Are Zoos Really Helpful in Wildlife Conservation?
By:Lasya Reddy
As a child, I loved going to the zoo. It was always my number one choice for our family trips. As I walked past the cute monkeys and tall giraffes my face lit up with joy. I was astonished by the vast selection of animals from different parts of the world in one contained area. However, as I grew older I realized the zoo wasn’t what it cracked up to be. Recently, on a trip to the zoo, I understood that life in the zoo wasn’t luxurious or promising. The animals seemed to be sad and lonely in their small environments leaving me to question if zoos were really a safe haven for animals.
Keeping animals away from their natural habitats is morally wrong. Animals may not have enough room to sufficiently move around leading to a deprivation of their natural desires. For example, Sea World has stopped doing its whale shows due to a previous mishap. Tilikum, a whale brought to SeaWorld, was brought into captivity when he was only two. However, during a whale show, Tilikum pulled his trainer down into the pool drowning her. Audiences and people around the world were shocked to see how a “trained” animal could do such a horrible thing. Wild animals shouldn’t be kept in pens to perform for tourists in the first place. They shouldn't be tamed for being wild because their natural instinct is to be out in the open and do anything for the means of survival.
Wildlife sanctuaries are a much better option for animals as opposed to zoos. The primary definition of sanctuaries is to take care of any animal that has been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Sanctuaries offer a private life to animals as opposed to zoos where the animals are put out as a show for the enjoyment of the public. Zoos often take in animals whether they need to be saved or not but sanctuaries only rescue animals that need help. Moreover, it was found that only 18% of the animals at zoos were endangered or threatened. Therefore, we should increase the number of sanctuaries present and decrease the number of zoos.
Humans can raise awareness and make zoos better for animals. For example, we can make a more strategic plan to conserve the wildlife without depriving it of its natural habitat. Zoos can also incorporate more endangered species into their zoos to prevent the complete extinction of specific species. While zoos may be a fun place to enjoy the animals, take a step back and envision what it feels like to be an animal stuck in a confined area.
Do you think zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation?
How can we make zoos a better place for the animals?
Conversely, what are some benefits zoos provide?
29 comments:
I think there are definitely zoos that are used for wildlife conservation, such as zoos that hold certain species of birds, but as you said, many zoos don’t necessarily fulfill this purpose to their best and the animals do suffer. I think that to make zoos a better place for animals they need to make their habitats as close to their wild habitats as possible, and limit their human interaction as much as possible. However, zoos provide benefits in that they allow humans, especially young kids and teens to see the wildlife on earth and how it lives, and how humans can help it, so zoos are good for education.
It wouldn’t be fair to generalize all zoos into one category. First we must decide if a zoo is the traditional zoo like the one in cities or if safaris under close supervision in Africa for example are considered as zoos. Some zoos around the world are extremely essential to keep the population of animals from going extinct. Like in China, they are working very hard to repopulate the panda population, and I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that they are no longer considered endangered. If that is true, then zoos, or at least the ones that work hard to conserve animal life, are very useful and helpful. But then there are the zoos that are just created to profit off of ignorant people who do not know what the animals are going through. If your really think about it, it is extremely wrong to just pluck an elephant or kangroo from the other side of the world and bring it to Boston or New York City. It’s just very unjust, but i don’t think zoos are going away for a while. So to counteract the zoos, strict regulations should be set to make sure animals are treated the best that they can be treated. Also animal rights organizations like PETA should be able to monitor the health of the animals and supervise the zoos in their entirety to make th best out of the situation.
If the zoos were using in a way for the injured animals to stay in while they heal then, I believe it’s a safe place for wildlife to stay in. Otherwise it’s just a place where humans are being selfish to earn money and trapping the animals in small spaces where they don’t feel safe. If animals had a free range places where they can run around and hunt their own foods it would be great. Like for example in Korean there is a place called Everland. Everland is a amusement park for all ages, but they don’t keep animals in cages instead the animals are in a forest like place and humans have to ride these caged up automobile to go see the animals. Some benefits zoos provide is if there was a animal that was going extinct they can keep it safe until their populations grows again.
Personally, I don’t think the main idea of most zoos is to protect the actual animals that are being held in captivity, but to raise awareness for the rest of that species that lives in the wild. It does suck that a lot of zoos don’t hold themselves to a high enough standard when it comes to the care of the animals in captivity. I think zoos have the potential to be really powerful and educational to society, but in order for the benefits to outweigh the costs, major changes should be made. If zoos were to only take in animals that are unable to support themselves in the wild due to interference from humans (like animal trafficking and poaching), not only would zoos still be able to educate people on those animals and their natural lives, but also on the ways humans can harm wildlife. I also think having more wildlife sanctuaries is a good idea, but there is one problem that comes along with that. A major purpose of zoos is to educate people on wildlife that comes from different environments from all over the world, mainly ones that most people don’t ever get to see in real life. In order to create wildlife sanctuaries that really make life for foreign animals just as good as it would be in their natural habitat, we would have to change some of our habitats to make it more like theirs. Not only would that ruin ecosystems that we already have, but there actually would be no way to completely recreate those environments because we have no control on the climate and everything else that makes an area the way it is. In conclusion, if a few changes are made to the way zoos are run, then we can safely say that zoos are a real help to saving the environment.
I think that only some zoos are good places for wildlife conservation. For example, “retail” zoos, such as Sea World, are not focused on conservation; rather, these zoos showcase exotic animals for profit. Honestly, the whole concept of a zoo seems disturbing to me. The idea of watching amazing animals in such confined areas for the purpose of entertainment can be called inhumane. I don’t think zoos should exist. Places like animal sanctuaries, national parks, and wildlife rescue centers should be visited instead of zoos. Although zoos are not ideal for animal conservation, I do think they allow people to see animals in person and help us understand the significance of wildlife. Maybe one day humanity will realize that nature should not be trapped.
Personally do not think think that zoos are just for the enjoyment of people. Zoos can be beneficial in saving species from around the through breeding and recovery programs. They are also a source of information for the general public which in turn also raises public awareness of each animal's situation. Yes, certain institutions have given zoos and similar places a bad reputation, but it does not have to be that way—zoos can be used appropriately for the sake of the animals they shelter. If zoos exist for purely human enjoyment, they awareness about these should increase so that those animals can have the best chance of life.
While I do believe that there are some positive aspects to zoos and that they can be beneficial, there are also many harmful things caused by them that must be taken into account and fixed. They allow for research and help educate people to raise awareness of each animal. However, I do not believe that animals should be captured and taken from the wild to live in confinement. Instead, zoos should focus recovery and rehibilitaiton of animals that need it. As long as animals are treated humanely and get to experience life as they would in the wild, I think zoos are beneficial.
I think that zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation because most will have special programs where they are nursing sick or injured animals back to health. However, I agree the keeping animals in captivity and away from their natural habitat is cruel. I think zoos can be a better place for animals if they focus on making exhibits bigger and more like a replica of the animal’s natural habitat. I support sanctuaries more than zoos because i believe that they provide better treatment toward animals due to their lack of focus on human entertainment.
Depending on the management style and methods of caring for the animals, zoos can either be safe or unsafe for wildlife conservation. Zoos can be better places for animals if they allow for larger areas for the animals. In addition, for animals that are social, there should be several organisms of that species for the animals to interact and flourish. One of the biggest benefits of zoos is that they educate the population. When children visit zoos they are able to develop a bond with the animals and maybe even respect for all of life rather than just humans.
Although I am not a proponent of caging wild animals for the public to fawn over, one benefit that I can see from zoos is how humans feel about them. Growing up with so many unique types of animals easily accessible in a zoo, a person is bound to become more affectionate towards them, for they finally see the animals in reality, rather than just a picture in a book or an image on a screen. By seeing the reality of these animals and observing just how beautiful they are, people are more likely to feel the want to protect wildlife.
I do think that zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation, however, I also believe that keeping animals isolated in cages is not very healthy for the animals. I think that we can make zoos a better place for animals by providing the animals with more space and by more closely mimicking the animals' natural habitat.
I think zoos are a safe place for animals that are endangered, but not for animals flourishing in the wild. Zoos are a great tourist attraction, but not good for the animals because we are taking away their way at life naturally. Zoos benefit humans more than it does the animals unless they are endangered. In that case, we should revive them then release them back in the wild.
Despite the infamous history of zoos, I still believe zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation as the zoo's product is the wildlife, they will keep the animals alive and well to attract more customers. However, the mental health of these animals is not taken into consideration all the time as many of these animals are confined in small areas. Zoos can be made into better homes for animals by raising regulations on the wildlife habitats to closely resemble the natural ones while giving animals more room. Some benefits zoos provide are raising awareness of Earth's species and more the reason to protect the Earth to save these beauties.
Zoos seem to have to angles to them. On one side, animals can be mistreated and have an overall poor quality of life. Yet, on the other, many people who come and see these animals fall in love with them and are then urged to take action in their preservation. There definitely needs to be stricter laws and regulations regarding caring for these animals. One of the main problems I think all zoos share is that animals are given very little space when they require large amounts to be happy and live well. Further government funding toward zoos can solve many of the problems of today's zoos.
I do think zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation, but I believe that zoos can do a better job at keeping the habitats clean and maximizing care for the animals. We can make zoos a better place for animals if we follow the instructions of the zoos such as not feeding them or taunting them, etc. Some benefits zoos provide are habitats for species conservation or places to keep animals who are healing from any injuries.
In my opinion I think zoos are unnecessary despite if they are helping endangered or abused animals. I do not think humans need zoos and they are just a way to make money. Zoos can be a safe place for wildlife conservation but as you said we can place them in sanctuaries instead. We can make zoos a better place by offering bigger areas for them to live in and trying to recreate the wild as close as possible. I think the only animals that should be held in captivity are ones that are endangered or in need of help.
I think that zoos are a safe place for only wildlife conservation. Animals that are endangered should be kept in zoos. Animals that are not endangered should not be kept in zoos only to make money. Zoos can be a better place for animals if they attempt to replicate the animal's natural habitat which can include providing more space. Some benefits zoos provide is providing support for endangered animals and helping in education.
I do not think zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation. I recently went to the zoo on a field trip, and it was horrifying to see how sad snd lonely and trapped the animals were. Wildlife belongs where it sounds, in the wild. Putting these animals on display for the public in a foreign environment is not conserving. In reality, it is harming the wildlife in the zoo. I think the only way we can make zoos a better place for animals is to only take in endangered and harmed species to rescue. I think that we should leave animals that were doing fine before alone, that way the animals at the zoo will be more comfortable because they are actually being helped, not harmed. I think that the only benefits that zoos provide is rescue for the endangered animals and education for people that come. Going to the zoo as a kid was actually educational and fun, and kids are able to learn about animals and their habitats. The help for endangered species will also ensure that they have a safe home and will not go extinct.
I do not think that zoos are necessary unless it is for wildlife conservation and helping species in need. If the animal is not in endangered or in need of help, we should not take them away from their natural habitat. It is cruel for the animals to be locked in a confined area, unable to roam around and live freely. However, if an animal is in danger, I think it is our job to help them and make sure that they are safe and healthy before potentially letting them back out into the wild. We can make zoos a better place for animals by making them bigger. Many animals are in a tight and confined space, making them extremely uncomfortable. The zoos we have need to occupy more land space so the animals have a bigger artificial habitat to roam around in. We can also make zoos better by making sure each animal has another animal to interact with from its own species. The last time I went to the zoo, I noticed the elephant habitat only had one elephant. He looked very lonely and sad, which of course made me think of ways that life could be better for him. If he had a buddy from the same species, maybe he would feel a little bit better about the situation they are in at the zoo. While I ultimately do no support zoos, I think there are some positives. The zoo provides opportunities for education to those who do not know much about wild species. They can teach people how to treat wild animals and also warn them if any are endangered. People at a young age especially would benefit from going to the zoo and learning about all the different animals.
Personally, I believe that the idea of a sanctuary is a better option for wildlife conservation than zoos. The primary reasoning behind this is because sanctuaries allow animals to live freely, as opposed to zoos that are designed to provide entertainment to the public. Conversely, one way zoos are somewhat beneficial to animals is that they ensure that the animals are fed properly and meet their daily needs.
I would say that zoos are a relatively safe place for wildlife conservation. Animals in zoos are safe from the clutches of poachers and natural disasters that could potentially devastate their species, the same amount of protection a sanctuary would provide for them. In addition to this the wildlife sanctuaries provide no more room for the animals as a zoo would. Zoos can be improved on for the animals by simply providing them with adequate space so that they can move around just as they would out in the wild. Zoos are beneficial to the animals by providing them with protection and sources of food and water.
I think zoos are awesome shelters for animals that are either injured or endangered. Otherwise, I see a zoo as a prison for animals. In fact, many animals in the zoo were captured by human because of their greediness. Zoos do allow entertainment and help research more about animals, however I believe that wildlife belongs in the nature and live free in the wild.
Once you've seen Tiger King, Let's revisit this whole issue!
I do think zoos are a safe place for wildlife conservation for animals that are found injured or even endangered. Zoos help protect the animals from any source of danger towards their lives while researching their wildlife in order to prevent the same problem from happening again. I think we can make zoos a better place for the animals by getting rid of cages and adding more open field areas which fences instead of the confided areas they stay in.
I think that zoo's can have a positive impact on wildlife conservation. If an animal is injured, it will get the proper care it needs to survive. The basic needs of animals such as food and shelter are also guaranteed. I also like that zoos hold educational value and have information about each animal outside of the glass. that education is something Sea World lacks because their orca shows were purely for entertainment at the cost of the orcas.
I believe that zoos are beneficial to endangered and injured animals. To emphasize, I don't believe that healthy animals shouldn't be included in zoos, but they don't' necessarily benefit from being taken from captivity. I think through the recreation of habitats and natural features, the animals can feel much more comfortable. For instance, by giving lions a large open habitat with great spans of open grassland, they would greatly benefit compared to being enclosed in tight habitats. Some benefits zoos provide are: they allow endangered animals to reproduce and create healthy populations, they nurse hurt animals, and they educate the people on animals and how to protect them.
I think it is dependent on the zoo, but yes I feel like some zoos can help to promote wildlife conservation. I think in order for a zoo to be a better place for animals we need to focus less on the aspect of tourism and gaining money and more on the fact that we are providing a place for animals to be safe until they are able to be released back into the wild. Although there are negatives to zoos they are known to provide lots of knowledge and can help to spread the word of conservation to the young and old alike.
Zoo preservation work can be "in-situ", where cash, skill and some of the time staff are given to secure creatures and their natural surroundings in nature. Huge, alluring creatures, for example, pandas, tigers or elephants draw the groups. These lead species help to raise the profile and assets for in-situ conservation endeavors for the not all that notable species. For instance, there aren't numerous guests who might be energetic about securing frogs or different creatures of land and water yet zoos have been instrumental in forestalling the passing of a huge piece of the world's frog fauna.
Personally, I feel that animals are better off in a preserved and contained habitat rather than in the wild, with regards to lifespan and well being. However, they may not enjoy it as much but it is a safer environment for them. And some benefits that zoos provide, one of the biggest I think, is education regarding all of these different plants and animals. As a kid, I loved going to the zoo and learning about the different diets and habits of each of these organisms, which is why I feel that I have to disagree that not all zoos are bad and it is not fair to generalize and put them all in the same boat. I believe there are many zoos which are present in order to offer a source of education and wonder regarding nature.
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