Why you should support zoos

Did you know that recycling your phone can help protect animals such as chimpanzees and gorillas? Tantalum is a material that is used in phones, tablets, and cameras. The metal comes from a place where the animals live. That is one thing that I learned visiting the Houston Zoo.  Zoos do many things to make their animals as safe and happy as possible.  They are helping to save the endangered species, taking in injured animals, and making their habitats similar to the wild.  

            Many zoos are now trying to focus more on protecting and conserving endangered animals. There are several organizations that work with zoos to try to prevent extinction in different species of animals.  For example, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have a program called the AZA Field Conservation Committee (FCC). The FCC organizes and supports projects that help with species recovery, veterinary care, and they research ways to protect species and try to spread awareness for animal conservation.  Zoos have plans for saving the animals such as restoring their natural habitats and breeding them.  One in four mammals and one in eight birds are in danger of extinction, so it is essential that zoos take action to save these animals!

    

            Numerous animals have been affected somehow so they are not able to live on their own in the wild.  Each year many zoos take in these animals. At the Big Bear Alpine Zoo in California- they take over 100 animals that are injured or incapable of living in the wild. They care for the animals and 90% of them are released back into the wild.  The others that are not able to go back to their natural habitats are kept in the zoos. So it is wrong to think that animals are forced to live in captivity when some may not be capable of living in the wild.

           

            Many zoos make sure their animals are happy and like their habitats.  At the Houston Zoo their elephant habitat has 3 acres of land and 80,000 gallon pool. There is also a 7,000 square foot elephant barn where you can see the elephants being bathed every morning.  Zoos also do something called “Enrichment” where the animals are given toys and food, but they let the animals make choices and have challenges. Enrichment encourages natural behavior in the animals.

            So what is your opinion on zoos? There are many reasons why zoos are good for animals, and not harmful or dangerous.  They are taking action to save endangered animals, they care for the animals that have been harmed, and the zookeepers work very hard to make sure that the animals are safe and happy in their habitats.  Zoos have a positive impact on the world.

http://www.stlzoo.org/about/whyzoosmatter/

http://www.houstonzoo.org

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/endangered_species/zoos/index.asp?article=whatzoosdo

http://bigbearzoo.org/