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While Zoos continue to be frequented by plenty of families and groups these days, there are some people who believe that they should not continue to operate. For them, Zoos don’t really achieve their stated purpose, and it captured animals are much better off being returned to their natural habitats.
Should we ban the keeping of animals in zoos? Should these facilities be re-purposed? The author of this sample essay explains why the concept of zoos should be nullified and how this can benefit the animals in the long run.
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Reasons why Zoos should be Banned
As a child, I really loved going to the Zoo and seeing all the wild animals that I’ve only ever encountered in movies and books. My parents and I used to plan an annual trip there to check out the latest featured endangered species, together with other kids from our neighborhood.
However, when I learned about the kind of animal cruelty that many animals are subjected to inside the facility, I had a change of heart. Before, I didn’t think I could imagine a year going by without at least one Zoo visit. But now, I actually believe that Zoos should be banned and all the animals should be returned to their original habitat.
In this essay, I’d like to share a few compelling reasons why I believe that Zoos should be abolished and reflect on other alternative means for animal lovers like myself to enjoy seeing these wonderful creatures.
They are a hotspot for animal cruelty
For me, the most convincing reason to shut down Zoos is that so many zookeepers treat animals badly. Visitors and tourists don’t really see it, but staff who are only there for the job and not really because they love animals tend to not care about these wonderful creatures. To this day, there are countless reports from around the world about staff mistreating Zoo animals.
Cruelty doesn’t necessarily just mean physical abuse, but also forcing them to perform and entertain people. Sometimes, this would require some sort of training so that the young are able to prematurely separate from their mothers, for example. Fear-based and pain-based conditioning is also used for the sake of human entertainment. We basically eliminate or dismiss their natural instincts in favor of profit.
They cannot fully thrive outside their native habitats
No matter how much money is thrown into beautifying living spaces in Zoos, no Zoo can ever fully replicate the benefits of a natural habitat. Endangered animals and exotic animals need the safety of their living space in order to be both physically and mentally healthy. When they have great surroundings yet are kept in small cages at the end of the day, their well-being takes a beating.
I’m sure that these animals feel constricted and deprived. What’s worse, most Zoos don’t even have the budget to really invest in these living facilities. Most animals stay locked up in cages, making them even more agitated and moody. Keeping animals in small spaces has an effect on their mental health. Wouldn’t you also be terrified if you were locked up alone?
Zookeepers eliminate surplus animals, including the young
Do you know that there is a particular threshold for zookeeping, and when this is crossed, any animal counted outside of it is killed or eliminated? Many creatures who fall into this category are “excess” babies. Imagine being separated from your kids because they exceeded the current population count and knowing that they would be killed? So much unnecessary killing happens because these facilities are unnatural homes for these creatures.
This would not have to happen if they were not held in captivity in the first place. There is simply never enough space for growing groups of animals species. We talk a lot about conservation and keeping animals safe from extinction in many of the Zoo talks that are featured, but what really happens is that so many lives are ended and animal rights are violated because we are building Zoos that don’t have the capacity to sustain them.
Human-animal interactions have a negative impact on Zoo animals
Many Zoos will not pass up the opportunity to include at least one featured activity in their facilities where guests will have the opportunity to physically engage other animals. This can include petting, feeding, stroking, even cuddling. It can also refer to swimming encounters with water-based creatures such as dolphins. While this seems like a fun and friendly activity for humans, their animal counterparts don’t enjoy it as much. In fact, these are considered stressful experiences for them, sometimes even downright exploitative.
Most people fail to consider that invading their personal space on the first encounter and touching them without their consent can actually be uncomfortable and mentally challenging for them. It is very much like a human experience where we don’t appreciate strangers coming up to us and getting physically touchy when we haven’t given them permission. It takes special training for most wild creatures and captive animals to come around and feel comfortable with people touching them.
Poor animals are treated as entertainment and are exploited
We talk a big game about conservation but this isn’t what is really happening. Instead of living out their advocacy of protecting the future of endangered species, Zoos end up parading them around as a form of entertainment. And let’s be honest, most people who visit are not there to be educated, but to be entertained. A family who takes their kids to Zoos makes it a point to get their kids to participate in the interaction activity for fun, not really to learn more about the creatures themselves, who practically spent their whole life in a cage.
People stare at less attractive creatures and even call them names or throw things at them, not realizing that they now exist to serve their needs to be entertained. Whether it’s polar bears, lions, tigers, or elephants, Zoo owners will always err on the side of capitalism. They will import these beautiful beasts simply to profit off them, not to save them from their oppressors.
Conclusion: Keep wild animals in their natural habitat
In my opinion, to support zoos is to promote the exploitation of different species. It is to violate animal rights that exist to protect and serve them. I believe that it is right that zoos be banned from existence because all these creatures deserve a good quality of life.
In 2021, reports came out that the world’s oldest male gorilla died in Atlanta Zoo. While we should be glad that this gorilla lived a long life, isn’t it sad to know that he died not in his natural habitat, but probably in a small cage in the same room as other caged species? The Zoos’ animals should not have to endure eating the same food every day in a place that is not home. They should roam free in the wild, devoid of any captivity, and away from the evil wiles of humans who seek to take advantage of them.
I truly believe that it is time for us to take a stand for all the endangered creatures of the world and call for the release of wild creatures back into their natural habitats. I’m sure that there are other Zoos that genuinely want to do good. However, I still think that Zoos should be banned because it is really not where these wild animals belong. Maybe one day, we can conceptualize an alternative experience where we can stream live feeds of endangered species in their natural homes, not Zoos. Perhaps then we can maybe gain a deeper appreciation of animal life and how important they are to our ecosystem.