While zoo visits may seem like fun and educational experiences, they are places of captivity for animals.
Though there could be some pros for zoos, animals should not be kept in these places for several reasons.
Zoos Are Places For Animal Captivity
Animals who live in these facilities are subject to conditions that are very different from those in their wild and natural habitats. Captivity suppresses wild animals' natural instincts.
These animals may also suffer from lasting frustration, as they do not have any freedom of choice. They cannot behave the same way they would in their natural habitat, which could result in a tendency toward physical, behavioral, and genetic degeneration.
Moreover, several enclosures in zoos tend to be small, especially for animals who naturally fly, swim, or roam through large areas in the wild. For instance, polar bears typically roam around ranges of 1,000 square kilometers in the wild, whereas in zoos, they only have hundreds of square feet to do so.
Several zoos also tend to cram as many animals as possible into such enclosures.
Zoos may directly affect animal behavior by creating crowded conditions, unnatural environments, and insufficient space. This is most notable in "stereotypy," a condition wherein animals have repetitive behaviors without apparent reason. These behaviors may include abnormal tail wagging, pacing for hours, and picking their fur.
In addition, when an animal successfully reproduces, and the zoo does not require it to keep its exhibit, the animal could be classified as a surplus. The zoo could end up selling the animal to some private owners, selling it to other enclosures or zoos, or having the animal euthanized.
Animal mistreatment is also common and goes beyond beating or hitting the animals. This could include separating the animal from its family, inducing harmful techniques for training, and forcing the creatures to adopt abnormal behaviors.
Moreover, human presence itself could affect wild animals. As these creatures are bombarded by humans' appearances, smells, and sounds, this could trigger their stress response.
Research, Education, Conservation
However, while zoos have notably bad cons, they also have good pros, especially when benefiting humans.
Moreover, regarding animal benefits, zoos could play a role in research by zoologists and biologists, who may study zoo animals. Thanks to the easy access to zoos, some novel animal treatment and behavior breakthroughs were possible.
However, due to the altered behavior of animals in captivity, research in zoos is limited.
Zoos are also generally educational and could help kickstart one's interest in biodiversity. They may also help teach children about animals.
As for conservation, zoos tend to claim that their conservation programs could help protect species from going extinct. These programs may involve breeding and releasing such animals into the wild.
Such efforts are quite important for animals that are classified as endangered species, such as pandas.
However, though such efforts for conservation are important, they do not make up the majority of zoo activities, and these facilities are also not considered global conservation leaders.
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