Keeping animals in zoos.
The world is divided in two camps, those who think that animals have to live in the wild, and those who claim that animals feel comfortable being under human’s care. But are there more advantages than disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos?
Firstly, animals in zoos get a professional medical care, which is unavailable in nature. Also, they had food and water and everything they need for living. Secondly, zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators. Moreover, many zoos have breeding programs for endangered species. In the wild nature, these individuals might have problems with finding mates and breeding.
However, from animals point of view we do not have rights to breed, capture and confine other animals, even if they are endangered. I have already said that animals in zoos have everything, except one thing- freedom. Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom, and confinement. Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals get sold or traded to other zoos, and no pen or even drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild. In addition, I want to say that the vast majority of captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild.
All in all, the fact that alive creatures are living in captivity make me sad and sometimes angry. I can’t understand why do we keep them in zoos? 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 takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild. If zoos are teaching children anything, it's that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable. So, in the near future people will ban zoos and animals will live in freedom.
The world is divided in two camps, those who think that animals have to live in the wild, and those who claim that animals feel comfortable being under human’s care. But are there more advantages than disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos?
Firstly, animals in zoos get a professional medical care, which is unavailable in nature. Also, they had food and water and everything they need for living. Secondly, zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators. Moreover, many zoos have breeding programs for endangered species. In the wild nature, these individuals might have problems with finding mates and breeding.
However, from animals point of view we do not have rights to breed, capture and confine other animals, even if they are endangered. I have already said that animals in zoos have everything, except one thing- freedom. Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom, and confinement. Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals get sold or traded to other zoos, and no pen or even drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild. In addition, I want to say that the vast majority of captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild.
All in all, the fact that alive creatures are living in captivity make me sad and sometimes angry. I can’t understand why do we keep them in zoos? 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 takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild. If zoos are teaching children anything, it's that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable. So, in the near future people will ban zoos and animals will live in freedom.



