Introduction
Since the beginning of human history documentation, zoos have significantly had a crucial role. For example, the 2009 discovery in Egypt greatly illustrates the existence of zoos dating back to 3,500 BC due to the discovery of baboons, elephants, and wildcats in that very location (Gaille, 2017). The most significant benefit of having a zoo is that it allows people to learn about animals and protect them. Regardless, zoos attract several disadvantages to animals and surrounding people. Gaille (2017) asserts that zoos are susceptible to abuse for individual political and personal gains. Gaille states that some of the earliest Western Hemisphere zoos featured people with different physical traits. Noteworthy, even churches previously had zoos with several collections of people from various tribes and races (Gaille, 2017). Thus, it is crucial to assert that zoos are bad because of several disadvantages surrounding their settings.
Zoos Deny Animals Access to Natural Habitat
Animals are usually taken from their original natural habitat and put into zoos. Other wild animals are kidnapped and killed to supply them to specific zoos (In Defense of Animals, 2016). Gaille (2017) argues that animals usually find themselves in zoos after being kidnaped from surrounding nature since most zoos prefer capturing and displaying young animals. Circumstances that involve parents standing between young animals might always conclude with the animal’s death. Sometimes, zoos hire specialized hunters to kill parent animals ( Editor in Chief, 2019). After killing the guardian, the baby animals are put in shipping containers and shipped to other destinations. Transportation of the animals further involves many animals dying before arriving at their final destination. It is also brutal that zoos restrict animals’ socialization boundaries because they separate them from friends and families. Thus, zoos are bad as they can significantly affect animals’ mental well-being and health.
Brutal Semen Collection Techniques
Similarly, zoo life for animals is never a walk in the park. The assertion stems from various techniques used in collecting semen from male animals. The entire artificial insemination process in zoos involves invasive techniques ( Editor in Chief, 2019). For example, zoos use captive breeding programs in producing younger animals. Most animals are in solitary confinement, a strategy that can affect the animal’s mental conditions. Further, sometimes animals in zoos are kept in solitary confinement for their entire life (In Defense of Animals, 2016). The hostile settings also affect the animal’s ability to mate with members of the opposite sex due to the increasing cases of captive animals refusing to mate in hostile settings. It is also arguable that zoos sexually violate the bodies of animals through their invasive techniques. Zoos deny animals the right to choose their mates and friends. Zoos also decide for animals their preferred mates ( Editor in Chief, 2019). Noteworthy, zoos deny the animals access to a mate as they encourage artificially inducing pregnancy.
Unethical Perspectives of Zoos
Ethical debate surrounding holding animals in captivity also makes zoos bad. Editor in Chief (2019) claims that keeping animals in captivity raises ethical dilemma questions. For example, animals such as orcas always perform poorly in captivity, especially in zoos. In the wild, the same orca can live up to 100 years and live about 30 years in captivity (Gaille, 2017). It is further unethical to make decisions for animals concerning how they spend their time. It involves questioning the ethical surrounding allowing the animals to make individual decisions. It is further unethical to influence the animals’ desires to live autonomously in realizing their higher-order needs. It is also unethical to deny animals the existence of their real individual experiences. Treating the lives of animals as secondary to those of human beings is also unethical (In Defense of Animals, 2016). People are intruding into an animal enclosure, putting animal life at risk. For example, the 2016 incident involving a 3-year old boy and the gorilla also raise ethical questions. The boy crawls into a nearby gorilla enclosure, only for the gorilla to shoot dead to save the boy. The event raises ethical questions because human life is superior to other animals’ lives. Thus, zoos invoke several ethical questions because of their settings.
Effects of Zoos on Animal Behavior
Zoos also affect animal behavior because they alter several factors available in natural habitats. Animals such as elephants often are migratory animals. Restricting them makes them more aggressive (Editor in Chief, 2019). For example, studies indicate that more than 75 elephants undergo euthanization before attaining 40 years. Noteworthy, restricting their migratory instinct makes them susceptible to death before reaching their 70 years lifespan. Becoming more aggressive always puts zookeepers and visitors at higher risk ( Editor in Chief, 2019). The animals can easily attack and harm anyone in their personal space. The animals are susceptible to contracting zoochosis. Zoochosis refers to the mental illness usually that develops in animals held captive in zoos. The condition is further evident through an animal’s stereotypical behaviors that obsessively serve no purpose. Animal captivity extension for a lifetime also changes animal behavior.
Financial Issues
Further, zoos are bad because their financial structure focuses on profits as other business entities. Thus, zoos tend to care more about maximizing their profits than caring for the animals ( Editor in Chief, 2019). The business perspectives surrounding zoos invoke several disadvantages on the animals. First, the animals have access to veterinary care since most zoos are majoring in maximizing individual profits. Secondly, zoos tend to deny animals the adequate companionship that they need to be happy in their surroundings (In Defense of Animals, 2016). Several zoos in the world tend to use antidepressants and tranquilizers in reducing depression and aggression in animals. It is vital to note that several zoos are financially struggling to take care of their animals. For example, the Woodland Park Zoo in 2015 spent expenses over $2 million above their annual revenue (Gaille, 2017). The zoo experienced significant losses despite being one of the best in the United States. Other zoos that lack great status also lack adequate measures to buffer increased losses. Thus, most zoos usually euthanize their healthy animals, as they cannot preserve them (In Defense of Animals, 2016). For example, Agate zoo recently euthanized about 11 animals, as they could not relocate their facilities. The zoo lacked resources to relocate animals because of the ongoing flooding in the area.
Effects of Conservation and the Future Generation
Conservation is another goal that most zoos rarely attain. Zoos align with one crucial goal of conserving various animal species ( Editor in Chief, 2019). Zoos rarely work towards their actual mission statement. For example, stories about certain offspring created in one zoo and moved to another are rampant. The strategy majors in raising money through selling certain animal species to other zoos. The Giant Panda story used as a financial resource in a particular country was is another example. Zoos are bad because they generally send the wrong message to people and children. Zoos majorly educate children that animals exist majorly for human entertainment. Children view the situation as acceptable to take animals from their natural habitats (Gaille, 2017). It enumerates that society accepts keeping animals locked in cages. Speciesist thinking is immensely harmful to children despite being outdated. Children tend to learn that imprisonment is entertaining in the world (In Defense of Animals, 2016). Zoos are bad because they rarely reintroduce the endangered animal species back to the wild. Several zoos always emphasize protecting endangered animal species but rarely reintroduces the animals back to the wild. Studies also indicate that elephants die quicker than zoos’ ability to breed them ( Editor in Chief, 2019). The assertion compares with the rate at which zoos are kidnapping elephants from the wild.
Health Effects on Animals
Lastly, zoos are bad because they can trigger animals in captivity to develop severe health problems ( Editor in Chief, 2019). Susceptibility to various health problems is high despite the quality treatment offered in zoos. For example, Alaska Zoo was recently in the limelight because it struggled to care for an Elephant. The surrounding weather conditions forced the Elephant to stay inside the zoos’ enclosure. The feet of the Elephant eventually started degrading, making it difficult to walk. It is also evident that animals living in zoos for a longer period tend to lose their knowledge of living in the wild (In Defense of Animals, 2016). The other health risk that zoos trigger surrounds the animal’s mental well-being.
Conclusion
Regardless of their advantages, zoos also trigger several disadvantages in protecting animal life. Besides, zoos are bad because they invoke several questionable drawbacks on animal life. Zoos take animals from their natural habitat and enslave them in cages for their economic advantage. Additionally, zoos are bad because of the surrounding ethical questions and other health issues animals face. Thus, conservation needs to emphasize protecting flora and fauna in their natural habitats.
References
In Defense of Animals. (2016). Experts Agree: Zoos Do More Harm Than Good. IDA USA. https://www.idausa.org/experts-agree-zoos-harm-good/
Gaille, L. (2017, June 4). 21 Pros and Cons of Zoos. Vittana.org. https://vittana.org/21-pros-and-cons-of-zoos
Editor in Chief. (2019, May 29). 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Zoos. ConnectUS. https://connectusfund.org/16-biggest-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-zoos
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