Zoos -should they be abolished?
Zoos have been popular for hundreds of years, introducing a wide variety of
Animals to visitors who otherwise would never have seen them. Times
change However, and we must question whether zoos are still relevant in a
world Where we wish to treat animals humanly.
It is often said that zoos are educational. They teach people, especially
Children, about animal behaviour and encourage an interest in animal
welfare.
This may be partly true but does a captive animal behave like its counterpart
and the wild Zoo animals are often confined to a very small area compere
With their vast natural habitat. As a result, many animals develop unnatural
Habits such as; pacing back and forth or swaying.
Another argument put forward in favour of zoos is that they help to conserve
endangered species through breeding programs.
Thus. For example, a rare Species can be protected and encouraged to
reproduce in a zoo environments
For examples, attempts to breed pandas in captivity have been very costly
and Unsuccessful. Evidently zoo life does not prepare animals for the
challenges Of life in the wild.
Supporters of zoos sometimes claim that the inhabitants arc even better off
than their counterparts in the wild.
On the contrary, the zoo is an unnatural Environment that exposes animals
to numerous dangers. Diseases often spread between species that would
never co-exist naturally.
For example, zoo Animals are of ten exposed to chemicals, solvents and
other toxic substances.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for visitors to tease and provoke confined
Animals.
In summary therefore, the continued existence of zoos cannot be defended.
They do not educate people: they do not conserve wildlife; and they do not
treat animals humanely. They are cruel prisons and the time has come to
abolish them.
Zoos have been popular for hundreds of years, introducing a wide variety of
Animals to visitors who otherwise would never have seen them. Times
change However, and we must question whether zoos are still relevant in a
world Where we wish to treat animals humanly.
It is often said that zoos are educational. They teach people, especially
Children, about animal behaviour and encourage an interest in animal
welfare.
This may be partly true but does a captive animal behave like its counterpart
and the wild Zoo animals are often confined to a very small area compere
With their vast natural habitat. As a result, many animals develop unnatural
Habits such as; pacing back and forth or swaying.
Another argument put forward in favour of zoos is that they help to conserve
endangered species through breeding programs.
Thus. For example, a rare Species can be protected and encouraged to
reproduce in a zoo environments
For examples, attempts to breed pandas in captivity have been very costly
and Unsuccessful. Evidently zoo life does not prepare animals for the
challenges Of life in the wild.
Supporters of zoos sometimes claim that the inhabitants arc even better off
than their counterparts in the wild.
On the contrary, the zoo is an unnatural Environment that exposes animals
to numerous dangers. Diseases often spread between species that would
never co-exist naturally.
For example, zoo Animals are of ten exposed to chemicals, solvents and
other toxic substances.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for visitors to tease and provoke confined
Animals.
In summary therefore, the continued existence of zoos cannot be defended.
They do not educate people: they do not conserve wildlife; and they do not
treat animals humanely. They are cruel prisons and the time has come to
abolish them.
