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Pros and Cons of Zoos

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Pros of zoos, cons of zoos.

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Are Zoos Good or Bad for Animals? The Argument, Explained

Debates about the ethics of zoos abound — but when it comes to animal welfare, there are certainly more cons than pros.

Explainer • Entertainment • Policy

Words by Björn Ólafsson

For many people, zoos are the only chance they’ll have in their entire lives to see beautiful animals native to far-flung ecosystems — lions, elephants, pandas, lemurs — the list goes on. And they’re popular — over 181 million people visit a U.S. zoo every year . But zoos face criticism from animal welfare organizations and environmental activists for inhumane treatment of the animals they claim to protect. Zoos maintain that they are important aspects of conservation and education. 

So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of zoos ?  Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these controversial organizations. 

What Are Some Pros and Cons of Zoos ?

First, not all zoos are created equal. While it is easy to imagine animal ethics as a binary of evil and moral, zoos can vary widely on how they treat their animals, how much space they are given and how the animals are obtained. Still, most zoos tend to have the same positives and negatives overall. 

Arguments Against Zoos

Poor conditions for animals.

Animals Often Only Have Quite Limited Space

Many zoos’ enclosures are too small, especially for animal species that are used to roaming, flying or swimming large distances in the wild. For example, polar bears are used to home ranges of about 1,000 square kilometers in the wild — large swaths of land and ice they enjoy exploring . In zoos, they get a couple hundred square feet. 

Zoos Are  Crowded

In addition to limited space, many zoos cram in as many animals as possible into the enclosures. Many visitors prefer seeing animals up close, instead of peering at them from afar, hidden in their dens or nests. This encourages zoos to increase the number of animals per exhibit,  increasing the likelihood of visitors seeing animals on the move near the boundaries of the enclosure. 

Animals Are Trapped in Unnatural Environments

Anyone who has visited a zoo knows the exhibits are a far cry from the natural landscape they are trying to imitate. Nearly all zoo enclosures contain fences, glass or other barriers for visitors to look through, which are inherently artificial. And the natural-seeming landscapes can sometimes be made out of astroturf, concrete or plastic.

Confinement May Alter the Behavior of Animals

The lack of space, unnatural environments and crowded conditions can directly affect the behavior of animals ; most notably in the form of what’s known as “stereotypy.” Stereotypy is a condition in which non-human animals engage in repetitive behaviors with no apparent purpose, such as pacing for hours on end, wagging tails abnormally or picking their own fur. 

The structure of zoos increases the likelihood of stereotypic behavior due to a lack of enrichment, mundane environments and boring, repetitive schedules. This prevalence of stereotypy in zoos even has its own name: “zoochosis,” or psychosis caused by zoos . 

‘Surplus’ Animals Can Be Killed

After an animal has reproduced successfully and the zoo no longer requires the animal to maintain an exhibit, the animal is deemed “surplus.” At this point, the animal’s welfare is no longer profitable . Zoos can sell the animal to private owners (who may keep the animal in tiny cages for amusement or kill the animal for taxidermy purposes), sell the animal to other zoos or enclosures, or “euthanize” the animal. 

Animals Are Often Mistreated 

Animal mistreatment is much more than hitting or beating an animal. It also includes harmful training techniques, separation from family members and forcing animals to behave in abnormal ways. 

In a report from World Animal Protection, three-fourths of zoos include human-animal interactions , many of which can be very stressful or physically harmful for animals. In some extreme cases, visitors rode on the backs of animals (causing injury) or encroached on the animals’ enclosure (causing stress).

Investigations into popular zoos sometimes reveal that caretakers don’t always clean the exhibits frequently , leaving the animals to live near their feces. The research also reveals many zookeepers hitting animals who “misbehave,” and not helping animals with injuries sustained in the enclosures. While not all animal caretakers behave this way, the reporting suggests many zoos around the world are lax with animal welfare. 

Animals Don’t Like Being Visited

The mere presence of human beings can negatively affect wild animals, especially in massive crowds that are common at zoos. Being bombarded by the sounds, smells and appearances of swaths of humans can trigger the stress responses of some animals . Some studies show that the number of visitors correlates with the amount of stress hormones in many animal species. 

Animals Struggle to Form Connections

Many animals are highly social creatures. Elephants, lions, pigs, cows and many more species are shown to have complex connections, hierarchies and relationships with members of their own kind — especially with friends and family. However, zoo animals rarely stay with the same herd or family for their entire lives. Instead, zoos opt to transfer, sell, buy or relocate animals throughout their lifespans, making it difficult for animals to form social connections . This lack of bonding can harm the animals emotionally. 

Zoos Are for Humans, Not Animals

Most zoos are for-profit enterprises, meaning they have one goal in mind: maximizing revenue. It is easy to see how making more money can come at the expense of animal welfare. For example, a zoo is unlikely to fund an exhibit expansion if it isn’t cost-effective, regardless of its benefits for the animals inside. While many zookeepers form real bonds with their animal companions, the animals still exist under a for-profit, human-centered organization. 

Zoos Promote Human Superiority

The aesthetic nature of zoos — animals in panopticon-like enclosures, viewed 24/7 by members of a different species — can reinforce human superiority. As moral philosopher Lori Gruen writes in her book, “visitors leave the zoo more convinced than ever of human superiority over the natural world.” Of course, zoos also reinforce the idea that humans have a right to take away animals’ freedom and bodily autonomy.

Zoos Don’t Always Help with Conservation — Some Wild Animals Have to Be Caught to Bring Them to Zoos

Many animals in zoos are born in captivity, but that’s not the case for all. Many animals are taken directly from the wild , often when they are babies, to make the transition to captivity a bit easier. At times, this is done in the name of conservation, or when a wild animal is very ill. But many zoos will take animals from the wild, or buy animals from unethical animal traders. 

It’s Often Not Possible to Return Animals to the Wild

Releasing an animal into the wild isn’t always successful, especially if the animal has spent time in climates different from their native regions, like jungles, savannas or ice caps. Properly preparing animals for success in the wild is a multi-stage process that can require thousands of dollars — and it doesn’t always work . Captive-born predator species — disadvantaged by being born and raised in an artificial environment — only have a survival rate after being released into the wild of 33 percent , according to one study. As a result, re-release is not a priority for many zoos.

Zoos Are Poorly Regulated

While there exist many laws that protect animals, such as the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Endangered Species Act , they only offer minimum protections . For example, the AWA excludes entire species of animals, like mice, farmed animals, birds and all cold-blooded animals. Its “minimum” standards of care usually ensure the animals’ safety, not their welfare or happiness. Many animal law experts say these regulations don’t go far enough . 

What Are the Pros of Having Zoos?

They Can Be Important for Researchers

Biologists and zoologists can benefit from studying animals in zoos. Some breakthroughs in animal behavior and treatment, like why elephants swing their trunks or how gorillas develop heart disease, have been made possible because of zoos’ ease of access . However, not all animals behave the same in captivity as they do in the wild, so not all research is possible in zoos. 

Zoos Are Educational — People May Behave “Eco-friendlier” After Going To the Zoo

Zoos can kickstart individuals’ interest in biodiversity, which is a critical aspect of environmental protection. Many zoos include calls to action in their exhibits, highlighting how endangered animals are being poached, driven away, or otherwise killed by human activity. This can inspire some people to behave more conscientiously. One limited survey found that 35 percent of eco-friendly people learned sustainable behavior from zoos . ‘

Zoos Can Help Educate Children About Animals

Zoos are a quintessential school experience for many young people. Children love learning about animals up-close in a safe environment — in fact, education is possibly the biggest advantage of modern zoos. Many programs, like school presentations, guided tours, informational exhibits, and talks with zookeepers can trigger a lifelong love of animals in children .  

But zoos aren’t perfect in this regard. According to a study of zoo visitors in the UK, only 34 percent of children learned more about animals at zoos (the result was slightly better when the children were given  a guided tour). Worse, children did not feel empowered to help with conservation efforts after visiting a zoo. This suggests that if zoos care about education, they need to more actively reach out to schoolchildren for empowerment and education. 

Going to the Zoo Is Affordable

More ethical ways of engaging with animals without removing them from their natural habitats — like whale watching, safaris, hikes, or excursions — are usually expensive or inaccessible for many people. Zoos tend to be relatively cheap for the average family that wants to learn about animals. 

Conservation

Zoos Can Protect Endangered Species from Extinction

Zoos often claim they can protect entire species from extinction through conservation programs that involve breeding more animals in captivity and then releasing them into the wild. This is especially important for endangered species like pandas. 

While these conservation efforts are truly important, they don’t represent the majority of a zoo’s activities, nor are zoos leaders in conservation worldwide. At the National Zoo, for example, only one-fifth of animals are endangered . In North America, zoos only contribute about 14 percent of all animals reintroduced into the wild as part of a conservation program. Zoos also tend to focus on headline-grabbing endangered animals to bring in visitors, like pandas, elephants or tigers, as opposed to lesser-known but crucial species, like tamarins, kakapos or wombats. 

Are Zoos Good or Bad for the Environment?

Zoos claim to support global biodiversity through conservation efforts like protecting endangered animals. This is somewhat true, although it varies greatly from zoo to zoo. 

On the other hand, zoos are big polluters and use up lots of resources , especially energy and water . Aquariums in particular use tons and tons of water. Zoo animals also generate waste that may or may not be composted or disposed of correctly.

Should Zoos Exist or Be Banned?

Given the many ways that zoos are unethical to animals, the flawed attempts to contribute to conservation, and the positioning of humans as superior to animals, many animal ethicists believe zoos should not exist — or at least, not exist in their current form . 

For example, animal philosopher Dale Jamieson says in his book Ethics on the Ark that zoos primarily “alleviate our sense of guilt for what we are doing to the planet, but they do little to help the animals we are driving to extinction.” He continues to argue that zoos exist for humans alone , and that it is very difficult to wave away the inherent immorality of depriving animals their liberty for the sake of human amusement. 

Instead, private conservation programs can benefit endangered animals without showcasing them to the public. Animal sanctuaries, which are  areas of land in which endangered and other animals are protected by humans, are also advantageous for both individual animals and global biodiversity . 

Zoos do have advantages — fostering curiosity and education chief among them. But experts believe there are other ways of accomplishing these goals without resorting to zoos with tiny enclosures. Excursions, nature documentaries, safaris, local gardens, hikes, boat tours and other ways of interacting with nature don’t involve taking animals out of their natural habitats. 

The Bottom Line

If you do choose to visit a zoo, opt for zoos that have certifications from independent animal welfare organizations. If you are interested in animal conservation, you’d be more impactful donating to a non-zoo animal protection organization instead. And if you do want to visit animals, consider an animal sanctuary or an ethical safari, where you can see animals in their native environments.

Independent Journalism Needs You

Björn Jóhann Ólafsson is a science writer and journalist who cares deeply about understanding the natural world and her inhabitants through stories and data. He reports on the environmental footprint of the meat industry, the alternative protein sector and cultural attitudes around food. His previous bylines include the EU Observer and Elemental. He lives in Spain with his two lovebirds.

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21 Pros and Cons of Zoos

Zoos go by several different official names. They can be called “animal parks,” “menageries,” or “zoological gardens.” Despite the different names, each offers visitors the chance to view animals that are confined in an enclosure. Many zoos have breeding programs in place to help eliminate genetic bottlenecks, especially when dealing with an endangered species.

Zoos have been part of our human history from the very beginning when early humans began documenting what happened to them. One of the oldest known zoos was discovered in Egypt in 2009 and was believed to have existed in 3,500 BC. Evidence of elephants, wildcats, baboons, and hippopotami were discovered at the location.

The benefit of having a local zoo is that it gives people an opportunity to learn more about the animals and nature. It is a way to engage children in science, bring families together, and help save certain animal species that are close to extinction.

As for the disadvantages of a zoo, the facilities that are offered can be abused for personal or political gain. One of the earliest zoos in the Western Hemisphere didn’t feature animals. It featured people that had different physical traits, such as having dwarfism or albinism. Even the Catholic Church has a zoo which feature a collection of people from different races and tribes as late as the 16th century.

Ota Benga was part of a human exhibit at zoos in the United States as late as 1906, in St. Louis and the Bronx Zoo.

The pros and cons of zoos are important to consider from a modern standpoint. Our views about zoos may have changed, but is it still ethical to support animal captivity?

What Are the Pros of Having Zoos?

1. Zoos provide an educational resource. The modern zoo plays a critical role in education children and families about the different animals with whom we share this planet. Staff from a zoo will travel to local schools to make presentations, offer special programs on the zoo grounds, and partner with community providers to extend educational opportunities to everyone. No matter what a person’s socioeconomic status may be, there is a chance to learn something new because of the work of a zoo.

2. A zoo provides a protected environment for endangered animals. There are several animals which are poached frequently because of certain items. Having a zoo provides these animals with a safer place to live because they are behind multiple levels of protection. Although poachers have been able to break into zoos to take animals in the past, this is not a frequent occurrence and is normally not successful when it does occur.

3. Zoos can provide a place for the humane treatment of rare animals. One of the best examples of this is the Przewalski horse. In 1945, there were 13 horses that were captured from the wild and placed into a zoo. The last Przewalski horse was seen in the wild in 1966. Because of extensive breeding programs and an effort to reintroduce these horses into protected habitats in the wild, this unique species can continue to survive. It is a unique breed in the equine world because it has 66 chromosomes instead of 64. More than 1,500 of these horses exist today and all can trace their lineage back to the 13 that were captured at the end of World War II.

4. Zoos can also be an economic resource for a community. Zoos do more than just provide a place for animals to reside. They are a place that provides jobs, creates tourism opportunities, and can even be an economic nexus for a community. The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has an annual budget that exceeds $36 million and they pay $17 million in wages annually. Another $5.2 million is paid in outside vendor contracts. The zoo was established in 1898 and 70% of its revenues come from zoo visits and private contributions.

5. Zookeepers are trained with specialized knowledge about their animals. In the past, zoos were a place where animals were kept behind steel bars. Those who oversaw these animals had a general knowledge of upkeep, but not much more. Today’s zookeepers are highly trained and educated people who have specialized knowledge of the animals that are under their charge. This has reduced accidents and attacks, especially when handlers follow established policies and procedures to maintain safety.

6. Zoos offer animal activities to maintain natural instincts and movements. Animals that were kept in zoos in previous generations were given an enclosure, maybe a toy or two, and that was considered “cutting edge.” The modern zoo is hyper-aware of the dietary and physical requirements that animals need to maintain proper health. Activities are arranged for the animals to help keep them mentally alert. This doesn’t fully replace hunting or migration, but it does eliminate the boredom, deterioration, and eventual degradation of the animal at the zoo.

7. Most zoos are required to go through an accreditation process of some sort. One of the most common arguments against the existence of zoos is that they are not carefully supervised. In the past, this was a valid observation. Zoos in the developed world must go through an accreditation process to maintain operations. Inspections that include habitat cleanliness, humane practices, and proper care occur regularly. If a zoo is unable to meet those standards, they can potentially lose their accreditation and their animals will be transferred to a zoo that does meet them.

8. Preservation efforts at zoos can stop extinction events. Zoos around the world work together to preserve rare and extremely endangered species. These connections make it possible to bring a pair of these animals together to begin the mating process so that the species can continue living. If these rare animals were forced to find each other in the wild, the result could be very different. Animals that have been saved from likely extinction by zoos include the Arabian Oryx, Golden Lion Tamarin, Puerto Rican Parrot, and Freshwater mussels.

9. Veterinary care is readily available at most zoos. Many zoos have what is referred to as a “treatment room.” This is a place where any animal can be brought in for an examination so that its good health can be maintained. Veterinarians are no longer working on their own in these facilities either. Treatment teams include pathologists, technicians, zookeepers, and other specialists who can create and maintain virtually any care plan. Screenings, quarantine procedures, parasite removal, and other common treatments are part of the standard care process now as well.

10. Zoos are working with universities to develop in-depth degree programs. The Smithsonian National Zoo is one of many that have worked with local colleges and universities to create thorough degree programs at graduate and doctorate levels. The National Zoo has a training program for fourth-year veterinary students and offers a 3-year residency program for another school so that veterinarians can train to become zoological medicine specialists.

What Are the Cons of Having Zoos?

1. Holding any animal in captivity has questionable ethics. There may be educational value in a zoo, but keeping animals in captivity offers an ethical dilemma. Some animals, like the average house cat, will thrive in a captive environment. Others, like orcas, do very poorly when living in captivity. An orca in the wild may live up to 100 years in the wild, but the average age at a captive orca is less than 30 years – and it’s 17 years for a male orca.

2. Breeding programs create dependencies. Wild animals struggle to adapt to a confined environment, but many can make the transition – even if it is forced upon them. The same cannot always be said for the newborns that become part of local zoo breeding programs. If the animal is part of a predator species, most newborns that are born in captivity will die if they are released because of the dependencies they have on the captivity.

3. Most zoos are treated as a recreational facility. Since the 19th century, in both good and bad ways, most zoos were established to further a scientific understanding about the nature which surrounds us. That has changed over the years to the point where many see a zoo as nothing more than a recreational facility. Established zoos cater to this attitude and justify it because they need to have funds to further the research or preservation efforts that are taking place.

4. The lives of animals are secondary to the lives of people. Because zoos are treated more as a recreational facility, visitors do not always have respect for the boundaries and borders that keep them safe from potentially dangerous animals. If visitors intrude into the animal enclosure, it is usually the life of the animal that is put at risk. An example of this occurred in 2016 when a 3-year old boy was left unsupervised long enough to crawl into a gorilla enclosure. To save the boy, the zoo killed the male gorilla named Harambe.

5. Even if captivity extends a lifetime, it can change animal behavior. Elephants are often the focus of this key point because of their size compared to their enclosure. Elephants are also migratory animals, so restricting this instinct can cause them to become more aggressive. More than 75 elephants have been euthanized at zoos before reaching the age of 40 when their lifespan is estimated to be 70 years in the wild. Predatory animals become more aggressive as well when restricted, which puts zookeepers and visitors at an increased risk.

6. Many zoos are struggling financially and can no longer care for their animals properly. The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is thought to be one of the best in the US. In 2015, their expenses were $2 million more than their incoming revenues. Their status as a 501c3 organization, however, can help to provide a buffer on years where losses like that occur. Other zoos do not have that luxury. Many zoos euthanize healthy animals because of their cost or to “preserve” genetic health. In Agate, CO a wildlife sanctuary euthanized all 11 of their animals because of a denial to relocate their facilities due to “ongoing flooding.”

7. Conservation is a goal that isn’t always sought. Most zoos have a goal of conservation when it comes to animal species. There are certainly success stories, such as the Przewalski horse. Unfortunately, this goal tends to be more of a marketing technique than an actual mission statement. It is quite common to have offspring created at a zoo to be moved to another zoo, sold to raise money, or in the case of the Giant Panda, used as a financial resource for an entire country.

8. Even natural habitat enclosures do not fully serve the needs of all animals. The goal of many modern zoos is to replicate the natural environments of the animal for their enclosure. For some animals, such as the elephant, this is virtually impossible within the confines of a zoo. A herd (or memory) of elephants is known to travel between 30-50 kilometers every day. In the wild, you’ll find them grouping into herds of 40+ individuals. That is a habitat which a small zoo cannot replicate.

9. Zoos can set an improper standard for future generations. Children learn from the adults in their lives. When they go to a zoo, what they are seeing is that it is okay for people to put animals into enclosures for entertainment purposes. For a zoo experience to be beneficial, there must be an effort to take all visitors through the scientific and preservation components of a zoological program. Unfortunately, most zoo visitors go to look at the animals and nothing more, which shows imprisonment can be entertainment – and that may transfer to their views about humanity.

10. Breeding programs are not a guarantee for species survival. The Giant Panda is an example of how difficult breeding programs in captivity can be. Up through the 1990s, just 30% of the Giant Pandas in captivity could successfully reproduce. When the cubs were born, more than 60% of them would die while still in infancy. Survival percentages have risen to over 70% since then, but this is because of artificial insemination and husbandry efforts that essentially force the newborn cub to be reliant on humans for potentially its entire life.

11. Animals in captivity can develop severe health problems, even with a high-quality treatment plan. The Alaska Zoo was struggling to care for Maggie the Elephant. Because of the local weather conditions, she would often be forced to stay inside a very small enclosure. Her treatment team brought in a treadmill that could help her get the exercise she needed, but she refused. Without the proper amount of activity, her feet began to degrade to the point where it became difficult for her to walk.

A zoo can be an integral part of our community and world with the right approach. Each key point deserves consideration so that a personal decision regarding zoos can be reached. That way they can be more than entertainment.

The pros and cons of zoos often come from two very different points of view. From a legal standard, animals are often treated as property. That means they have little in the way of rights, so a zoo seems like a positive place to maintain a high quality of life. For others, the forced enclosure of any animal feels like an unethical decision. Wild animals, it is said, are meant to be wild.

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Pros and cons of zoos: Should animals be kept in zoos?

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Animal cruelty or protection? Learn about the pros and cons of zoos and join our debate and poll: Should there be zoos? Should animals be kept in captivity? Vote and explain your view on whether zoos are necessary or should be banned.

Should animals be kept in zoos?

Over 181 million people visit zoos and aquariums every year in the United States, and 25 million in the United Kingdom. Zoos have more visitors than the combined attendance of the four major sports leagues ( NFL , NBA , MLB and NHL ). Despite their immense popularity , zoos have become increasingly controversial institutions. An increasing number of animal rights advocates and animal protection organizations are questioning the role of zoos in modern societies. The shocking evidence of animal abuse in some circuses , dolphinariums and zoos have pushed many environmental and wildlife activist groups to campaign for the closure of many of the institutions that keep wild animals in captivity.

To the question "should animals be kept in captivity?" the initial reaction of most people is rejection. Why should animals be kept in zoos? In an ideal world that would not be necessary, wild animals would roam freely in their natural habitats and we, humans, would find ways to observe them and learn about them without disrupting their lives. However, today on Earth due to population growth and urbanization many animal species are endangered and most people have very few opportunities to observe and learn from animals.

Jane Goodall , the famous British primatologist and one of the most important experts in chimpanzees in the world, has defended the role of zoos in helping us understand and preserve the life of wild animals (see video below). On the other hand, organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Animal Aid and Born Free have initiated campaigns for the closure of zoos, arguing that most zoos deprive animals from their most basic needs and that animal abuse and suffering should not be a source of entertainment.

Do you think that zoos are an effective way to increase awareness about animal life? Do they really help preserve endangered species or it is more a business and a cruel source of entertainment? Is keeping animals in captivity a good way to ensure their future? Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of zoos before we make up our minds.

Watch this video with Jane Goodall on the role of zoos in saving animals

Pros and cons of zoos

These are the most common arguments in favor and against zoos.

Pros of zoos

• After the famous wildlife conservationist Geral Durrell opened a zoo in Jersey in 1959, zoos all over the world have embraced the mission of saving endangered species in the world. Zoos are not like the exotic animal menageries from the middle ages. They want to provide entertainment but they are greatly concerned with the protection of animals and their natural habitats. Zoos help raising awareness and funding for wildlife initiatives and research projects.
• Animals are not always caged in zoos. Edinburgh was the first British zoo to follow the idea of displaying animals without bars. The Chester and Whipsnade zoological parks where the first two non-urban zoos without cages and larger enclosures. They opened in 1931. In the 1960s The drive-through safari parks became very popular. Ever since there has been an increasing public concern about animal welfare in zoos.
• Zoos are monitored and follow strict regulation in most developed countries. There is less room for animal cruelty in zoos than ever before in history.
• Most people working in zoos are true animal lovers. Veterinary doctors, zoologist, voluntary staff, etc. chose to work in zoos because they like animals, and wanted to work closely with them and help them thrive.
• Education is another positive feature of zoos. Many children and adults in cities can only see wild animals in TV or the Internet. Zoos offer them the unique experience of contemplating real animals. They can smell them, see how they move and listen their sounds. This is a much more vivid and enriching experience than the one you can get through a screen. Thanks to zoos kids and adult develop empathy toward animals.
• Zoos are key for research . Being able to observe and study animals is crucial if we want to contribute to help them and repair the ecosystems. They also help redice human-animal conflicts and better understand the needs and psychology of animals. Zoos serve as laboratories to learn more about how to fight animal diseases and develop effective animal anaesthetics and other treatments to help more animals in the future.
• Another pro of zoos is their role in animal reproduction. Zoos study animal breeding and thanks to them many wild animals in captivity can reproduce. This is particularly important in the case of endangered species. Due to the low density of the population of some animals in their natural ecosystems they struggle to find partners. Some populations in the wild are weakened by endogamy too. In zoos vets and biologist help to prevent inbreeding.

Cons of zoos

• Animal cruelty in zoos continues to be extremely common. There are continuous cases of animals abused by visitors and zoo workers. 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.
• Animals in captivity are deprived of many things that are important to them, as a result they become lonely and bored. Many of them suffer from "zoochosis" , a psychological condition characterized by repetitive and obsessive behaviors including vomiting, excessive grooming, coprophagia and self-mutilation. 
• Most animals in zoos still live in small enclosures and cages . There are Safari Parks and large zoos in which animals have more space and live in an enviroment slightly more similar to their natural habitat .however, the large majority of zoos in the world are much smaller and have less economic means than the big zoos we often see in the media such as the San Diego Zoo, the Berlin Zoological Garden, the San Louis Zoo, etc. 
• In zoos many animals sicken and die because they contract diseases from other animals and species. Zoos usually group animals from many different parts of the world with very distinct immunological systems. People also have been sickened from diseases contracted from animals in zoos.
• Many zoos do little for research or animal protection. They are simply businesses run with the sole purpose of making money . Their concern for animals is secondary. Cost efficiency often means they move animal welfare down in the list of priorities. 
• Zoos and aquariums have incentivized the illegal hunt of animals . Historically poachers have hunted and sold wild animals for zoos all over the world. Although this practice is increasingly prosecuted in most countries, there are still small zoos and aquariums which acquire their animals without paying much attention to their origin. 
• From an ethical point of view zoos are also questionable. Zoos are a typical form of family entertainment, but associating leisure and fun with the contemplation of animals in captivity can send the wrong signals to our children. Zoos can be construed as a sadistic pleasure .

Do you think zoos are necessary? Do the cons of zoos outweight their benefits? Should we boycott or ban zoos? Vote and join our debate (see below)

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Are Zoos Ethical? Arguments for and Against Keeping Animals in Zoos

Zoos, if done right, could be a good thing for the animals and the public—yet many so-called zoos get it terribly wrong.

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A Brief History of Zoos

Arguments for zoos, arguments against zoos, the last word on zoos.

A zoo is a place where captive animals are put on display for humans to see. While early zoos (shortened from zoological parks) concentrated on displaying as many unusual creatures as possible—often in small, cramped conditions—the focus of most modern zoos is conservation and education. While zoo advocates and conservationists argue that zoos save endangered species and educate the public, many  animal rights activists believe the cost of confining animals outweighs the benefits, and that the violation of the rights of individual animals—even in efforts to fend off extinction—cannot be justified.

Humans have kept wild animals for thousands of years. The first efforts to keep wild animals for non-utilitarian uses began about 2500 BCE, when rulers in Mesopotamia, Egypt kept collections in enclosed pens.  Modern zoos began to evolve during the 18th century and the Age of Enlightenment, when scientific interest in zoology, as well as the study of animal behavior and anatomy, came to the fore.

Early zoos were a dismal affair. Animals were kept in small enclosures with little if any, greenery. With a scant understanding of what the various animals needed, many perished relatively quickly. In accredited U.S. zoos (and elsewhere) things are better now, fortunately. Primates, for example, have gone from barren cages with little furniture to naturalistic and sometimes semi-free-ranging designs. But is it enough?

• By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of other species.
• Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators.
• Many zoos have breeding programs for endangered species. In the wild, these individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding, and species could become extinct.
• Some zoos have conservation programs around the world that use the zoo's expertise and funding to help protect wildlife against poaching and other threats.
• Reputable zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are held to high standards for the treatment of their resident animals. According to AZA, its accreditation guarantees that the organization has undergone strict evaluation by recognized experts to ensure the highest standards of "animal management and care, including living environments, social groupings, health, and nutrition."
• A good zoo provides an enriched habitat in which the animals are never bored, are well cared for, and have plenty of space.
• Seeing an animal in person is a much more personal and more memorable experience than seeing that animal in a nature documentary and is more likely to foster an empathetic attitude toward animals.
• Some zoos help rehabilitate wildlife and take in exotic pets that people no longer want or are no longer able to care for.
• Both accredited and unaccredited animal exhibitors are regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which establishes standards for animal care.
• From an animal rights standpoint, humans do not have a right to breed, capture, and confine other animals— even if those species are endangered . Being a member of an endangered species doesn't mean the individual animals should be afforded fewer rights.
• Animals in captivity suffer from boredom, stress, and confinement. No pen—no matter how humane—or drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild.
• Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals are sold or traded to other zoos.
• Baby animals bring in visitors and money, but this incentive to breed new baby animals leads to overpopulation. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos, but also to circuses and hunting facilities. Some zoos simply kill their surplus animals outright.
• Some captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild. The offspring may be forever part of the chain of zoos, circuses, and petting zoos.
• Removing individual specimens from the wild further endangers the wild population because the remaining individuals will be less genetically diverse and may have greater difficulty finding mates. Maintaining species diversity within captive breeding facilities is also a challenge. 
• If people want to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary. (A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but instead takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos, or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.)
• The federal Animal Welfare Act establishes only the most minimal standards for cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing, food, and water. For example, enclosures must provide "sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns." Violations often result in a slap on the wrist and the exhibitor is given a deadline to correct the violation. Even a long history of inadequate care and AWA violations, such as the history of Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, does not necessarily ensure abused animals will be freed.
• Animals sometimes escape their enclosures, endangering themselves as well as people. Likewise, people ignore warnings or accidentally get too close to animals, leading to horrific outcomes. For example, Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, was shot in 2016 when a toddler accidentally fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. While the child survived and was not badly injured, the gorilla was killed outright.
• Petting zoos have been linked with numerous incidents of diseases including E. coli infection, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, and dermatomycosis (ringworm).

In making a case for or against zoos, both sides argue that they're saving animals. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal community, they certainly do make money. As long as there is demand for them, zoos will continue to exist.

Since zoos are likely an inevitability, the best way to move forward is to ensure that zoo conditions are the best possible for the animals that live in captivity and that individuals who violate animal care health and safety sanctions are not only duly punished but denied any future access to animals.

One day we may look back at zoos and marvel at their barbarity. Or, one day we may look back at zoos and be grateful for the species they saved from extinction. Of these two scenarios, only time will tell.

Hosey, Geoff, et al. Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management, and Welfare . Oxford University Press. 2013.

Hosey, G. (2023). The History of Primates in Zoos . In: Robinson, L.M., Weiss, A. (eds) Nonhuman Primate Welfare. Springer, Cham.

“ Species Survival Plan Programs .” Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

“ Accreditation Basics .” Association of Zoos & Aquariums .

“ Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations .” U.S. Department of Agriculture .

Meagher, Rebecca K., Georgia J. Mason. “ Environmental Enrichment Reduces Signs of Boredom in Caged Mink .” PLoS ONE , vol. 7, 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049180

Kleiman, Devra G., et al. Wild Mammals In Captivity: Principles And Techniques For Zoo Management, Second Edition . University of Chicago Press. 2010.

Gunasekera, Crystal Allen. “ The Ethics of Killing “Surplus” Zoo Animals .” Journal of Animal Ethics , vol. 8, 2018, doi:10.5406/janimalethics.8.1.0093

Brichieri-Colombi, Typhenn A., et al. “ Limited Contributions of Released Animals from Zoos to North American Conservation Translocations .” Conservation Biology , vol. 33, 2019, pp. 33-39., doi:10.1111/cobi.13160

Krasnec, Michelle O., et al. “ Mating Systems in Sexual Animals .” Nature Education Knowledge, vol. 3, no. 10, 2012, p. 72.

“ 9 CFR § 3.128 - Space Requirements .” Cornell University Legal Information Institute .

“ Animal Welfare Act Enforcement .” U.S. Department of Agriculture .

Conrad, Cheyenne C. Conrad et al. " Farm Fairs and Petting Zoos: A Review of Animal Contact as a Source of Zoonotic Enteric Disease ." Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, vol. 14, 2017, pp. 59-73., doi:10.1089/fpd.2016.2185

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Zoos: Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

The expediency of zoos and similar institutions is controversial since no artificially created conditions correspond to the natural range of animals’ origin. However, people seek to tame or at least be closer to animals. Therefore, the emergence of zoos, detention centers, or theme parks is an obvious decision. Instead, it is worth determining the expediency of keeping wild animals in captivity and outlining possible compromises.

Today, zoos follow the trend of creating conditions similar to animals’ natural habitats. Thus, one can observe an improved diet, natural plant species of the respective region, and an expanded area of maintenance enclosures. Moreover, children really like zoos because there, one can see animals not native to the region, take cute photos, and have a good time. Unfortunately, no artificial environment will make animals as happy as they could be in the wild. They are unable to make seasonal migrations, some are unable to mate to have offspring, and predators are unable to hunt. In addition, not all zoos follow elementary sanitary standards or the appropriate temperature regime. Thus, animals cannot live freely and happily while in captivity.

Summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of zoos, one can find a compromise regarding the conditions for keeping wild animals in artificial conditions. The only optimal option is to keep only those animals unable to function normally in wild conditions. Thus, the employees of the relevant institutions must ensure the capture and treatment of those animals that need it. If continued captivity under the supervision of specialists is a better option than release into the wild, this option should be chosen. In this way, animals will live in the comfort they deserve, and visitors to zoos will enjoy the beauty of the wild world.

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Bibliography

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Debating the Morality and Value of Zoos

Some readers decry keeping animals in captivity while others tout the educational benefits.

To the Editor:

Re “ The Case Against Zoos ,” by Emma Marris (Sunday Review, June 13):

Ms. Marris argues that leading zoos and aquariums spend an outsized amount on “operations and construction” compared with their expenditures on “conservation projects.”

The reason modern zoos spend so much on operations is simple — effective, science-based zoological institutions focus on the welfare of animals in their care, a moral obligation that does not come cheap. American Humane , the country’s first national humane organization, certifies the humane treatment of animals in more than 60 zoos and aquariums around the globe. These zoological institutions receive our Humane Certified seal as they meet or exceed a science-based set of criteria evaluated by independent auditors who have no stake in the outcome of their decision.

Money spent on proper veterinary care, enrichment activities and nutritious food is not money wasted but rather an investment in the social, and moral, contract we have with animals. To pressure zoos and aquariums to spend less on their animals would lead to inhumane outcomes for the precious creatures in their care.

Robin R. Ganzert Washington The writer is president and chief executive of American Humane.

I am a veterinarian who was a zoo and wildlife park employee for years before obtaining my veterinary degree. Both the wildlife park and zoo claimed to be operating for the benefit of the animals and for conservation purposes. This claim was false. Neither one of them actually participated in any contributions to animal research or conservation. They are profitable institutions whose bottom line is much more important than the condition of the animals.

Animals such as African lions that bred in captivity were “culled” (killed) when their numbers exceeded the financial capability of the zoo to feed them. Baby bears, seals, beavers and other animals were taken in and used by the zoos for financial profit until they were no longer useful, and then either “culled” or released into the wild without the ability to survive. I was taught to recite a spiel on conservation to zoo visitors that was false.

Animals despise being captives in zoos. No matter how you “enhance” enclosures, they do not allow for freedom, a natural diet or adequate exercise. Animals end up stressed and unhealthy or dead.

It’s past time for transparency with these institutions, and it’s past time to eliminate zoos from our culture.

Teri Byrd Vashon Island, Wash.

As a zoology professor and, thanks to my kids, a frequent zoo visitor, I agree with Emma Marris that zoo displays can be sad and cruel. But she underestimates the educational value of zoos.

She cites studies showing that most zoo visitors do not closely read educational signs, arguing that few people experience the zoo other than as a simple family outing. However, those few who gain a serious interest in conservation add up to a lot, given that millions of people visit zoos.

The zoology program at my State University of New York campus attracts students for whom zoo visits were the crucial formative experience that led them to major in biological sciences. These are mostly students who had no opportunity as children to travel to wilderness areas, wildlife refuges or national parks. Although good TV shows can help stir children’s interest in conservation, they cannot replace the excitement of a zoo visit as an intense, immersive and interactive experience. They also get to meet adults who have turned their love for animals into a career, and with whom they can identify.

Surely there must be some middle ground that balances zoos’ treatment of animals with their educational potential.

Karen R. Sime Oswego, N.Y.

Emma Marris briefly mentions sanctuaries. Sanctuaries are a growing and ethical alternative to animals kept in captivity and “on display.” The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries is the accrediting body for sanctuaries, with 200 members in the United States and abroad. One hundred percent of the focus of our organization and its member sanctuaries is on the humane care of their animals.

Unlike zoos, sanctuaries receive no government or municipal funding, rely on small staffs supplemented by volunteers, and operate on shoestring budgets. They also take on the additional cost of providing lifetime care for every animal. They do not buy, sell or trade animals and restrict access to the animals, forgoing the lucrative revenue of general admission and attractions. Instead, they rely primarily on public donations for support.

For wild animals that cannot be returned to their natural habitats, true sanctuaries offer the best alternative. It’s what animals deserve and is the moral choice.

Valerie Taylor Phoenix The writer is the executive director of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

“The Case Against Zoos” is an insult and a disservice to the thousands of passionate, dedicated people who work tirelessly to improve the lives of animals and protect our planet. Ms. Marris uses outdated research and decades-old examples to undermine the noble mission of organizations committed to connecting children to a world beyond their own.

I’ve specialized in zoo and aquarium marketing as a consultant for 20 years, working directly with animal keepers and their animals to produce commercials that feature everything from sharks to lemurs. I’ve never met more dedicated people in my life. They care for their animals as a parent would care for a child.

Zoos and aquariums are at the forefront of conservation and constantly evolving to improve how they care for animals and protect each species in its natural habitat. Are there tragedies? Of course. But they are the exception, not the norm that Ms. Marris implies. A distressed animal in a zoo will get as good or better treatment than most of us at our local hospital.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has been on a continual path of improvement, constantly examining its practices related to animal care and conservation throughout the world.

Most important, Ms. Marris glosses over the true value of zoos and aquariums. When a child looks a gorilla or otter or shark in the eye, something wondrous takes place. A connection is made to a world beyond our own that will live with them forever.

Greg Newberry Cincinnati The writer is president of Animal Instinct Advertising.

I quite agree with Emma Marris. Having lived in Kenya, driving in the Nairobi National Park early in the morning as the animals were beginning to move around, and experiencing the thrill of a black mane lion lying in the middle of the road as if he owned the kingdom, I do not go to zoos. To see the animals no longer able to roam, pacing in small areas, is too cruel to watch.

Frances McClure Oxford, Ohio

As a fellow environmentalist, animal-protection advocate and longtime vegetarian, I could properly be in the same camp as Emma Marris on the issue of zoos. But I believe that well-run zoos, and the heroic animals that suffer their captivity, do serve a higher purpose. Were it not for opportunities to observe these beautiful, wild creatures close to home, many more people would be driven by their fascination to travel to wild areas to seek out, disturb and even hunt them down.

Zoos are, in that sense, akin to natural history and archaeology museums, serving to satisfy our need for contact with these living creatures while leaving the vast majority undisturbed in their natural environments.

Dean Gallea Tarrytown, N.Y.

Emma Marris selectively describes and misrepresents the findings of our research . Our studies focused on the impact of zoo experiences on how people think about themselves and nature, and the data points extracted from our studies do not, in any way, discount what is learned in a zoo visit.

Zoos are tools for thinking. Our research provides strong support for the value of zoos in connecting people with animals and with nature. Zoos provide a critical voice for conservation and environmental protection. They afford an opportunity for people from all backgrounds to encounter a range of animals, from drone bees to springbok or salmon, to better understand the natural world we live in.

John Fraser Susan Clayton Wesley Schultz Dr. Fraser is the author of “The Social Value of Zoos.” Dr. Clayton and Dr. Schultz are professors of psychology.

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Are Zoos Good or Bad for Animals?

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Zoos are great, right? You get to be up close and personal with some amazing animals that you’d pretty much never get to see in the wild. Clearly, zoos are a win for people. But when it comes to the animals, zoos might cause more harm than good. Should zoos exist?

TEACHERS: Guide your students to practice civil discourse about current topics and get practice writing CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) responses. Explore lesson supports.

How did zoos become a thing? Humans have been capturing and displaying exotic animals for thousands of years. The earliest known collections date back to 3500 BCE in Egypt, where rulers kept hippos, elephants, baboons, and different species of large cats. Now back then, that didn’t mean that your average Egyptian could go check any of that awesomeness out. These early zoos were really just a way for kings to flex on other kings. Modern zoos, where the public can come and watch animals exhibiting their natural behavior, didn’t really become a thing until the early 1800s. The longest continuously operating zoo in the world is the Vienna Zoo, which has been going strong for more than 260 years.

What are the arguments in favor of having zoos? Zoos may be great entertainment, but their big goal is to educate the public about wildlife and what we can do to protect them. Zoo animals are sort of like ambassadors for their counterparts in the wild. Zoos also contribute to scientific research. “Zoo” is short for zoological park, and zoology is the scientific study of animal biology and behavior. In addition, zoos work really hard to save animals that are threatened in the wild. Zoos can take at-risk animals, breed them in captivity, and then reintroduce them back into the wild.

What are the arguments for NOT having zoos? Zoos have their problems. Not all zoos are created equal. Some are clean and well staffed, others aren’t. There are some in the richest cities in the world, and there are some in conflict zones. What this means is that not all zoos have the resources to properly care for the animals they house. And for many critics, no amount of education or research justifies keeping animals captive. That captivity can be REALLY bad for both physical AND psychological health. And while zoos have been really helpful is saving endangered animals, it doesn’t work out for certain species. For example, most large carnivores like lions and tigers that are bred in captivity die when released into the wild. It turns out that they haven’t developed the natural behaviors they need when they’re out on their own and have to fend for themselves.

SOURCES: Do we need zoos? (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/harambe-zoo/485084/

Why zoos are good (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/science/lost-worlds/2014/aug/19/why-zoos-are-good

The case for the end of the modern zoo (New York Magazine) http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/07/case-for-the-end-of-the-modern-zoo.html?gtm=bottom

Zoos and their discontents (New York Times Magazine) https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/magazine/zoo-animals-and-their-discontents.html

Stress and lack of exercise are killing elephants, zoos warned (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/dec/12/elephants-animal-welfa re

Most Captive-Born Predators Die If Released (National Geographic) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2008/01/predators-captivity-habitat-animals/

Captive Breeding Success Stories (PBS) https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-loneliest-animals-captive-breeding-success-stories/4920/

Quantifying the contribution of zoos and aquariums to peer-reviewed scientific research (Facets Journal) https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/facets-2017-0083

Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums (Conservation Biology) https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/jensen/ericjensen/moss_jensen_and_gusset_2015-evaluating_the_contribution_of_zoos_and_aquariums_to_aichi_biodiversity_target_1_final_published_version.pdf

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Are zoos a good thing.

How do you feel about keeping animals in zoos? Read both sides of the argument to help you decide.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first. Then read the text and do the other exercises.

Preparation

Zoos are hugely popular attractions for adults and children alike. But are they actually a good thing?

Critics of zoos would argue that animals often suffer physically and mentally by being enclosed. Even the best artificial environments can't come close to matching the space, diversity, and freedom that animals have in their natural habitats. This deprivation causes many zoo animals to become stressed or mentally ill. Capturing animals in the wild also causes much suffering by splitting up families. Some zoos make animals behave unnaturally: for example, marine parks often force dolphins and whales to perform tricks. These mammals may die decades earlier than their wild relatives, and some even try to commit suicide.

On the other hand, by bringing people and animals together, zoos have the potential to educate the public about conservation issues and inspire people to protect animals and their habitats. Some zoos provide a safe environment for animals which have been mistreated in circuses, or pets which have been abandoned. Zoos also carry out important research into subjects like animal behaviour and how to treat illnesses.

One of the most important modern functions of zoos is supporting international breeding programmes, particularly for endangered species. In the wild, some of the rarest species have difficulty in finding mates and breeding, and they might also be threatened by poachers, loss of their habitat and predators. A good zoo will enable these species to live and breed in a secure environment. In addition, as numbers of some wild species drop, there is an increased danger of populations becoming too genetically similar. Breeding programmes provide a safeguard: zoo-bred animals can be released into the wild to increase genetic diversity.

However, opponents of zoos say that the vast majority of captive breeding programmes do not release animals back into the wild. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos but also to circuses or hunting ranches in the US or South Africa, where some people are willing to pay a lot of money for the chance to kill an animal in a fenced enclosure. Often, these animals are familiar with humans and have very little chance of escaping.

So, are zoos good for animals or not? Perhaps it all depends on how well individual zoos are managed, and the benefits of zoos can surely outweigh their harmful effects. However, it is understandable that many people believe imprisoning animals for any reason is simply wrong.

Check your understanding: true or false

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What do you think about zoos? Are they a good thing, or is it cruel to keep animals in captivity?

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Why Are Zoos Bad? Why Animals Should not be Kept in Zoos?

Alexander Laybourne

March 7, 2023.

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To many people, a trip to the zoo is a fun day out for the family. Visiting a zoo is a chance for many people to see exotic animals they would otherwise be unable to see.

However, few people stop and actively consider why zoos are bad.

In this article, we will take a look at why zoos teach children the wrong lesson about captive animals.

As a late Gen-Xer-cum-early-Millenial, my childhood was rich with trips to visit zoos. However, looking back as an adult with a world-savvy eye, there is far more to animal captivity than meets the eye.

So Why are Zoos Bad?

While zoos can definitely be exciting places for families to visit, the fact remains that they are bad for animals. In most cases, animals in zoos lead very unhappy lives.

We say zoos are bad because animals are forced to live in unnatural, stressful, boring environments, leading to a lack of mental and physical stimulation. They are removed from their natural habitats and confined to small limited spaces and often forced to perform tricks or entertain visitors.

Zookeepers also often may neglect their healthcare needs. As a result, many animals at zoos may die prematurely from stress or illness.

You can surely help these animals by refusing to visit zoos and instead supporting sanctuaries where animals live in natural habitats.

What Are the Negative Effects of Zoos on Animals?

There are a great many negative effects of zoos on animals.When we visit zoos, we can see they often go to great lengths in order to recreate the animals’ natural habitats.

However, this is often not much more than an illusion for the customer. A small exhibit is never going to truly capture the vastness of the open world.

The common negative effects of zoos on animals are listed below.

• Animals often suffer in captivity
• Animals are removed from their natural habitats.
• Many zoos fail to provide the required minimum standard of care
• Healthy animals are killed
• Zoos don’t replicate animals’ natural habitats
• Zoos teach children the wrong lessons
• Zoos teach people that animal captivity is acceptable
• Animal protection laws are not strong enough
• Zoos are largely unethical
• Many visitors disturb and disrespect the animals
• Zoo animals are often drugged to be kept calm
• Euthanasia practices
• Zoos often have insufficient knowledge of animals.
• Increased risk of disease
• Zoos contribute to the exotic pet trade

What’s Bad About Zoos Overall?

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of why keeping animals in zoos is bad:

Animals Often Suffer in Captivity

Wild animals often suffer in captivity because they were meant to be free. Zoo owners go to great lengths to build enclosures that have a wild aesthetic and give paying visitors a taste of the wild world.

However, the truth is that no enclosure can come close to matching the vastness of an animal’s natural environment. Animals in zoos can sense this, and over time their confinement can lead to worrying behavioral changes.

Animals Are Removed From Their Natural Habitats

Many zoo animals are forcefully removed from their natural habitat. This relocation alone can come as a large shock and wreak havoc on the animals’ mental health. For some animals in zoos, the shock of their relocation alone can be fatal.

In addition, when animals are removed from their natural habitats, they are also removed from their family structure and social hierarchy. For many wild animals, this is a vital part of their life, and they can struggle to redefine their footing.

Once again, a change of this magnitude can cause captive animals to exhibit changing behaviors, which include self-destructive acts and unrelenting restlessness.

Many Zoos Fail To Provide the Required Minimum Standard of Care

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.

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.

Even the best zoological park cannot fully capture the wild, and many smaller zoos fail to take effective measures to ensure the health and well-being of their animals.

A study by Bristol University found that many British zoos fail to provide animals with the required minimum standard of care.

Healthy Animals Are Killed

Running a successful zoo is about drawing in visitors as much as it is caring for animals. As a result, many zoos breed animals. Unfortunately, this is done under the guise of conservation and to protect endangered species .

However, only a certain number of each species are really needed, and so should breeding result in a sharp increase, these numbers are reduced via various methods.

Healthy animals in zoos are killed because they are not needed. In addition, baby animals that are deemed excess to requirements find their way into black market sales. This support of the exotic pet trade also results in a lot of preventable animal deaths .

Zoos Don’t Replicate Animals’ Natural Habitats

Many zoos create attractive enclosures to attract visitors. However, the vast majority don’t do enough to accurately replace an animal’s natural habitat. There is more to natural environments than just looks.

Most zoos or animal sanctuaries don’t have the space or the facilities to truly recreate the wild. Especially not for the broad spectrum of species they have in their park.

Animals need physical stimulation and a level of interaction with nature that we, as humans, cannot understand, let alone interpret and recreate.

Zoos Teach Children the Wrong Lessons

Many zoos give children the wrong lessons about wild animals and how to protect animals. Many zoos and aquariums offer behind-the-scenes tours and informative talks on animal welfare.

These tours often pretend to talk about their animals’ natural habitat and inclinations. However, they are really just teaching children about caring for animals in captivity.

Children leave most zoos with a misconception about how animals behave in the wild and what it takes to truly care for endangered animals.

Zoos Teach People That Animal Captivity Is Acceptable

In normalizing captivity zoos, and teaching animals to perform tricks for human entertainment, zoos and animal sanctuaries are spreading the message that animal captivity to normal, healthy, and fully acceptable.

The truth is there is a vast difference between genuine conservation efforts and endangered species protection and running a zoo. Many zoos claim to be helping preserve dwindling populations.

This may be true to some extent; however, many zoos are running breeding programs for their own benefit and have no interest in releasing their animals back into the wild.

Animal Protection Laws Are Not Strong Enough

Existing animal protection laws do not actually consider the true ramifications of captivity. Many animals in zoos are not used to confinement. Their natural habitat extends far beyond anything captivity zoos could provide.

For example, Orcas are migratory animals with a vast range. Being placed into a small tank, away from their family units, might not break existing animal protection laws.

The same applies to elephants. 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.

However, that does not stop the silent damage that captivity delivers to such roaming animal species.

Zoos Are Largely Unethical

At the end of the day, Zoos are largely unethical places that are built under the pretense of habitat conservation but really are there to earn money and entertain people who want to be able to say they saw real-life wild animals.

The truth is that zoos are a prison for animals. 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.

Most animals are taught to perform tricks and go against the grain of nature purely for human entertainment.

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.

Many Visitors Disturb and Disrespect the Animals

Many visitors will disturb and disrespect the animals in a zoo simply because they feel as though they are owed a performance of some sort. They bought tickets, and the wild creatures should behave accordingly.

When in their natural environments, wild animals are not used to being confronted by humans. However, in a zoo, the boundaries between the wild and captivity are rearranged.

Visitors will hammer on the glass or clamor around an animal enclosure, calling and shouting for the creature to perform for their pleasure.

Zoo Animals Are Often Drugged To Be Kept Calm

Animals in captivity can struggle to adapt to their new environment. Animals begin to display erratic behaviors, self-mutilation, and an inability to settle.

Many zoos will then resort to drugging animals in order to keep them docile and ‘normal’ for the pleasure of the viewing public. Drugs given to animals include sedatives and antipsychotic drugs.

Euthanasia Practices

An animal’s worth is only equal to the attraction it offers to visitors. Zoos are expensive to run, often have a very tight budget, and cannot afford to maintain and support animals that do not ‘pull their weight’ in terms of attraction.

Once an animal has served its purpose, many zoos will either sell them or euthanize them.

Zoos also have the power to euthanize their animals when they themselves deem it permissible.

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).

Zoos Often Have Insufficient Knowledge of Animals

Zoo keepers are often trained and specialize in a particular breed or species. However, the truth remains that zoos often have insufficient knowledge of the animals they are housing.

It is not possible to have zookeepers versed in a detailed understanding of every single species.

Instead, they will hire generalists with a degree of knowledge specificity and run with that. This goes to the detriment of the animals in zoos and puts them at risk of receiving inadequate care.

Increased Risk of Disease

Zoos are home to many animals. Non-native animals are held in conditions that vary greatly from what they are used to living in. This alone increases the risk of disease, as animals are exposed to viruses they have never encountered before.

When factoring in the number of zoos breeding animals and the risk posed to baby animals, the change of disease skyrockets further.

There have also been reported cases of zoos not properly disposing of dead bodies when animals die on their premises. Some surplus animals or injured animals are even fed to predators as a means of life-cycle maintenance.

There is no end to the risk of cross-contamination and disease spread, especially when considering the fact that lots of zoos fail to provide the correct standard of care.

Zoos Contribute to the Exotic Pet Trade

When zoos find themselves with surplus animals, they need to find ways to reduce their numbers. One way that is rarely documented is the sale of other animals into the exotic pet trade.

Private individuals with the financial means use their money to procure rare or exotic animals from zoos to add to their own private collections. The sale of excess animals to traveling roadside zoos is another big problem.

What Are the Better Alternatives to Zoos?

The better alternatives to zoos are the options that don’t result in animals being held in conditions that are unsuitable and forced to live in natural environments.

Most people visit the zoo to see the big draw animals. Elephants, lions , tigers, rhinos, and such. All of these animals are well studied and have a plethora of documentaries and video footage of them in the wild.

Watching these is a much healthier and more educational way to learn about wild animals than visiting a local zoo.

In addition, a costlier but more educational option is to make arrangements to view animals in the wild. Nature reserves, bird watching, going on a safari. All of these options afford you a close view of nature exactly as it was intended.

Final Thoughts

We’ve discussed the reasons and can surely all now answer the question of why are zoos bad. The real question is, how can we change things?

Zoos are a part of culture across the world. 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.

Personally speaking, I’ve been to zoos in Sydney, Australia, and all over the UK. I’ve been to zoos and aquariums in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Vancouver Island, not to mention those in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

However, it does not change the fundamental fact that as the world changes, we must also become more aware of the darker side of such animal sanctuaries.

Will we ever see all zoos closed down? No, most likely not. However, through education and informative motions for change, we can make change the way zoos are run.

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32 Important Pros & Cons Of Zoos

“Life is a zoo in a jungle.”

Peter De Vries, Novelist

Advantages & Disadvantages of Zoos

Zoos are quite popular in many countries all over the world.

Especially if you have children, it can be quite nice to go to the zoo and to see many different animals.

While there are many important advantages of zoos, the presence of zoos also implies some problems.

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In this article, the pros and cons of zoos are discussed.

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Advantages of zoos, we can see many different animals, zoos can raise awareness on our environmental problems, important to protect endangered species from extinction, zoos provide opportunities for nice family trips, you can see exotic animals without the need for traveling, going to the zoo is sort of a short vacation for many people, going to the zoo is often quite affordable, people may behave eco-friendlier after going to the zoo, zoos are quite popular, can be important for researchers, important income source for many local communities all around the world, global cooperation is encouraged, may protect animals from poaching, nice destination for school excursions, multiple types of zoos.

One important advantage of zoos is that they enable us to see many different animals in one place.

In fact, many big zoos have hundreds or even thousands of different animal species and even if you search for rather exotic species that would never be present in your local area, chances are that you will find those species in zoos.

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.

Zoos not only give us the opportunity to see many different animals, they are also important from an educational perspective.

In fact, many people who live in big cities often lost their connection to nature.

In fact, those people often work in demanding office jobs for long hours and don’t spend time in nature anymore.

Especially for those people, it can be quite important to go to the zoo and to see all those animals in order to remember how important protecting our environment really is.

Thus, zoos can also be quite important to raise awareness of our global environmental problems in order to protect our animals as best as possible.

Zoos can also play a crucial role to protect many animals from endangerment or even from extinction .

In fact, due to habitat destruction and many other environmental problems, many species have become endangered over the past decades.

If we want to save those species from extinction, we have to let them breed in safe environments like in zoos in order to protect them from other predator species.

In turn, chances may increase that we can protect many animal species from extinction.

Especially if you have children, going to the zoo can also be a quite nice family activity.

In fact, many small children love going to the zoo and to see the different animals.

This is not only true for children, but also for many adults.

In fact, many of us stay children deep inside and we may also remember many nice childhood memories.

Thus, going to the zoo can give you a great time and can be a nice way to unplug from your stressful daily life.

Zoos also give us a unique opportunity to see many different exotic animals without the need to travel to many exotic countries.

This can not only save you plenty of money but also significant amounts of time.

Hence, if you just want to see many animals but don’t want to travel to other countries due to various reasons, zoos can also provide you with a great opportunity in this regard.

Many people also go to the zoo in order to relax and to see something completely different compared to their normal daily life.

In fact, especially people who work in demanding jobs for quite long hours every day often need time for themselves in order to reload their batteries.

Consequently, going to the zoo can be a great way to spend your time in a completely different environment, which can also be helpful if you are currently rather bored with your daily life.

The entrance fee for zoos is often also rather low in many countries of our planet.

This is due to the fact that many zoos are subsidized by the government in order to give as many people access to zoos as possible.

Hence, also if you are on a budget and cannot afford to spend too much money on your leisure activities, zoos can provide you a great opportunity to spend your whole day without having to spend excessive amounts of money on it.

Another benefit of zoos is that people may also behave eco-friendlier after they went to the zoo.

In fact, many people only realize how important it really is to behave environmentally-friendly once they see all those fascinating animals.

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.

Zoos are also quite popular in many countries all over the world.

Hence, you don’t have to worry to go to the zoo from a social perspective since zoos are socially accepted in most countries of our planet.

Zoos can also play a crucial role when it comes to research opportunities.

In fact, some zoos offer a home for some quite exotic species that are barely existent in the wild anymore.

Hence, especially for rare species, zoos can be quite important for researchers since they are often the only place where scientists can explore those rare species.

Research on this species is quite important since only if we get to know more about them, we will be able to protect those species from extinction in the long run.

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.

Especially in poor developing countries, many regions rely on zoos to make additional income in order to improve the living conditions of the general public.

This is not only due to the entrance fees for zoos, but also due to the fact that tourists will sleep in hotels and eat out in restaurants, which further generates significant income for the local population.

Consequently, zoos can also be an important income source for many people in poor parts of our planet.

Many zoos all over the world also work together and have cooperation agreements.

This could mean that they ship animals from one zoo to another in case it makes sense.

It also means that those zoos often work together on research projects and share their latest insights regarding how to keep animals in zoos as naturally as possible.

Hence, zoos can also encourage global cooperation, which can benefit all parties in the long run.

Another significant upside of zoos is that they can protect animals from poaching.

In fact, many animals in the wild lose their lives every year due to poaching since people want to sell the horns or other valuable parts of those animals for quite high prices.

However, through poaching, many animals have become endangered and may even become extinct in the near future.

Thus, it is crucial that we protect those animals from poachers in order to assure a viable future for them.

Zoos can also be a great destination for field trips .

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.

Hence, also if you currently try to figure out what to do for your next field trip, going to the zoo may also be quite nice in this regard.

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.

Another nice thing about zoos is that they are often quite different.

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.

Disadvantages of Zoos

Animals are trapped in unnatural environments, conditions in zoos are often rather poor, animals often only have quite limited space, some zoos only exist for profit-maximization purposes, mental problems of animals in zoos are quite common, animals may not breed in zoos in a sufficient manner, may alter the behavior of animals, opponents of zoos claim that they are cruel, staff members may only have insufficient knowledge, some zoos rely on donations and government support, zoos may also be problematic from an ethical perspective, lack of regulation of zoos in many countries, often not possible to return animals to the wild, some zoos are quite crowded, opponents claim that zoos are just for human amusement, shorter life expectancy of animals in zoos, some wild animals have to be caught to bring them to the zoo.

While there are many advantages of zoos, opponents of zoos often claim that zoos only offer unnatural environments for animals.

Moreover, those animals may often feel trapped since they have to stay in their cages and cannot navigate as they would do in the wild.

Another disadvantage of zoos is that they often only offer quite poor living conditions for animals.

In fact, many animals are kept in an unnatural manner and also don’t get sufficient other animals from their species.

In turn, chances are that those zoo animals are much unhappier compared to animals of the same species who live in the wild.

Another problem of zoos is that animals often only have rather limited space to move.

In fact, while animals will have almost unlimited space in the wild, they are often caged in rather confined areas in zoos.

This is due to the fact that many zoos want to keep as many animals as possible to show them to the general public.

However, this also implies that each animal will only have a rather limited space to live.

While many zoos aim to protect our endangered animal species from extinction, some zoos just exist for the sole purpose of profit maximization.

In fact, especially in regions with weak economies, people often rely on income from zoos to make a living.

However, while those zoos may help to make some money for people in those regions, the conditions in those zoos are often rather poor since the goal is profit maximization and not to offer animals the best living conditions possible.

In fact, due to quite poor living conditions, many animals in zoos develop serious mental issues over time.

This is quite logical since every living organism needs suitable living conditions to feel good and to increase its population in the long run.

The same is even true for us humans.

If we have to live under unnatural conditions, we also develop mental issues and the same is true for animals of many sorts.

Thus, in order to protect those animals from mental issues as best as possible, zoos should try to improve the overall living conditions of those animals and provide them with sufficient space so that those animals can live as naturally as possible.

Due to the unnatural living conditions of zoos, animals are also less likely to breed in zoos and therefore, the population of those animals may decline rather than increase in the long run.

Consequently, zoos may not protect our animal species from extinction at all, especially if those animals are kept under rather poor conditions and are therefore not willing to reproduce in a sufficient manner.

In general, if animals are kept under unnatural living conditions, their behavior will change in the long run.

Hence, it is quite likely that animals in zoos will develop changes in behavior over time and some of those animals may also become quite unpredictable and dangerous for animal attendants in zoos.

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.

In fact, in many countries of our planet, zoo animals don’t have sufficient space to move and cannot satisfy their basic needs, which can indeed be considered as rather cruel.

Another problem with zoos is that staff members in zoos often don’t have the required knowledge to take care of the different animals in a proper manner. In fact, every animal is different and needs individual treatment.

However, if staff members don’t have proper qualifications, chances are that some animals are treated quite poorly and many of them may also suffer from serious neglect over time.

While some zoos are quite profitable and make good money, other zoos rely on donations and government subsidies in order to survive.

However, many people claim that taxpayers’ money that is spent on zoos could be much better spent on other important infrastructure projects.

In general, opponents of zoos also often claim that zoos are also problematic from an ethical perspective.

In fact, due to the poor overall living conditions and the unnatural treatment of animals in many zoos around the world, zoos may indeed be rather questionable from an ethical standpoint.

Another issue with zoos is that there is often also only insufficient regulation of zoos in many countries of our planet.

In fact, many zoos are rather free regarding how they want to treat their animals and in some countries, animals are even just considered as property instead of living organisms that need proper regulatory protection.

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.

Another significant downside of zoos is that animals can often not be returned to the wild after they had been kept in captivity.

In fact, animals often unlearn how to take care of themselves in zoos since they learn to rely on zookeepers to provide them with food and with all other things they need.

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.

Thus, zoos are also often not able to increase the populations of animals in the wild.

While going to the zoo can be a great way to spend your time, zoos are often also quite popular and crowded and if you want to spend your time in a more relaxed manner, you may want to spend your leisure on other activities or attend rather unpopular zoos instead of crowded ones.

Opponents of zoos often claim that zoos are just in place for human amusement.

In fact, similar to circuses, animals are often treated quite poorly in zoos and have to comply with the rules of zookeepers.

In many zoos, there are also some animal shows and it may be indeed questionable whether treating animals in these ways can be justifiable.

Many animals in zoos also have a significantly lower life expectancy compared to animals who live in the wild.

This is due to the unnatural living conditions in zoos and also due to the fact that animals often get tired of their lives in zoos.

In fact, psyche plays a major role for the life expectancy of many animals and if those animals get tired of their lives in zoos, chances are that their overall life expectancy drops as well.

From time to time, wild animals have to be caught and sent to zoos in order to sustain the populations of animals in zoos.

However, especially for those wild animals that know how life in the wild feels like, it can be quite hard to get trapped in zoos and those animals will likely never get happy.

Top 10 Zoo Pros & Cons – Summary List

Do we need zoos.

As we can see from the previous discussion, zoos are a rather controversial topic.

While there are many advantages to zoos, there are also many problems related to those facilities.

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoo

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/zoo/

https://oakleesguide.com/10-tips-for-an-awesome-zoo-trip/

About the author

My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.

As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.

After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.

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16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Zoos

A zoological garden, which is sometimes referred to as an animal park or a menagerie, is a facility which houses animals within an enclosure and displays them to the public in a manner that is safe for everyone involved. Most of us referred to these parks as a zoo. 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.

Over 180 million people visit zoos in the United States each year. There are thousands of them around the world, with every continent except Antarctica hosting at least one.

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. This advantage comes at the expense of the animals which are forced to spend their lives in an enclosure. Although there are efforts to replicate a wild habitat, a small display area is hardly the same as being free to roam.

There are additional pros and cons of zoos that are essential to consider as well.

List of the Pros of Zoos

1. Zoos have a significant financial benefit for their communities. A report out of George Mason University found that zoos associated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums employed almost 40,000 people. For every $1 million spent by zoos on their operational outlays, there were nearly 30 jobs supported. Another 23 jobs were supported for every $1 million that zoos spent on construction projects. That created a total economic output in the United States of more than $17 billion per year, with $2.4 billion in spending and $5.4 billion in personal earnings on top of that figure.

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.

2. A zoo can provide a protected environment for rare and endangered species. Animal products like elephant tusks or shark fins create a financial market where the health and welfare of a species is secondary to the profits which are possible. Some species have been poached to near extinction because of this market. By having these animals in zoos, there is another layer of protection given to these hunted species so that their survival chances are greater.

That hasn’t stopped some poachers from breaking into zoos to harvest what they want, but it is preventing the levels of harm that we have seen in the past. Because poaching activities qualify as criminal conduct, most attempts are thwarted.

3. These facilities can provide an educational resource to their community. Most zoos got their start because local scientists wanted to get to know wild and exotic species better. Although the initial methods of retrieval were brutal, sometimes killing the parents to take the young one back for study, the overall goal was to extend human knowledge. 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.

You will also see the staff members from local zoos making presentations at local schools and businesses to raise awareness for what they do. Specific programs at the zoological grounds encourage visitors to interact with the animals in unique ways. Although not everyone can afford a visit to their local zoo, there are still plenty of ways to learn more about the various animals who share this planet with us.

4. We can protect some of the rarest animals in the world in zoos. If you visit the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, then you can see a rare white alligator. About 15 out of the 5 million animals currently alive are believed to have this rare condition that changes the color of their skin. When you visit the Memphis Zoo, then you can see an Okapi. The Red Panda can be found in St. Louis, and there are fewer than 10,000 of them in the world today.

Additional rare animals which receive protection in U.S. zoos include the Addax, Amur tiger, Borneo elephant, and the Pacific walrus.

5. Animals receive care from specialized trainers in zoos. Zoos provide specialized care for the animals that are kept on the grounds. Instead of keeping them in small cages, there is an effort to replicate the natural habitat to accommodate the natural instincts of each animal. Each person in a caretaker role is highly educated, trained to know the mannerisms, health needs, and characteristics of the animal to ensure the highest levels of safety. These efforts have created a significant reduction in the number of attacks and accidents that occur.

The animals are given special activities and nutrition that works with their instincts as well to give them the most natural existence possible. Although these efforts do not entirely replicate migration or hunting, it does reduce the amount of boredom that occurs during their stay in the zoo. These efforts have helped to reduce the risks of premature death in many species as well.

6. Zoos are regularly inspected and accredited for the services they provide. Zoos receive regular inspections on multiple levels to ensure they are in compliance with care and safety regulations. Careful supervision of policies and procedures allows for trainers, visitors, and the animals to maintain a higher level of safety in every facet of care. If zoos are unable to maintain standards of cleanliness, animal engagement, and habitat structure, then the facility can lose its accreditation and ability to operate.

The animals would then be transferred to zoos where the proper care would be given to them. Because there isn’t a monetary transaction that occurs, there is no way for the non-profit organization providing supports for the zoo to recoup their losses. If they don’t follow the rules, they essentially go out of business.

7. Most zoos use veterinarians and work with professionals from degree programs. The Smithsonian Zoo is one example of many that works with local institutions to build programs at every post-graduate level to ensure the future safety of animals. There are residency programs, veterinarian internships, and a variety of other educational opportunities which allow for a high level of treatment for the conditions which may development.

You can find animal treatment teams including specialists, pathologies, and trainers to ensure that every care plan is followed to the letter. Quarantine procedures are part of the zoo’s overall structure as well. The overall goal always remains the same; to ensure the best possible care for every animal in care.

List of the Cons of Zoos

1. Zoos are often used to exploit people, animals, and even communities. Did you know that one of the first zoological gardens in the Western Hemisphere featured humans instead of animals? This first effort displayed people who had different physical traits that were unusual – something similar to the “freak shows” of the traveling circuses in the 19th and early 20th century. Even the Catholic Church got involved with this effort at displaying people in cages, maintaining facilities deep into the 16th century.

Humans as part of zoological exhibitions did not fully stop until the early 20th century. Ota Benga was part of an exhibit in the Bronx and in St. Louis, purchased by a Christian missionary who wanted to put African people into an exhibition. Now some would argue we do the same thing with animals or try to hold communities hostage because of the potential financial gains that a well-run zoo can provide.

2. It changes the lifespan of the animals held in captivity. Even when you take into consideration the educational benefits that come with a zoo, the fact is that most wild animals do not adapt well to confined circumstances. It places enormous pressure on the mental health of many species, causing them to live much shorter lives than they would in the wild. The difference can be as much as 50% when comparing the lifespan of a wild species compared to one kept in a zoo.

Orcas can live for more than a century on their own, but when you keep them in captivity, the average lifespan for a male is less than 20 years. National Geographic notes that elephants can live for up to 70 years when they live in protected areas of the wild in Africa or Asia, while those kept in zoos is just 17 years for African elephants born into captivity.

3. Zoos are losing their influence on the educational industry. When the first modern zoo was established in London in the 19th century, the purpose was purely scientific. Even when these facilities began to open to the general public, the purpose was still to provide an educational resource to the community. Although there are some around the world which continue to place their primary emphasis on teaching, research, and saving endangered species, more facilities are focused on the entertainment experience instead.

Visiting the zoo requires people to have respect for the fences, borders, and safety enclosures that separate the animals from their trainers, keepers, and families. When an incident causes an individual to fall into the enclosure of a wild animal, the facility will usually save the person by killing the animal.

4. It changes the behavior of the animal. The behavior of animals will change when they encounter long periods of captivity. This disadvantage occurs because there is no longer a need to hunt for their survival. Even injured animals can encounter this problem if their recovery time is lengthy. 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.

Elephants become more aggressive when they are unable to travel and explore, which is caused zookeepers to euthanize almost 100 individuals in the past decade because of the danger they caused to others. Predatory animals encounter a similar problem when they are kept in a zoo as well, even if there is no way to safely introduce them back into the wild.

5. Animals can become dependent on the facilities. Animals which are born in captivity can often adapt to their circumstances if given enough time, but they will still encounter the lifespan issues of their parents. That problem will not go away no matter how many generations remain in captivity. What we see is a process that eventually leads towards domestication, which is why it is a struggle for injured or wild animals to finish out their lives in a zoo.

When dealing with a predator species in particular, any children born in captivity cannot be released into the wild because they have no hunting or survival instincts. That means a cycle of dependency begins that requires ongoing resources to maintain because that animal has no ability to live on its own.

6. Zoos are ultimately a business that needs to make money. Przewalski’s horse is a success story for zoos because this species was believed to be extinct in the wild. Only a dozen individuals were left in one facility by the 1940s, but their numbers are now in the thousands today because of the conservation programs that were initiated to save them. There are now wild herds in Europe and Mongolia, closely monitored by scientists, which are thriving.

Zoos can do an excellent job at conservation if they make the effort, but far too often profit is the primary motivation. When animals move from zoo to zoo, trading money or other resources in exchange for another display opportunity to the local population, then it is our welfare we are concerned about instead of theirs.

7. The best natural habitat enclosures are a poor substitute for the real thing. Some animals travel more than 50 miles per day as they wander about their wild habitat. The actual territory of some individuals and packs may be over 300 miles in width. When you keep the animal in a zoo instead, then they might have 1,500 square feet to roam, and sometimes even less. Even the Greater Vancouver Zoo, which seeks to replicate the natural environment for their animals, cannot supply a large enough space to accommodate these natural behaviors.

Some elephant herds in the wild can grow to become 40 members strong. When we look at zoo management, it is not unusual to take calves away from their mothers before they fully mature simply because there is a new marketing opportunity available somewhere else.

8. Some zoos are unable to care for their animals. If you wanted to visit the San Diego Zoo in 2019, then a one-day pass for an adult will set you back $50. Kids 12 and up qualify for the adult rate. A child’s ticket is going to cost you $46. If you have four kids that you want to take there for the day, then you could be out $300 before you take your first step onto the grounds. Even those prices are not enough to keep the zoo financially solid.

The San Diego Zoo offers an annual Gala fundraiser were tickets begin at $450 each, while preferred seating options are priced at $900. You will find employer matching, tribute gifts, exhibition sponsorship, and financial wildlife adoptions are all part of their financial picture each year as well. Most zoos struggle to survive, which means the animals kept in those facilities are also at risk.

9. Even the best zoos can have animals develop severe health problems. Animals need to be kept in temperate zones which are similar to their natural habitat if they have any hope of being successful in the zoo. Elephants don’t do well when they are kept in locations that are cold and snowy. Polar bears don’t do well in tropical locations, even when they receive ice as a coping mechanism for the climate. Their health degrades rapidly when conditions are not favorable to them, sometimes even incapacitating the animal under extreme circumstances.

Verdict on the Pros and Cons of Zoos

There are times when a zoo is absolutely necessary to the survival of the animal. Then there are the circumstances where we try to profit off of their circumstances. We might be talking about animals who may not have the same level of conscious thought as humans, but how we treat other species says more about who we are than it does about the animals we keep.

Zoos can excel when they have the proper funding to meet the needs of their animal population. They must have staff present at all times who understand what it takes to have a safe experience. Even highly trained people miss an open lock or find themselves in dangerous circumstances with predatory animals, so there is always some level of risk involved.

The pros and cons of zoos are often dependent on whether you view an animal as property or an independent individual. There are times when wild animals should stay that way. When that possibility is no longer a choice, then this option might be the next best thing.

Should Zoos be Banned? Pros & Cons of Zoos

Published by ecocation on october 18, 2023 october 18, 2023.

Should zoos be banned? Are zoos bad or good?

This question is heavily debated and there is no definite answer for it.  Shutting down all zoos goes against saving animals. But, stopping them from keeping certain animals or doing certain types of research isn’t wrong. It really boils down to how zoos use the money and what they teach people who come and donate.

Nevertheless, we are going to look at the pros and cons of zoos and explore whether or not they should be banned.

So let’s dive right into the topic!

The Pros & Cons of Zoos

Let’s first discover the pros and cons of zoos , evaluating both their positive and negative impact!

What are the Pros of Zoos?

1. zoos are protecting endangered species.

When ecological conservation emerged as a matter of public interest in the 1970s , zoos all over the world have embraced the mission of   saving endangered species   in the world. Zoos are not like the cruel animal menageries from the middle ages. They want to provide entertainment, but they are greatly concerned with the protection and conservation of animals and their natural habitats. Environmental protection is one of the biggest reasons why zoos should not be banned.

Zoos provide a protected environment for endangered animals, and also help in raising awareness and funding for wildlife initiatives and research projects. Therefore, zoos educate the public about animals and are contributing their part to the conservation of many species . In fact, should zoos be banned, many species would have gone extinct already. A good example are narwahls .

2. Zoos are educating the public about animals

Environmental education   is definitely among the pros of zoos. Many children and adults in cities can only see wild animals in TV or the internet. Zoos offer them the unique experience of contemplating real animals. They can smell them, see how they move and listen their sounds in real life. 

Visiting a zoo is a much more vivid and enriching experience than the one you can get through a screen. Thanks to zoos, kids and adults develop empathy towards animals . In addition, people don’t need to travel to exotic places to see the animals, which is beneficial to the environment. 

Ultimately, zoos provide an affordable opportunity to see (exotic) animals , giving everyone an equal chance to experience wildlife first-hand and learn about nature. No matter what a person’s socioeconomic status may be, there is a chance to learn something new because of the work of a zoo. By educating about animals, z oos are also raising awareness about our environmental problems like climate change and illustrate how these impact ecosystems worldwide.

Should zoos be banned, an important educational resource would dissapear, which might lead to less future knowledge about animals and nature.

3. Zoos help in fighting animal extinction

Given that the mass destruction of wildlife habitats across the globe continues unabated and species such as elephants, big cats, birds, primates, rhinos, reptiles, and many others are at real risk of extinction, larger zoos have now stepped in with the hopes of stopping or at least  slowing the decline of these endangered species .

Zoos study  animal breeding  and thanks to them many wild animals in captivity can reproduce. Should zoos be banned, we would certainly loose some species. This is particularly important in the case of endangered species. Due to the low density of the population of some animals in their natural ecosystems they struggle to find partners. 

Some populations in the wild are weakened by endogamy too. In zoos vets and biologist help to prevent inbreeding. Fighting extinction is surely among the pros of zoos!

4. Zoos are conducting valuable research

Zoos are key for   research . Being able to observe and study animals is crucial if we want to contribute to help them and repair the ecosystems. They also help in reducing human-animal conflicts and in better understanding the needs and psychology of animals. Zoos serve as laboratories to learn more about how to fight animal diseases and develop effective animal anaesthetics and other treatments to help more animals in the future.

Between 1993 and 2013, 228 accredited zoos published 5,175 peer-reviewed manuscripts. In 2017, 173 accredited US zoos spent $25 million on research, studied 485 species and subspecies of animals, worked on 1,280 research projects, and published 170 research manuscripts.

Because so many diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as COVID-19, 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.

Should zoos be banned, we might not be able to conduct such research anymore, negatively influencing our ability to find cures to diseases and tackle issues like climate change .

5. Zoos provide income for many communities

Finally, the pros of zoos include their economic importance. Zoos play an important economic role , especially in the less developed areas of the world, where they are an important income source for many communities. Zoos do more than just providing a place for animals to reside. They are a place that provides jobs, creates tourism opportunities, and can even be an economic nexus for a community . 

Should zoos be banned, we would need to find other economic resources for these communities. As of 2022, there are  27,267 people  employed in the Zoos & Aquariums industry in the US only. Just imagine how many jobs they provide worldwide, especially in less developed countries.

What are the Cons of Zoos?

Unfortunately, the world of zoos is not as bright as you might think after reading the previous positive points above. Let’s take a closer look at the arguments why zoos should be banned!

1. Zoos entertain humans at the expense of animals

Environmental activists  insist that zoos should be banned, despite their noble intentions. They argue that zoos are inherently immoral and primarily serve to entertain humans at the expense of animals. In fact, zoos exploit animals for the sake of profit generation .

Furthermore, zoos don’t educate the public enough to justify keeping animals captive. In fact, even a study widely cited to justify the argument that zoos educate the public stated that “there was no overall change in understanding of ecological concepts seen” because visitors know a lot about ecology before going to the zoo.

On top of that, there have been cases where zoos killed baby animals, for the sake of controlling the animal population of the zoo. For example, in 2014 the Copenhagen Zoo killed a young giraffe and four lions   on the grounds of genetic purity and breeding.

We should ask ourselves whether the entertainment provided by zoos (especially by animals shows and similar activities) does really justify the price that the animals pay for.

2. Holding animals in captivity has questionable ethics

Haven’t we learned from our shameful history with “human zoos”? 100 years ago, people accepted that other humans are exhibited in “human zoos”, which everyone would protest against nowadays. Who knows how humanity will look back and judge our present animal zoos in 100 years… If we look back at the dark history of zoological institutions, zoos should be banned!

There is no doubt that zoos are questionable from an ethical point of view . Zoos are a typical form of family entertainment, but associating leisure and fun with the contemplation of animals in captivity can send the wrong signals to our children. Zoos can be construed as a  sadistic pleasure . There may be educational value in a zoo, but keeping animals in captivity offers an ethical dilemma . 

Some animals, like the average house cat, will thrive in a captive environment.  Others, like orcas, do very poorly when living in captivity. An orca in the wild may live up to 100 years in the wild, but the average age at a captive orca is less than 30 years – and it’s 17 years for a male orca. For many, this is a strong argument to ban zoos.

3. Zoos can be detrimental to the animals' physical health

Depending on the conditions at-hand, zoos can be detrimental to the animals’ physical health. There are still many animal welfare issues recorded everyday, and animals often have to live in poor conditions , especially in less-developed, poorer countries. And all of that even though zoos are legally required to follow the Animal Welfare Act .

In addition, most animals that are exhibited in zoos are wild exotic animals (such as tigers and lions) who naturally need lots of space and even change their habitat over time. Due to the limited space in zoos, these animals cannot move as they naturally would, which inevitably leads them to develop health issues.

Furthermore, animal cruelty in zoos   continues to be extremely common. There are continuous cases of animals   abused by visitors   and zoo workers. 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 zoos are greenwashing themselves, by saying they have high animal welfare standards although they haven’t.

4. Zoos can be detrimental to the animals' mental health

It is proven that zoo confinement is psychologically damaging to animals . Another reason why zoos should be banned. 

As illustrated in Zooicide , animals in captivity are deprived of many things that are important to them, as a result they become lonely and bored. Many of them suffer from  “zoochosis” , a psychological condition characterized by repetitive and obsessive behaviors including vomiting, excessive grooming, coprophagia and self-mutilation.

Animal behaviorists see zoo animals suffering from problems not seen in the wild, such as clinical depression in clouded leopards and gibbons, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in brown bears, and anxiety in giraffes. The animals experience these issues due to smaller enclosures, changes in diet and activities, and the introduction of things not seen in the wild, such as medical exams and people with cameras.

Even keeping domicile animals such as alpacas and llamas in a restricted or caged environment can cause huge distress to them. In fact, alpacas and llamas tend to spit more in zoos , as they are irritated more frequently there compared to when they are left alone in nature.

5. Lack of regulation & control in many zoos

Another issue with zoos is that there is only insufficient regulation of zoos in many countries. In fact, many zoos are free to treat their animals however they want. In some countries, animals are even considered as property instead of living organisms that need proper regulatory protection. Another reason why zoos should be banned!

Especially in countries with lax   regulations   related to zoos, animals will be treated poorly and in those countries, governments should introduce stricter regulations in order to protect these animals. Even if there is some form of regulation in place, most countries’ abilitiy to control zoos for animal welfare is very limited, meaning that zoos can basically treat animals however they want.

Putting aside these opposing views, it does remain a sad reality that the  welfare of zoo animals varies widely depending on where you are . While many zoos have been working hard to improve their animal enclosures to better fit the needs of captive animals, constraints such as limited space and funds can seriously hinder this process. Smaller, poorer zoos simply do not have the luxury of hiring well-trained zoological staff or expanding their breeding programs and facilities to maintain the ethos of conservation. A ban of these smaller, less well-funded zoos could be seen as a reasonable strategy for reducing harm to wildlife.

After all, something we must consider too when talking about the pros and cons of zoos is their not-so-glamorous history!

A Brief History of Zoos

Until the early 19th century, the only purpose of zoos was to demonstrate the power of royalty and indulge their extravagant tastes. Up until this time, people paid no attention to science or animal conservation . Zoos were just used to symbolize the superiority of humans over animals .

Evidence of the existence of zoos and menageries can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt, circa 3500 BC. Many Roman emperors kept private zoo collections. Sometimes these captive animals were used for study, but most of the time they were simply used for entertainment in the arena, which invariably ended in a cruel death.

At some point during  the history of zoos , humans even tried to emphasize the supposed inferiority of other human cultures, and implied the superiority of Western society, through so-called “human zoos” . There have been plenty of “human zoos” in many European countries, which tried to symbolize the superiority of the Western culture over the culture of their former colonies, by visualizing how primitive black people behaved. 

In fact, “human zoos” are one of Europe’s most shameful secrets. When trying to find an answer to the question: “Should zoos be banned?”, there’s no way around reminding ourselves with our history.

The modern zoo that we know today emerged in the 19th century in the United Kingdom. It was only then that the transition was made from royal menageries designed to entertain the elite to public zoological gardens aiming to educate the wider population . 

Growing urbanization and industrialization led to heightened demand for new forms of public entertainment. This need for entertainment, as well as the requirements of scholarly research , came together in the founding of the first modern zoos. During that time nobody even thought about the question of should zoos be banned.

According to the   Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) by 2020, the USA boasts 230 accredited zoos and aquariums , accommodating nearly 800,000 animals and 6,000 species with around 1,000 of these species being on the endangered species   list. These zoos provide 200,000 jobs with an annual budget of $230 million set aside for wildlife conservation . They attract more than 200 million visitors per year, with special educational programs designed specifically for school groups.

Over the past 30 years, many established zoos have endeavored to improve the level of care for animals and rehabilitate the public perception of zoos . However, despite many good intentions and considerable financial effort, the concept of zoos is nonetheless fraught with many serious problems. 

So much so that calls to ban zoos are still loud and persistent from many activist groups even now…

But what’s the verdict now? Should zoos be banned or not? Are zoos good or bad? Let’s dive into the pros and cons of zoos.

Should Zoos be Banned?

A zoo can be an integral part of our community and world with the right approach . There are several pros and cons of zoos, and there is no definite answer to whether zoos are supporting a positive human environment interaction or not. Each point deserves consideration. If wanted, zoos can be more than entertainment and provide a positive value to both, humans and animals. 

The pros and cons of zoos often come from two very different points of view. From a legal standard, animals are often treated as property . That means they have less rights than humans, so a zoo seems like a positive place to maintain a high quality of life. For others, the forced enclosure of any animal feels like an unethical decision.

Wild animals, as it is said, are meant to be wild!

In any case, here are the best zoological institutions in California which are treating their animals at least as good as they can:

• Best Zoos in California
• Best Aquariums in California

Are zoos ethical? What about aquariums?

The ethics of zoos and aquariums are a subject of debate. While some argue that they play a crucial role in education, conservation, and research, others believe that keeping animals in captivity is inherently unethical and compromises their welfare and natural behaviors.

What are the pros and cons of zoos?

The pros of zoos include their contribution to endangered species conservation, public education about wildlife, research opportunities, and economic benefits for communities.

However, the cons involve concerns about animal welfare, ethical considerations, potential negative effects on animals’ physical and psychological health, and the lack of regulation in some cases.

Are zoos good or bad?

The question of whether zoos are good or bad is subjective and depends on one’s perspective. Some people see the positive aspects of zoos, such as their educational and conservation efforts, while others emphasize the negative impact on animal welfare and argue for their abolition.

Are zoos morally wrong?

The morality of zoos is a matter of personal opinion and ethical beliefs. Some individuals consider zoos morally wrong due to the captivity and potential harm inflicted on animals, while others see them as a necessary means to protect species and educate the public.

Are zoos bad or good?

The question of whether zoos are bad or good depends on your ethical stance. Whereas zoos are good for wildlife conservation, education, and research, they sometimes involve negative impacts on animal welfare and ethical concerns about keeping animals in captivity.

Are zoos safe for animals?

The safety of animals in zoos can vary widely depending on the specific zoo and its practices. While many accredited zoos prioritize animal welfare and provide appropriate care, there have been instances of poor conditions and mistreatment. The overall safety of animals in zoos depends on the commitment to high standards of care, sufficient enclosure sizes, and proper veterinary attention.

Are zoos for profit?

Zoos are typically not for profit. Though, they need to generate revenue and contribute to the local economy through visitor fees, donations, and tourism. However, the pursuit of profit should not compromise the welfare of animals. Ethical and responsible zoos prioritize animal care and conservation over profit-making, ensuring that financial resources are allocated appropriately for the well-being of the animals and their conservation efforts.

Why should zoos be banned?

There are many reasons why zoos should be banned. As outlined by PETA , Zoos should be banned due to ethical concerns about animal welfare. Keeping animals in captivity leads to physical and psychological harm. Zoos fail to replicate natural habitats, negatively impacting the well-being of the animals. Zoos provide entertainment, not education! And this entertainment comes at the cost of animal welfare.

Why should zoos not be banned?

Zoos should not be banned because they play a vital role in wildlife conservation, offering sanctuary for endangered species. They are important for educational purposes, providing firsthand wildlife experiences that foster public awareness and interest in conservation. Zoos also contribute to scientific research on animal behavior and biology, aiding in broader conservation efforts. Additionally, they support global biodiversity through breeding programs for rare and endangered species.

What are alternatives to zoos?

You can learn about animals without visiting or supporting zoos.

Here is a list of ethical alternatives to zoos:

• Wildlife sanctuaries : They provide a natural and ethical habitat for animals, focusing on rescue and rehabilitation, thus ensuring animal welfare and mimicking their natural living conditions more closely than zoos.
• Conservation parks : These large, protected areas conserve wildlife in their native ecosystems, promoting ethical animal treatment and natural biodiversity without the constraints of captivity. 
• Virtual zoos : Utilizing technology, they offer an ethical and educational way to learn about animals through interactive and immersive experiences, without any impact on the animals’ natural living conditions.
• National Parks : These are protected areas that preserve natural environments and wildlife in their native habitats. They offer an ethical alternative by allowing animals to live freely and undisturbed, promoting biodiversity and ecological balance without the need for captivity.
• Public Parks : While primarily designed for human recreation, public parks can also serve as urban sanctuaries for local wildlife. They provide a small-scale, ethical alternative for experiencing nature and wildlife in a more controlled environment, contributing to urban biodiversity and environmental education.
• Wildlife documentaries : They educate and raise awareness about animals and their habitats ethically, using filming techniques that minimize human interference with wildlife.

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• Pros And Cons Of Zoos Essay

There are pros and cons to keeping captive animals. On one hand, captivity can provide a safe and comfortable home for animals that would otherwise be unable to survive in the wild. For example, zoo animals have access to food and shelter, and they are protected from predators and other dangers. Captive breeding programs can also help to preserve endangered species.

On the other hand, some people argue that captivity is cruel and inhumane. Animals in zoos often have limited space to roam, and they may be exposed to loud noises and crowds of people. In some cases, animals may be kept in cages or pens that are too small or that do not meet their needs for exercise or socialization. Captive animals may also be subjected to experiments or medical procedures.

Ultimately, the decision to keep captive animals is a complex one. Some people feel that zoos are necessary for animal conservation, while others believe that they are nothing more than prisons. It is up to each individual to decide what they think is best for the animals in question.

The debate over zoos and parks being ethical or unethical is a complicated one. At the circus, elephants perform acrobatic tricks to entertain us. The popularity of animal attractions has expanded in recent decades, with people traveling from across the world to see them. Watching exotic animals behind bars or glass barriers at a zoo, watching Shamu do flips for a fish at SeaWorld, and laughing as elephants perform skills at the cirque are all entertaining; but is our enjoyment worth the suffering these animals endure behind-the-scenes?

The answer is no. The billions of creatures who suffer cruelty outweigh any supposed advantages that can be achieved through these businesses. There are two primary arguments in favor of zoos and parks being ethical or unethical: animal abuse and

Animal abuse is rampant in the zoo and circus industry. Animals are routinely beaten into submission, deprived of food and water, and suffer from psychological trauma. Elephants in circuses are routinely beaten with bullhooks until they comply with the trainer’s demands. Captive orcas at SeaWorld have been known to break their teeth while attempting to escape their enclosures. A giraffe was killed by a lioness in the Dublin Zoo when she escaped her enclosure. The list goes on and on. Animals in captivity simply don’t have the same quality of life as those living in the wild.

Supporters of zoos and circuses argue that these institutions provide education and conservation opportunities for humans, but a closer look reveals that this is not the case. The vast majority of people who visit zoos and circuses know very little about the animals they are seeing. Most of what people learn about animals comes from watching TV shows like “Planet Earth”, which features animals in their natural habitats.

Animals in captivity are typically shown doing tricks or posed in unnatural positions to make them look cute to tourists. Captive breeding programs also do more harm than good for conservation efforts. Animals in zoos are often bred for no other reason than to draw more visitors, and when they get too old or sick to be used for entertainment, they are often euthanized.

The most important advantages of zoos and aquariums include conservation, education, and research efforts that aim to preserve and protect wild animal populations while also educating the public about their dangers.

In addition, zoos and aquariums can provide a home for animals that are injured or would not be able to survive in the wild.

While it is important to consider the benefits of zoos and aquariums, it is also important to remember the negative aspects of keeping animals in captivity. Animals in zoos and aquariums can often suffer from poor living conditions, lack of exercise, and psychological stress. In some cases, animals have even died from these factors. Additionally, many people argue that zoos and aquariums do not actually help to conserve wild populations of animals, as they often get their animals from wild populations instead of breeding them in captivity.

Ultimately, the pros and cons of zoos and aquariums must be weighed on a case-by-case basis. However, it is important to remember that the welfare of animals should always be taken into consideration. Animals in captivity should have access to appropriate food, water, and shelter, and they should be able to engage in natural behaviors like roaming, swimming, and climbing. If these things are not provided, then the animal’s welfare is likely being compromised.

It is unethical to keep an animal in a zoo if its life outside the facility is preferable. People believe that keeping animals in zoos is harmful to their well-being for the following reasons: because it lacks of space,

The animal may not have access to food and water. the animal may be in danger from other animals. the animal may be kept in artificial light all the time. Animals in zoos are often depressed and some even commit suicide.

On the other hand, there are arguments that captive animals live longer and healthier lives than they would in the wild. Captive animals can be protected from predators and disease. They can be given better food and veterinary care. People who visit zoos learn about animals and their habitats. This might lead to them helping to protect animals in the wild.

Psychological and physical torture is documented in captivity animals. For example, being confined in limited cages with no solitude promotes little mental or physical activity for animals, resulting in “zoochosis” (“Zoos”). Zoochosis is one of the obsessive and repetitious behaviors exhibited by creatures; these include pacing, swaying, overgrooming, vomiting, and even self-mutilation (Good). Not only does zoochosis induce psychological Issues

On the other hand, some argue that captive animals offer opportunities for learning and conservation that would not be available in the wild. Animals in captivity can serve as ambassadors for their species, raising awareness about their plight in the wild (Hutchins). Animals in captivity can also help researchers study and conserve endangered species (“Captive Animals”). In addition, many zoo visitors donate to conservation efforts and learn about animal behavior and ecology from exhibits (Gorman).

Ultimately, the pros and cons of keeping captive animals hinge on individual opinions. Some people may see the benefits of zoos and aquariums as outweighing the drawbacks, while others may believe that all animals should be free. What matters most is that we continue to have this important conversation and work together to find the best solution for animals both in captivity and in the wild.

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