Are zoos necessary in today’s World?
- Jimin
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
How some zoos are failing at animal welfare.
By: Jimin, Year 10
According to the National Geographic website, “A zoo is a place where animals live in captivity and are put on display for people to view.” Countless young children have been both entertained and educated by zoos, which has given us many happy memories, but are animals always pleasant to watch knowing they are permanently trapped?
The primary goal objective of zoos today is conservation. Zoos involved in official conservation efforts are accredited by an international organization known as the AZA or the Association of Zoos and aquariums which was formed to combat animal rights abuses US zoos. This organization produces minimum care requirements for zoos around the world to follow which are regularly researched and updated and provides channels for zoos to collaborate on breeding efforts. However, most zoos, including most private zoos, aren’t members of the AZA.
Unfortunately, in the last 5 years, around 2000 animals have died in captivity, with around 77.2% of the cases occurring due to factors other than natural causes. Unaccredited zoos sometimes breed and display animals while not taking into account their basic living requirements, leading to deaths caused by stress, diseases, and accidents. Economic struggles to cover costs for care such as upkeep, food and water, temperature, humidity, and cleanliness will be detrimental in affecting the animal’s welfare.
The University of Western Ontario, Canada conducted a study that found that some animals in captivity are more afraid of human speech than the sounds of lions and dogs. This result was found by placing several cameras in the leopard’s habitat and playing the sounds of the dog, the lion, and the human voice. Leopards showed no reaction when they heard the barking sound of the dog or lion roar, but left its prey on the floor, and ran away when it heard a human voice. The evidence tells us that the actions of zoos, and improper care and treatment could lead to startling psychological effect on animals despite life around constant human contact.
A famous example of failure to protect the rights of animals in captivity are captive Orcas. It is said that the average size of an Orca’s tank is about 50 meters x 50 meters x 10 meters however, the natural swimming range of Orcas is around 160 kilometers, which is over 100 times the circumference of an average tank. Small breeding environments that do not consider the spacial requirements of animals cause stress to animals especially hyper intelligent species such as Orcas. ‘Morgan,’ an Orca confined at Loro Parque in Spain, beached itself on a shallow section of its tank for more than 10 minutes, committing what appeared to be an attempt of suicide.
Despite the downsides of certain zoos, it’s important to remember the role of captive efforts in protecting endangered species. Via a reintroduction program, the Spix’s macaw has finally returned to their natural habitat after being declared extinct in the wild for 22 years becoming one of many animals that have been saved by zoos and their efforts. The time taken for conservation efforts to yield results is an unfortunate downside in a meticulous field of care and research that relies almost entirely on limited government funding and receives so much misguided criticism.
Regardless of the accreditation of the zoo, natural habitats are the best environment for the animals to find happiness, freedom, and peace. It is absolutely essential to protect animal rights, more effectively by strengthening the protection and welfare of animals, calling out zoos that commit abuses against animals and their rights, and ensuring, when the time comes, the animals have a wild habitat to return to.
Sources:
Comments