direct result of captivity, despite claims that it is an isolated incident and is uncommon. Many zoos conduct such studies, and also run captive breeding programmes for endangered species. That's not a record that justifies tens of millions of wild animals kept in zoos. Animals need physical stimulation and a level of interaction with nature that we, as humans, cannot understand, let alone interpret and recreate. Most zoos dont focus on the educational aspect of zoos; the animals are mainly kept for amusement. But it's clear, say welfare specialists, that captivity can compromise orcas' health. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. In addition, when animals are removed from their natural habitats, they are also removed from their family structure and social hierarchy. Tigers, lions, elephants, bears and nonhuman primates are all included in this law. Especially animals like lions that are used to roaming vast distances in the wild in search of food. See Related: Importance of Wildlife Conservation. Even if the animals are being fed well, the lack of freedom can cause them to be stressed. Here are some tips. ", Published in the June 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK), What to do in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, How to plan and book an Indian rail odyssey, Four of the best luxury sleeper trains in India, How Miami is re-embracing its modernist architecture, Where to eat in Clitheroe, the Ribble Valley's culinary hotspot, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society. "We engage huge audiences with wildlife, inspiring the conservationists of tomorrow," argues zoological director of ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, Professor David Field. Animals also lose their genetic diversity especially due to inbreeding. If you go on holiday to any major destination, the chances are high that there will be at least one zoo and/or one aquarium nearby. 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. Elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, and such. Life expectancy is controlled by both the mental and physical health of most animals. Your email address will not be published. The United Kingdom, for example, has announced a plan to phase out all circuses featuring wild animal performances by 2020. Now, Alex writes full-time, and when hes not working on an article, hes knee-deep in writing fiction. When she caught up with the boys at the cafe, she mauled them before she was shot to death by the police. Older menageries existed as far back as 2500 BCE, in Mesopotamia. Why Animals Should Not be Kept in Zoos These animals oftentimes live in inhumane conditions, and pose a serious threat to public safety. 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? Are Sliding Doors or French Doors More Energy Efficient? Important to protect endangered species from extinction. 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. 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. Bears, lions, and other animals languish in roadside zoos across the country. Marine mammals are best protected by cleaning up and protecting their habitats. The ongoing extinction crises shows that zoos are needed - even for common species. Being placed into a small tank, away from their family units, might not break existing animal protection laws. In a 2011 study, researchers quizzed visitors at the Cleveland, Bronx, Prospect Park and Central Park zoos about their level of environmental concern and what they thought about the animals. The sale of excess animals to traveling roadside zoos is another big problem. Their droppings look like little glitterballs. 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. Zoos and circuses are among those who fall under this act. However, when the animals being culled arent in demand, they might find themselves facing death. For them, the best option is to fight back. When in their natural environments, wild animals are not used to being confronted by humans. Some animals are quite intelligent so keeping them in captivity should never be an option. There are currently 421 zoological gardens and aquariums and a 2.9% business growth this year despite the pandemic. A species protected in captivity provides a reservoir population against a population crash or extinction in the wild. Thats true, he said. at the time estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 animals are euthanized in European zoos each year. Most people arent always comfortable seeing animals that are kept in zoos. Young chimpanzees on movie sets are trained through regular beatings and then discarded around age 8 when they become too large to control. If an untrained zookeeper comes across a stubborn animal, they might hurt it if they are impatient. I dont see any problem with holding animals for display, Mr. Ashe told me. Climate change around the world: In Postcards From a World on Fire, 193 stories from individual countries show how climate change is reshaping reality everywhere, from dying coral reefs in Fiji to disappearing oases in Morocco and far, far beyond. Keep on reading. Cons of zoos Animal cruelty in zoos continues to be extremely common. A few zoos are famous for their conservation work. The lack of enough vegetation will then lead to global warming due to less carbon in the atmosphere. When it works out, breeding endangered animals has positive results that can be felt even in the human kingdom. That's how animals living in captivity feel. Today, nearly every country in the world is a member of CITES. But that day of release never quite seems to come. Apes are excellent at escaping. Even without a consciousness (that we know of) animals are alive and should be treated as such. The Enigmatic Wombats: Surprising Facts and Myths Debunked. In 2020, facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums contributed more than $230 million to conservation efforts. The required standard of care for wild animals, such as those held by zoos, is wide-ranging and nigh on impossible for zoos to provide. Copyrights 2023. Zoo animals, this new narrative went, function as backup populations for wild animals under threat, as well as ambassadors for their species, teaching humans and motivating them to care about wildlife. ALSO READ: Man in Uganda Beats Lion With Bare Hands In Bloody Battle Before Feasting on the Beast for Dinner. 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. Outside of providing sufficient space to allow natural behaviors to develop, issues such as climate, diet, and the formation of a social hierarchy where appropriate make running a zoo a difficult task. Animal Legal Defense Fund petition for rulemaking spurs reporting improvements: Forms will be revised to ensure AWA licensees maintain complete records of all animal deaths. The fewer than two dozen non-participants include North Korea, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Turkmenistan. But the law excludes protection for birds, rats and mice, farmed animals and "cold-blooded" animals such as reptiles, amphibians and fish. That claim is up for debate. The problem is that these large predators control the population of herbivorous animals in their domain. This gives the poor pets a home and creates a revenue stream for the zoos. The first efforts to keep wild and exotic animals for non-utilitarian uses began about 2500 BCE, when rulers in . The role of our leaders: Writing at the end of 2020, Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, found reasons for optimismin the Biden presidency, a feeling perhaps borne out by the passing of major climate legislation. Tatiana the tiger, kept in the San Francisco Zoo, snapped one day in 2007 after three teenage boys had been taunting her. An animals worth is only equal to the attraction it offers to visitors. Animal Behavior: Resources for Applied Ethology, Man in Uganda Beats Lion With Bare Hands In Bloody Battle Before Feasting on the Beast for Dinner, Dolphin Attacks Trainer in Front of Horrified Families in Miami Seaquarium: How Often Do These Sea Creatures Attack Humans? Others are captured from their native habitats, or come from backyard breeders or the black market. For example, if the number of lions is drastically reduced in an area, their prey will thrive. Protect animals by boycotting roadside zoos. This is only one of the Acts limitations. These are wild animals, who are dangerous by nature and cannot be domesticated. 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. Many animals in zoos are not used to confinement. This is seen as a cheaper option as opposed to moving them back into the wild. An increase in the populations of herbivorous animals such as deer and buffalos isnt a good thing, especially not for the vegetation and ground cover. Animals in the wild are naturally shy to humans. Mr. Fisher is a photographer based in New York. It is these boastful collections of animals, these autocratic menageries, from which the modern zoo, with its didactic plaques and $15 hot dogs, springs. 7 reasons why animals in captivity deserve freedom. Public zoos sprang up across Europe, many modeled on the London Zoo in Regents Park. Once again, a change of this magnitude can cause captive animals to exhibit changing behaviors, which include self-destructive acts and unrelenting restlessness. Chimps pull out their own hair. They bought tickets, and the wild creatures should behave accordingly. Wrong! The AWA only applies to some captive wild animals. The polar bears in Winnipeg have disco poo. People are fascinated by animals. Keeping endangered animals in zoos infringes on those individuals' rights to freedom. And it is true that the territory size of an animal like a wolf depends greatly on the density of resources and other wolves. Since most countries dont have any regulations on how to handle animals in zoos, these business people can do whatever it takes to make the most profits possible. It took several decades before Alex was able to leave the corporate world behind and embark on a real writing journey. Taking an animal say a big cat, into an enclosed habitat when she cant hunt for herself can be detrimental to her life skills. If one could simply stop urging and encouraging zoos then maybe someday animals get to live in the free wild as they please. "Only 15% of the thousands of species held in zoos are considered 'threatened'," says Will Travers OBE, president of Born Free. Some studies have shown that as many as 80 percent of zoo carnivores, 64 percent of zoo chimps and 85 percent of zoo elephants have displayed compulsive behaviors or stereotypies. Big cats, such as lions and tigers, used in circuses are forced to live in tiny cages that are transported across the country. First and foremost, captivity can be extremely detrimental to an animal's physical and mental well-being. Due in part to unnatural enclosures, animals in zoos are under stress. When it comes to lethal force and animal welfare, at least, public opinion swiftly sides against zoos. In this article, we will take a look at why zoos teach children the wrong lesson about captive animals. This is how animals get physical and psychological scars from abuse. According toAnimal Behavior: Resources for Applied Ethology, fleeing or running away is the most popular reaction of animals towards humans. It's the first travel company to publicly make such a move. Ive heard and read some of their stories. Living collections were often presented in taxonomic order, with various species of the same family grouped together, for comparative study. Understanding the optimal requirements for the reproduction of certain animals can be difficult. Another problem of zoos is that animals often only have rather limited space to move. Mr. Hribal documented many stories of elephants making a run for it in one case repairing to a nearby woods with a pond for a mud bath. When the zoo replaced the bars with thick glass, he started methodically removing the putty holding it in. A peer-reviewed 2017 study in the . Zoos also have the power to euthanize their animals when they themselves deem it permissible.

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