Zoos, cruel or okay?

Question

Everytime I visit a zoo while on holiday or school trip, I always see how trapped the birds look, how dull the lions and other big cats seem and how all the animals appear to have some little chi8ldren torturing them in some way. I personally hate zoos coz I don't like seeing wild animals trapped, but I wanted to see your views.

Answer 1

As I have said before....



Some road-side crap hole, ya shut the thing down. But the majority of the zoos in the day and age are far from the concrete and steel they used to be and anything but cruel.



The plus side of zoos greatly out shadows the negative and that is why they (most of them) should not be shut down.



Yes the animals might be stuck in captivity but through them they serve as ambadassors for their wild brothers and sisters. It gives the public a chance to connect and learn about things they would have never had the chance to before.



Zoos have also transformed greatly over the years. They are changing from the old concrete and steel pits/cages of the past to wide lush open habitats with live plants, waterfalls, etc. On top of changing the way they house animals they have also changed how they run things. Though zoos are still out to make money (to keep doors open since most are non-profit) they have and still are moving to more of a conservation and education outlook rather than strictly entertainment. Plus they bring in a HUGE amount of money for the local economy. More people go to Zoos in the US than go to all the professional sporting events combined each year.... that adds up to a ton of money for the city each zoo is in... be it a local hotel or some small mom and pop shop people stop by on their way to the zoo.



On top of all that, zoos work a great deal in rescue projects with injured wildlife as well as breed and release programs with endangered species. For example sea world and other facilities in FL were being over-run with injured manatees to the point that they had no more room to house them. To help a handful of other zoos built exhibits where the injured/sick manatees could recover before they were released. With breeding there are many zoos who work together with the US govt as well as programs around the world to breed endangered species and release those that are born back out into the wild to help with new healthy blood lines. The California Condor would be extinct today if it was not for such programs.



Zoos also use the animals in their collection to help learn how to better care for those that are in the wild. Back to the manatee example. There is currently a virus floating through the wild manatee popluation that the science world has yet to figure out how it happened and how to stop it from spreading. Zoos are using their captive manatees with the virus to try and find a treatment or cure so that they can help the wild populations and re-release those that were sick.



So do I think animals should be kept in zoos? In this day and age it is a 100% yes. Do I think that zoos are cruel? Some yes, but the vast majority have changed and have become wonderful places.



Because of what man has done to this world it is something that is needed. However, it should only be done for the right reasons and under the right conditions... that is what makes it not cruel.

Answer 2

No, unless they're irresponsible. I'm too lazy to list all the things that could go wrong. I'll list some: • Breeding animals, accidental/intentional • Inbreeding, accidental/intentional • Not enough room (you can tell by animals walking back and forth) • Allowing it to be easy enough for P.E.T.A retards to get in and poison the animals • Going and intentionally taking a perfectly healthy animal out of the wild just for the zoo, not to help the animals but their and their zoo's popularity, etcetera "I dont think its anything to do with animal conservation, people only start up these animal santuarys because they want some tiger cub in their house." Look up the Bronx Zoo, I can't remember why they started their zoo but I read about how whenever the Buffalo herds almost went extinct, they played an important role in conserving them. Some zoos do use the zoos for conserving the animals and the ones who start the zoos can't keep a tiger cub in their house unless they have experience and it was born in their zoo/rescued by them. Also, in zoos, life expectancy does increase, would you rather the animal dies a slow and painful death from hunting or fighting in the wild or die of natural causes in capitivity? Those animals are lucky.

Answer 3

it depends on the zoo. there are some zoo's that don't give the animals anything to do or don't have things the same way as it would be where they are from.

some zoo's give their animals things to do, habitat's like where they would be from.



Most of the animals in zoo's are actually born in captivity so they don't know anything else, so if you put them back where they are sapposed to be without anyone to feed them or to take care of them then they will die.



To those people who say that we should just leave them in their own habitat here's something to think about. What is going to happen when we need the room that the animals take up. how about this, do you want to wake up one day and find that a lion or some other meat eating animal has decided to live in your backyard... what would you do then.

At least right now with the preserves and protected area's we have now we can protect animals so that there is enough of the animal that they are not threatened to be extinct.

Also did you know that many times it's ZOO's that bring an almost extinct animal from the brink of extinction.

Answer 4

I love the zoo because it is very nice and I get to see so many different types of animals. I went to so many zoos and all of them were amazing. I am a member of the Bronx zoo. I even camped there and that was fun I go there all the time with my dad. That my happy place I love to go to the Bronx zoo when I was there I saw these snow leopards and a baby it was so cute.

some zoos get their animals from other zoos. I asked one of the people where they got their lions from and they said from another zoo. I have very fun memorys. There are some zoos that will make you think that you are in a rainforests. All of the zoos that I went to were not animal cruelly. The New York zoos are very fun. I even ride on a camel own now that was amazing.. I will be going back to the Bronx zoo this spring. I was also will be going to the central park zoo and the queen zoo can't wait

Answer 5

I personally dont like british zoos fo the exact reasons you mentioned even though i know that they get well cared for but all the same the animals look dull or trapped. Zoos in South Africa, on the other hand, are fantastic!!!! Cause the zoos arent always really zoos they are mostly safari parks where the animals can roam free over acres and acres of land and breed normally or whatever and the only time that they are put behind a fence is really with two prides of big cats that will fight otherwise.



So yes to actually answer the question i think zoos can be quite cruel

Answer 6

Zoos are vital for educating people about animals and conservation, and for preserving and breeding endangered species. Without captive breeding, many endangered species would now be extinct - for example, the golden lion tamarin, red wolf and Przewalski's horse. Of course we should also protect animals' natural habitats, but if endangered species were to become extinct in the wild (which sadly seems quite likely in the near future), zoos and wildlife parks will have preserved them for future generations, with enough genetic diversity that the possibility for reintroduction to the wild exists.



Whilst captive conditions in the past were often cruel, the animals being kept in cramped cages and so on, today's zoos are carefully regulated - the animals are kept in conditions as close as possible to their natural habitat, with plenty of space, good diets and immediate medical care if they need it. Captive-bred animals have known nothing else, so it is not as if they miss the wild - they are certainly not unhappy in captivity. One might even argue that they are better off, since they do not have to contend with the constant dangers of the wild - disease, injury, predation, starvation, etc.

Answer 7

AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) accredited zoos take very good care of their animals. Those that are cruel to their animals are usually roadside zoos that don't have dedicated keepers and owners who don't want to spend money on animal enrichment. The closest zoo to my town, the Memphis Zoo, seems to be a very good zoo. Every exhibit is closely matched to the animal's natural habitat and enrichment items are provided for the animals' enjoyment.

Answer 8

Like anything else it is a choice. One side of the fence you see animals looking 'dull' or fenced in. On the other side of the fence you see kids excited and happy about seeing an animal the they can only see in a zoo. You could join one of the 'friends of the zoo' groups to improve conditions, just whine about it, or pay to fly the kids to Africa to see the animals in the wild.



As far as poaching, Southern Africa has plenty of elephants and rhino. Central Africa has almost exterminated theirs by poaching. Why? Souther Africa allows the local tribes (elders) to profit from hunting and tourists. Central Africa does not. If someone poaches in Southern Africa the elders poach him.

Answer 9

They are not cruel in the sense that the animals are well taken care of, but the animals should not be in there in the first place.

They should be left in their natural habitat. More reserves should be set-up to protect those species with dwindling numbers, and bigger fines and jail sentences should be put in place for poaching/hunting endangered animals.

Answer 10

They are cruel. The animals are kept in cages rather than be out in the wild where they belong. People say that they are being protected from poachers and starvation but that's not true. Some animals are placed in habitats at zoos that don't even resemble the ones they are used to in the wild. Its down right cruel and I hate zoos

Answer 11

i think zoo`s are cruel caging animals only for their own benefits and money .

while those animals have no freedom .

all wild animals deserve to be in the wild .



the only good thing about zoos is if they rescue an animal but they should still let it free , and be a wild animal again.



i know if i was locked in a cage surrounded by annoying kids day in day out i woulld try to escape the only good thing is they are safe and they have food.



but sometiems its not a choice some animals are born in captivity and they are use tot he zoo life if they were put out in the wild they wouldnt know how to survive.

Answer 12

cruel, cruel, cruel! i feel the same way as you, not only are they trapped in cages, sometimes you look at them and you can see in their faces how completely miserable they are! Its so sad!!