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The term zoo is an abbreviated form of “zoological garden” and it was created in the nineteenth century (Rutledge). The reasons behind captivating wild animals are associated with the deep core study of animals, restoration, preservation and educational needs. For an extensive period, zoo authorities claimed to have contributed to the restoration of endangered animal species; due to the up rise of vocals in organizations dealing with animal rights, a matter of abuse on zoo animals has become apparent. The issue of keeping animals in captivity or not is argued on several websites and blobs.
This matter has become the source of passionate disputes taking place throughout the world. Zoos claim that they replenish endangered species by taking them into a safer environment with helping hands, being protected from habitat loss, malnourishment and predators. Numerous zoo owners claim that restoring endangered species is their motivation and prime goal. It has also been argued that, in today’s society, where animals deal with constant threats, zoos are the number one harmless places for wild animals.
Zoo authorities do not entitle themselves with the best performance f zoo workers; in fact they admit to the different problems that captivated animals tend to suffer over. Nonetheless, they additionally expect people to appreciate the sincere efforts taken by them to defend and realm wild animals. According to the AZ, SSP and related programs have helped bring black-footed ferrets; California condors, red wolves and several other endangered species back from the brink of extinction over the last three decades (Befog par. ). In fact, since the Endangered Species Act that lists more that 1,200 Animal species endangered, zoos have improved tremendously on the restoration and care of animals. Numerous recovery plans have been created to aid in the recovery of the numerous animals listed on the Endangered Species Act. Recovery plans take place in the actual living areas of animals and/or outside their natural living areas. Some plans include habitat restoration, captive breeding efforts and biology and ecology studies.
The main goal in all recovery plans are to identify the most important actions need to save species and from extinction, identify major factors in the recovery effort and collaborate and coordinate clearly defined objectives to speed the rectory process (Smithsonian Institution). Many people from different fields collaborate and work together to get positive results in recoveries. All efforts of Zoo conservation go noticed, except for when of course, the zoo has an opportunity to save an animal, and they choose not to.
On a chill, otherwise ordinary Sunday in February, a young giraffe named Marcus was shot in the head by one of his zookeepers at a zoo named “Copes Hagen” (Riviera). Visitors terrified, watched as Marcus was mutilated and fed to lions. The death of this 18-month old giraffe was due to a veterinarian’s consideration that he couldn’t be breaded because his genes were too common and therefore useless” (Riviera). Copes Hagen had shortly before flaunted the young giraffe to awe and attract more populace.
Then, later, all were welcomed to witness, and take photos, (not to mention the small children starring in confusion) the dissection of the late Marcus. This rapidly prompted protesters to stand in the crowd with signs. Despite the protesters shouting not to kill the poor giraffe, the zoo’s decision was the same. The dissection took almost three hours because of the numbers of spectators, and the zookeepers giving a detailed explanation of the process. Holes, the zoos Trinitarian, said they had previously had public dissections of zebras, snakes and goats, but the giraffe was a first. People are fascinated by it, both adults and children, and they would like to hear stories they normally don’t have access to. I think that’s good. It helps increase the knowledge about animals but also the knowledge about life and death. ” This being said, there were many offers of other zoos that would have been happy to take Marcus from it’s previous headquarters, hundreds of protestors at the gates and a world wide protest to stop animal cruelty, yet a veterinarian still continued to kill and dissect a healthy giraffe. In many aspects, the killing and dissecting proves to be pointless and irrational.
An online petition had argued: “Marcus deserves to live and there must be somewhere for him to go. The zoo has raised him, so it is their responsibility to find him a home, no matter how long it takes” (Riviera). This document collected about 27,000 signatures of people agreeing, when news broke out that the young Giraffe was dead, and it was too late. In what way is the zoo preaching conservation with this story? In all cases, zoos are places where wild inhabitants are kept for the display of passerby. Also, zoos re the place of sophisticated breeding centers.
The captivation of endangered animals gives them a chance to thrive and be protected from the harm of the real world. In fact, some zoos take pride in a specific animal, such as Sea World and the wild Orca. By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and promote an appreciation towards animals. This up close and personal presentation of animals educates and motivates people to protect the animals. Jennie Watts, in an article on CNN believes that keeping animals in captivation can prove a vital educational purpose (Watts par. 3).
Viewing animals up close and personal give populace and their children a chance to learn of certain animal behaviors and encourage an attitude to want to help these animals, especially endangered. Since the growing concern of animal rights, zoos have enriched their sites significantly. Moved on from the tight living areas, cold cement cages and behind tacky steel bars, most zoos now use a natural looking setting and barriers that portray animals living habitat (Smithsonian Institute). Zoos now undertake several obligations from education programs that spread awareness on the need for conservation and estimation of habitats, captive breeding.
These whereabouts offer research on the restoration of animals in the wild. Therefore, in the eyes of many zoos are need not only for the evolution of animals, but to entertain and educate the populace about conservation, and the research of animals. Also in the end it provides an amazing connection, a human-animal bond with all animal species. Although most zoos claim to have an educational benefit to their sites, merely viewing an animal in a human made “habitat” does limited to educate. If animals aren’t in their natural living areas and kept in confined areas, they aren’t going to perform how they would in the wild.
According to a detailed study performed by the AZ on why zoos matter, there seems to be no evidence that Zoos accomplish their educational and conservation purposes. A part of the report done by Lori Marino says, “There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors, although further investigation of this possibility using methodologically sophisticated designs is warranted” (Befog par. ). Furthermore, despite a zoos claim to educate the populace about the conservation of animals, they can better described as a collecting agency.
Since zoos intake an abundance of animals at a time under their supervision, it would be impossible to make every animal content. Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, like running for long distance, flying, climbing, choosing a mate, and being with others of their own kind and family. The only thing Zoos teach people is that it is appropriate to interfere with wild animals ND keep them locked up for their own amusement. Wild animals are called “Wild” for a reason. They are created to thrive in their own lands and not be surrounded by boggling eyes.
Animals in captivity are bored, cramped in tight living areas, lonely, deprived of their own rights and control to their lives and millions of miles away from their natural homes. Due to captivity, the physical and mental being of an animal will vary. The frustrations of being captivated in a small living environment cause abnormal, neurotic and even self-destructive behavior. When animals go through hose fazes of agitation zookeepers and trainers are the first threat. In the Documentary “Black Fish” it shows the many agitations and abrupt mood swings of the Orca Whales.
On February 1991, Thulium a Whale that Swearword Orlando has taken care of since birth attacked trainer Sheltie Byrne after she slipped into the pool. She died after Thulium bit her by her foot and submerged her under the water numerous times. Again, on July 1999, a 27-year-old man whom wandered into Thulium’s area after hours was found later dead with several bruises and cuts. The third and most talked about death by Thulium was in February of 2010. Swearword Trainer Dawn Branched was dragged underwater until she eventually died.
Swearword acknowledges Orca Whales to be non-aggressive and argue that Thulium’s behavior is unexpected (Blackish). “These animals adapt very well socially to their lives at Swearword and there is no truth at all to the notion that they exhibit “hyper aggression,” Swearword said in a statement. Furthermore, in the documentary “Black Fish,” it notes that wild Orca approach many boats and there have been zero reporting of violence. That being said it seems as if Thulium is simply aggravated in TTS living environment and is standing up for himself.
Being contained in a separate pool from interaction between other Orca takes away from his potential life. Animals are very much like humans; they feel and therefore deserve all their rights to a happy life. The argument of zoos being a good purpose or bad is seemingly endless. There is no hesitation in the matter of studying animals in order to protect and preserve not only them but their environments; yet, the populace and zoo authorities need to realize that in the process, animals suffer the tremendously. Also, it is now clear that mom zoo authorities infringe animal rights like Marcus the Giraffe.