Hot Topics (12/5): Are zoos cruel to animals?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

AAAS symposium—Wildlife in captivity: Ethics and zoos
Are zoos ethical? This specialist reasons that today's zoos do far more than entertain. They play a key role in wildlife education and research and in the preservation of the world's endangered species.
 
By: R. Eric Miller, DVM, DACZM
VETERINARY MEDICINE

Should zoos exist? And if yes, for what purpose? The traditional mission of zoos has been to provide family entertainment. But contemporary zoos, particularly the 210 accredited members of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), provide education and research not only on behalf of captive animals but also on behalf of animals in the wild. Ethical discourse about the role of zoos should recognize that modern zoos are primarily animal welfare organizations seeking to provide high-quality animal management, behavioral enrichment, and veterinary care to the species housed in their facilities.

Furthermore, zoos engage in field conservation programs to alleviate the current crisis of species endangerment. For example, many zoos have become ex situ breeding centers for amphibian species doomed by the chytrid fungus. Other field conservation programs link breeding programs for animals in zoos to conservation of their wild counterparts. For example, the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute (www.wildcareinstitute.org) allocates $1.2 million a year for conservation of wild animal species and their habitats. With a potential 140 million visits to AZA-accredited institutions every year, these zoos will increasingly take advantage of their unique position to use the wonders of the natural kingdom to engage the public in conservation messages and link them to conservation action.

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PETA opposes zoos, saying: 

"PETA opposes zoos because zoo cages and cramped enclosures deprive animals of their most basic needs. The zoo community regards the animals it keeps as commodities, and animals are regularly bought, sold, borrowed, and traded without any regard for established relationships. Animals are bred because babies bring in money, but their fate is often bleak once they outgrow their "cuteness." And some zoos still capture animals from the wild.

In general, zoos and wildlife parks preclude or severely restrict natural behaviors, such as flying, swimming, running, hunting, climbing, scavenging, foraging, exploring, and partner selection. The physical and mental frustrations of captivity often lead to abnormal, neurotic, and even self-destructive behaviors, such as pacing, swaying, head-bobbing, bar-biting, and self-mutilation."

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Are you opposed to or in favor of zoos?

Do you think keeping animals in enclosures or exhibits is okay or not?

What is your opinion?

[Mergath]

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

[tericared]

Quoting Mergath:

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

I agree 100%

[survivorinohio]

Quoting tericared:

Quoting Mergath:

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

 

I agree 100%

Me too.  I also think it depends on the animal too.  Some animals are more adaptable and content in zoo life where as others seem to be very depressed by it.

[home-sweet-home]

i agree, this is how we feel. We are even members of our zoo, we have a great one here that helps with rehab of wild animals and releases them. They also do breeding program for endangered species and shares animals with other zoo for those purposes. We also have large enclosures and the ones that are still small are being updated.

Quoting Mergath:

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

[Raintree]

This.

Quoting Mergath:

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

[cherry41089]

this

Quoting Mergath:

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

[Talee]

Quoting survivorinohio:

Quoting tericared:

Quoting Mergath:

It depends on the zoo.  Some of them provide wonderful habitats for the animals, while others are terrible.  I do think that overall, they play an important part in educating the public about wildlife conservation, and that the benefits usually outweigh the negative aspects.  And a lot of them take in animals that can no longer survive in the wild, which is great.

 

I agree 100%

Me too.  I also think it depends on the animal too.  Some animals are more adaptable and content in zoo life where as others seem to be very depressed by it.

I agree with all of the above. Here in Phoenix we have a large zoo and a smaller one. The large I don't really like so much...the animals are not active and they don't look that happy to me....the smaller one for some reason the animals seem a lot more active and alert, their enclosures are smaller and you can get much closer to the animals....I think maybe at the smaller one the animals are more "tame" or something...I am not sure...but they seem a whole lot happier. The other one they seem isolated.

[Talee]

 I also want to say something....I believe many of the animals who are in zoos were born in captivity...this is all they know...and so it probably isn't like they went through some huge stressful capturing situation, then transferring and trying to adapt to their new lifestyle.