Should Animals be Kept in Zoo’s?
by A small topic on whether animals should be caged.
As many of us know, animal protesters encourage others to set the animals free by convincing people they have bad lives. But is this the case?
Animals, in the wild, spend some of their time sleeping. But most of the time eating or hunting. In a zoo, they are fed regularly with a diet that they would normally eat in their natural habitat. This feeding also frees up some of their time to be able to do other things: such as learning new skills, learning to interact with humans and how to make use of items they find. Hawks are a good example as they can be trained to do tricks and marvelous feats. These feats also can entertain us which also helps to give the animals better conditions due to the money we spent.
Lions and tigers (And the other big cats) are sometimes used in circuses to jump through hoops and what-not. Some people think this is harsh. But no, as it teaches them new skills of balance – as well as keeping the animals potentially fitter than in the wild.
Endangered animals benefit from zoos as they can be kept away from their natural predators and their numbers can be allowed to rise again. This is critical for the survival of several animals. The fact that they are in zoos allows us to see these rare animals also – something that you may not see on safari or travelling through the Congo. A panda is a good example of this.
Some protesters also think animals are kept enclosed in small cells – whilst convincing other people of this too. Back in the ‘70-’80’s this was the case. However, modern day Zoo’s have open enclosures and natural foliage for the animals that they keep to play in.
In Conclusion, There are just as many good marks as potential bad marks. So, it’s up to people to make your own choices. I for one believe they are fine.
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Post Commentenglish
On August 31, 2009 at 9:12 am
i am an animal lover and i love going to the zoo but however i dont like zoos which have animals in small cadges but i lkie how zoos protect animals and learn them new skills
Kristin
On March 8, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Yeah circuses are okay, but what about after the show? Tigers get put into a small cage, and they wait til the next show.
Animals shouldn’t be in Zoo’s because:
They don’t have enough room as they would in the wild.
They get bored and pace which causes vomiting.
Animals in captivity don’t live as long as they would in the wild.
They are denied with natural things, such as other animals.
They eat for 5 minutes then the rest of their day is filled with boredom.
They are restless.
Zoo’s aren’t educational because when tourist come to visit animals they aren’t seeing the way an animal really interacts , they only see the traits of a captive animal.
If an animal escapes, it’s most likely killed.
Do you think it’s fair for the animal to be removed from it’s NATURAL habitat? I don’t think so.
Watcher
On April 1, 2010 at 12:55 am
This is all opiniated with some facts mixed in;
The entire view of zoos has seemingly been distorted over the years. More and more, I find people commenting that because an animal paces and/or sleeps in a zoo enclosure is because the animal is bored. 1) 74% of zoo\’s, especially larger ones, have moved their animals into a large, outdoor enclosure reticent of their natural environment. I think the real problem here is pushing for more of these type zoos. 2) Most animals do not roam the savannah, jungle, forest, or what have you just willy-nilly. They usually stick within a small range of their den, typically around a water source, unless they are displaced by lack of food or are subject to migrations due to things such as weather conditions and or seasonal things. I really think that the push should be more towards providing adequate encampment space based on species and their habits; make zoos bigger. 3) Animals typically do sleep longer periods of time, especially in the day time when humans encounter them in zoos, and become more active at night in some cases. If a wild animal isn\’t subject to your tastes, look at your every day pet that you have in your household. Should it be released into the wild because it is being denied the traits of it\’s ancestry, and kept in small enclosures, and being fed, and are typically subject to boredom? Are not humans subject to this sort of behavior as well—Going to school, work, stores, all typically within range of their respective houses, and returning each night? If free food, paid out of another\’s pocket, and care, and salvation were offered in a place, I believe I would stick around there too. 4) Another thing I hear a lot of is that animals do not receive enough medical attention and/or food and water. The food and water could potentially be a problem but medical attention? Seriously? Even the smallest of medical attention is way more than what they would ever receive in the wild based on the predator/prey/poacher relationship. My father used to tell me that animals are natural self-groomers and can take care of their wounds much better in some cases than a doctor, yourself, or vet could; except if severely mangled beyond repair, in which they would just decease in the wild anyways.
These are just some small instances I wish to point out and I haven\’t covered everything. I am not saying that zoo\’s in this stage are perfect. Of course they aren\’t. But they are in some cases beneficial to this and are subject under care and regulations. I think the push should be more towards regulating zoo size and making them an improvement. From what I see, the humans are more stressed out about this than the animals under it. It is in the eyes of the beholder.
Jen B
On October 26, 2010 at 11:31 am
I think Watcher said it pretty well. There are good and bad points of zoos, A large, well kept zoo, I don’t really have too much of a problem with. As long as the animals aren’t abused and in small confinement, with adequate roaming ability and possibly more than one of the same animal so interaction is involved. I mean, how can we tell if they would be happier in the wild or in a place with free food and relaxation? Pets usually feel it’s a better deal than having to worry about where you’re next meal is coming from. It all depends on how you treat them that will make them want to stay or not. I feel that circuses are pretty horrible because they abuse animals to get them to do what they want them to do. I mean really, lions jumping through hoops? Do you think they would want to do that willingly? Dogs probably because they’re out to please their owners but i don think lions and tigers so much want to do the same. In other words circus are for pure entertainment at the cost of animals being abused. They don’t have open natural spaces for them to roam, normally they are traveling which means small confinements in a moving vehicle. I don’t see them being happy with this and would mostly likely try to escape if they were given the chance. Just my thoughts.
tree man
On January 20, 2011 at 12:38 pm
thanks for helpin with my report hahaah