Why animals should not be kept in zoos?
The animals we see in zoos are wild animals. They were created to live in wild, natural places. These wild places have plenty of places for animals to hunt and live naturally. A famous wild animal is a tiger. In Russia, a tiger lives in a space that is approximately 80 miles x 80 miles, or 640 square miles. Now put that tiger in a cage of 30 feet by 30 feet. How do you think he feels? This is a very good reason why tigers should not be in zoos.
However, it is not just about tigers. Many other animals in zoos live in much smaller spaces than they have in the wild. This can make the animal stressed and unhappy. It’s not just about space. Zoo animals often cannot behave naturally. How can a tiger hunt its prey in a zoo? How would you feel if you weren’t allowed to do what you love to do for the rest of your life?
What are some benefits of having a zoo?
Animals have been extinct for as long as there is life on earth – any weak or harmful animal perishes.
Zoological parks are working to help ensure that any endangered species are given another chance to regrow over time.
Caring for said animals away from their predator will give their species a chance to resettle. Unlike in the wild, where these endangered species have to worry about staying safe, these breeding programs take care of them.
Students and the general public get a chance to learn about different species of animals. This can lead to an appreciation of the animals, which in turn will result in them being treated better.
They are used to collect exotic pet care adda from owners who want to get rid of them. It gives poor pets home and creates a revenue stream for zoos.
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Why Living in a Zoo Isn’t Glamorous for Animals
Most people are not always comfortable looking at the animals kept in zoos. It is because of the inhumane conditions that these animals are forced to endure. Below are a dozen reasons why zoos can be bad for animals. Credit card processing
Zoos are for the entertainment of the people. Those who own the zoo say they are also there for ‘protection’. What they mean is that zoos help prevent wild animals from dying in the wild. The trouble is, zoos often don’t help with conservation. If in fact, some people say they make things worse.
One of the reasons things get worse for wild animals in zoos is because they are being used in zoos for our entertainment. This means that we are more likely to consider animals to be creatures for our entertainment. If we have this idea in our mind then there is a high chance that the animals will die in the wild. This is because it encourages people to use animals rather than respect them for what they are and let them naturally live their lives in the places they are meant to live.
Children will say that it is good to have fun in zoos. Children can learn about animals in the zoo. That’s cool but kids also learn that animals and zoos go together when they don’t. Animals are not meant to be in zoos. Kids can still learn about animals in other ways that were kinder to animals than if zoos didn’t exist.
Zoos can be productive when it comes to reviving an animal species on the verge of extinction. This is not always guaranteed as breeding methods may be inadequate or may even produce animals that are not suitable for survival in the wild.
When it works, breeding endangered animals has positive consequences that can be felt in the human kingdom as well.
However, there are some disadvantages of zoos on the environment, ranging from overpopulation of species to global warming.
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negative environmental complications
People are always attracted to exotic animals like Grizzlies, Lions, Wolves, Tigers, and Alligators.
The problem is that these large predators control the herbivorous animal population in their area. It can have a huge negative impact on the environment in many adverse ways. For example, if the number of lions in an area is greatly reduced, their prey will flourish.
The increase in the population of herbivorous animals like deer and buffalo is not a good thing, especially not for vegetation and land cover.
Deforestation will be the next problem when animals like moose, elk, and deer start eating everything even small trees. This becomes a major blow to the biodiversity of the affected area.
Once the ground is left without any cover, soil erosion will be the next step. When it rains, the topsoil is washed away, leaving the land more exposed.
The lack of trees for rain will result in less and less vegetation and eventually draft in the area which will force the living animals to move to areas with better conditions.
There will be global warming due to less carbon in the atmosphere due to a lack of sufficient vegetation. Climate change poses a very real threat to the next and even the present generations.
See related: Animals that went extinct in the last 100 years
Is there hope for animals?
There are zoological park associations that were formed to keep zoo owners on their toes. Zoos keep on their promise to preserve the animals and release them back into the wild when they are ready.
An example of these associations is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which represents more than 240 businesses worldwide. There is also the Zoological Association of America which operates in the United States.
These associations ensure that members are taking a high standard of care with their animals and following any guidelines they may provide. Things like making sure animals aren’t caged and treated less than they deserve.
Sadly, most of these associations protect the interests of their members, not the animals they should be protecting.
