Treatment of Animals in Zoos

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Treatment of Animals in Zoos
According to Cole, zoos are not just places that have been invented; they have been there since at least 2500 BCE, mainly in places such as Egypt and Mesopotamia (50). Zoos exist primarily for the conservation of endangered species and for educational purposes. Cornish note that many animals continue to be endangered in the wild, and if no measures such as keeping them in zoos are enforced, they will go extinct (174). However, Cole portrays that it is hypocritical of humans to assume keeping animals in zoos is done for the preservation of certain endangered species only (50). Humans play the biggest role in eroding the natural habitats of different species through groundwater pollution, air pollution, and top soil erosion (Woodward 225). Hence, instead of keeping animals in zoos, there is a need to conserve animals' natural environments. The paper will therefore give a detailed discussion on the treatment of animals in zoos and the harm inflicted on them.
To begin with, the conditions in which animals are kept in zoos have detrimental effects on them since animals get psychologically damaged. Learmonth notes that some animals in zoos suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Zoochosis, a condition rarely seen in wild animals (318). The main reasons why animals suffer from these conditions are that they are in small enclosures and changes in their natural diet. Consequently animals such as chimpanzees in the zoos display abnormal behavior like twitching, rocking back and sometimes eating feces because they are not in their natural environment. Additionally, the introduction of things such as medical examinations and the presence of humans in the zoo also contribute to this (Cornish 174).
Additionally, animals suffer physical harm due to being kept confined in small places in zoos. Because the zoos are too small and enclosed, the species kept there, unlike in the wild, lack enough space to carry out their normal routine (Learmonth 318). Cases of infant death and pacing around are depicted in species found in zoos because, unlike in the wild where they fend for their food and freely mate, food is provided for them (Woodward 225). As a result, animals such as adult male gorillas in North America are reported to suffer from heart attacks, while elephants die early, unlike those in the wild due to being overweight.
 Furthermore, keeping animals in zoos denies them the natural instincts they require to survive in the wild. When young ones are born in zoos, they are forced to learn to depend on humans for the provision of their meals, water, and even medical care. Consequently, they are unable to do well in the wild because this instinct was snatched from them whe...