Essay on Are Zoos Inhumane?

“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen thought. That’s the problem.” - A.A. Milne. I feel that this means some people command the animals to work, while not understanding what the animal also wants or needs. In the debate, “Are Zoos Bad News?”, written anonymously, the author reports the ethical and unethical reasoning between zoos. This came after the attack on three victims. In my opinion, the existence of zoos should endure seeing that it educates people, zoos can alter the behaviour of people to animals and zoos promote wildlife conservation.

As the animal rights movement has developed and grown substantially in recent years, there has been an increased focused on the welfare of captive animals. A popular institution that has received much attention for keeping animals captive is the zoo. Because of this focus, zoos have responded by publicizing their positive benefits for existence in order to justify keeping these animals on display. Since the term “zoo” can have a wide variety of meaning and characteristics, it is important to define what constitutes a zoo in this essay. Zoos are defined as a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and

Zoos are internment camps for animals, and it should be shut down because of all the mistreatment and bad effects it has caused on animals. These bad effects and mistreatment can be summarized to three major points, which are:

Since their very beginnings, zoo’s around the world have been at the forefront of ethical debates. Animal ethicists, animal liberationists and proponents of the land ethic raise considerable questions about the nature of zoos in a moral and ethical context. Drawing on animal rights claims, the questionable moral status of animals and the land ethic, this essay seeks to argue that zoo’s; a place in which wild animal’s are held in captivity, are inherently unethical. Though animal liberationists tend to include domesticated animals and agriculturally farmed animals, the scope of this essay will focus solely on the ethics of zoo’s and those animals within. Citing experts in the animal ethics

Almost all animals, especially mammals, live much longer in captivity than compared to their wild counterparts. In the article “Most mammals have a greater life expectancy in zoos, study finds” by the University of Zurich, research by the University of Lyon and the University of Zurich has revealed that “longevity was higher at the zoo for more than 80% of the mammals studied -- species such as African buffalos, reindeer, zebras, beavers, or lions.” Smaller species that generally have shorter lifespans, which are often preyed upon, such white-tailed deer, or have competition within their existing species, such as African wild dogs, typically lived longer in the study. Fifteen predators within the study lived longer in captivity as well, suggesting even for carnivores “life in the wild is not necessarily without its perils." As an entirety for all 59 mammals studied, refinements in modern animal husbandry practices have not been incorporated into the analysis due to considerations of multiple aspects, and even if they were reviewed, “cannot support complex ethical judgments on keeping animals.”

Zoos may seem fun to visit and exciting to see the animals; but what you don’t see is the suffering and depression that lies in these helpless creatures. There are many arguments whether or not zoos are good or bad, and if they should be removed or kept. Several think that zoos should be abolished or at least very much improved, due to animal cruelty. While, others want zoos to stay because it is beneficial for the animals and people. I strongly believe that zoos aren’t good for both the public and animals for numerous reasons.

Some people may argue that zoos are good for sick or injured animals; however, while they can help nurture babies and bring sick creatures back to health, they are not safe for healthy animals. Dr. Lesley Dickey estimates that every year about 3,000 to 5,000 animals are ‘management euthanized’ in European zoos (Barnes). This means that zoos put down animals if there is not enough space for them. This is called zoo culling. Some zoos even dissect animals in front of guests that they killed. Zoos are for caring for animals, there is no place for cruelty. Although most zoos don’t kill surplus animals, that doesn’t make them innocent. Some animals don’t live as long in zoos as they do in the wild. The median life span in European zoos for African

Being placed in a zoo can dramatically help endangered animals receive the care that they need which may not be accessible in the wild. In William Dudley’s Animal Rights, author John Ironmonger was quoted as saying, “Certainly, zoo animals do tend to live longer lives, to feed better, and to suffer from fewer parasites or diseases. They live without fear of predation; they live without famine” (72-73). His quote supports the argument that endangered animals are provided for in captivity. In the wild, animals under threat of extinction fear starvation, poachers, disease, and predators. Placing these animals in zoos can give them rehabilitation and a perseverance of their lives. Another author, Kevin Hile, supports the claim that endangered animals are preserved in zoos by discussing the evolution of zoos. When zoos first started, they were merely used to bring in revenue. Now, zoos play a role in helping save endangered animals from extinction (Hile 133). Zoos

Going to the zoo when you were a kid is one of your best memories, riding the Zoo Jeep through the safari, walking through the cave of bats, and seeing an elephant for the first time. In recent debate, zoos have become a controversial issue as Animal Rights Activists have started to strongly oppose zoos and the captivity of wild animals. One of main arguments from both sides is whether or not zoos purpose is to educate, research, conserve, and entertain. The article “Last Chance for Animals - Zoos”, argues against the ideas of zoos by rejecting the claims of conservation, education, and research. In the article “Zootopia - Animal Welfare, Species Preservation and the Ethics of Captivity”, the argument of zoos creating a positive atmosphere

180 million Americans visit zoos in the United States each year. However, an incident in 2016 at the Cincinnati Zoo, where a three year old boy fell into the exhibit of a 440 pound gorilla named Harambe, sparked a controversy in America. Americans have been questioning and debating whether these institutions are actually beneficial to the animals and if it’s really ethical to keep animals like Harambe in captivity. Not all zoos have the money to provide what wild animals need. Considering both the pros and cons of either sides of the issue, it is clear that zoos are detrimental to the animals for various reasons including unacceptable living environments, dangerous health concerns, as well as a huge ethical dilemma.

The zoo has been a timeless attraction that has served as a place for people to gather and ponder in wonder at vast wildlife from every corner of the world. Every year millions of people go to aquariums, and zoos to spectate on these happy go loving pandas, monkeys, dolphins and the rest of the creature on the never ending animal list. Little do people know that they are witnessing firsthand the imprisonment and inhumane treatment of innocent animals; these creatures are exposed to overwhelming isolation, a shortened life span and in the rare occasion they are released back to the wild they no longer have natural instinct to help them survive.

“This may audio like a respectable objective, but zoo authorities usually advantage unique or popular animals—who entice crowds of people and publicity—rather than confronted or insecure local wildlife.” (Zoos: Miserable Prisons) “The China govt, for example, “rents” pandas to zoos globally for charges of more than $1 thousand per year, but some query whether the earnings are being instructed toward panda-conservation initiatives at all.” (Zoos: Miserable Prisons) “Most animals located in zoos are not insecure, and those who are will likely never be launched into organic settings.” (Zoos: Miserable Prisons) “Choosing zoos as a way for varieties maintenance, moreover to being costly and of uncertain efficiency, has serious moral issues.” (Animals for Entertainment) “Keeping animals in

Why are people agianst zoos? Are they harming the animals? Are the zoos helping animals? Through the journey of humans advancing in technology and industry, they have destroyed or changed many species of animals habitats. Although older zoos don’t provide the best living conditions, some animals do belong in more modern zoos because it can help their species out of endangerment, it allows scientist to study them, and the life span is longer in zoos rather than in the wild.

Thesis: All zoos should be overhauled and replaced with free-range territories or back into the wild to help these animals avoid the detrimental effects that zoo’s cause on their health and to stop teaching people that is okay to imprison these animals.

700 million people across the world visit zoos annually and over 10,000 zoos exist worldwide (The World Zoo Conservation Strategy). Wildlife parks and aquariums generate $5,136,250,000 each year in the United States alone (Encyclopedia Entry: Zoos). Millions of animals are held captive and live very different lives from their ancestors. The history of zoos shows that thousands of years ago, monarchs held animal’s captive to show power and wealth (Encyclopedic Entry: Zoos). Today, it can be argued that animals are used for entertainment value with some wildlife education, and that zoos protect and save animals from the wild. However, I will prove why zoos today are used for entertainment and how animals suffer both physically and mentally from the lack of freedom captivity imposes.