Do We Need Zoos?
Many people visit the zoo to see the wonders of the wide variety of animals. It’s a time for families to come together to see their favorite animals and create joyful memories. The only thing visitors see is what the zoo wants them to see, when the real controversy could be lying behind the scenes.
The mistreatment of animals in captivity has been an issue concerning zoos, aquariums, and circuses for many years. While this is a possibility in some zoos, it shouldn’t take away the opportunities for people to enjoy the zoo. Zoos prove to be the best way to preserve endangered species and promote enthusiasm in educating visitors.
Zoos are able to replicate a species’ natural habitat to ensure they are in safer living conditions. Some animals’ habitats may be unsafe for them to live in due to wildfires, deforestation, or other natural disasters. There’s speculation surrounding the possibility that if global warming becomes a bigger issue, polar bears will be next on the critical endangered list. Zoos can create humid environments, mimic freezing temperatures, and provide animals with adequate space for its larger animals.
However, it’s not just the environment that pose a threat to animals. Invasive species that consume native animals has been a worldwide economic plight. There are some animals that have a target on their backs for big game hunters. Fortunately, zoos often hold programs that are designed to help raise these endangered species in a monitored environment. The recovery program for Western pond turtles proved to be successful in recent years. According to the Oregon Zoo, around ninety five percent of the released turtles survived their first year after being released back into the wild. This shows that zoos do preserve rare species and shelter them from the elements, invasive species, and humans.
Aside from watching programs or reading books that educate people on animals, zoos are the best way to experience what these animals are like in the flesh. It may be too dangerous to see these animals in their natural habitat because they are unpredictable, but the zoo makes sure spectators are safe while admiring the animals. Instead of classifying mammals, insects, fish, or reptiles inside a classroom, children can be educated on these differences at a zoo, where they can walk around and see them in real life. Schools are all about promoting active listening and making education as fun as it can be and live animals will keep the students engaged and allow them to ask genuine questions to improve their learning.
Zoos provide sanctuaries for these endangered species. However, the term “sanctuaries” can be a misleading term to describe zoos or aquariums. Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy, introduces a powerful statement, saying, “[animals] are prevented from gathering their own food, developing their own social orders and and generally behaving in ways that are natural to them,” in his essay Against Zoos. Humans have the right to move wherever they please, and animals are limited to whatever the zoo supplies them with.
Take circuses for example; wild animals are trained to do unnatural tricks and put on a show in front of a crowd of people, only to be locked away and driven on the road for hours on end in confined crates. Sometimes the animals are punished for mistakes they can’t prevent. In December of last year, the Central Zoo Authority investigated certain zoos on how they treat their animals behind the curtains. The CZA as well as other animal rights activist groups discovered that the animals were suffering from disease and permanent physical damages. The circus animals were under surveillance and Dr. Singh, who is a member for the Central Zoo Authority confirmed that “the conditions in which they were kept were far below the recommended standards.” Due to these findings, the harmful circuses have been banned.
Animals will feel more at home if zoos allow them to roam free and see the light of day on their own terms, rather than when they are forced to. Widening the exhibits for all the animals will be a great improvement for the animals’ habitats. Zoos don’t have to hold animals their entire life. They can hold them in captivity until they are able to live on their own and keep a close eye on them so they can adjust to their natural habitat when they are released.
Humans have a reputation of misunderstanding animals, similar to how animals misunderstand us. The risk of mistreatment is something to consider but a healthy zoo is one that is built off of trust. It isn’t going to do the animals any good if humans abuse them before releasing them back into the wild. It’ll make rehabilitation after abuse much more difficult. The idea of rehabilitation and release is a philosophy all zoos should focus on.