Some people might think that zoos
are good for animals. They might even think animals like being in zoos. This is
a very wrong assumption. Animals at zoos are trapped. They are forced to live
their lives sitting behind glass or in enclosures. Michelle Carr , PETA writer, says “Captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them”. Do we want this kind of treatment
for these animals, just so we can see them?
So how do zoos get animals? You might think that zoos
only take animals in need of rehabilitation. A popular argument against why
zoos are harmful for animals might be that the animals in zoos need to be
helped by people, and that putting them in zoos is just like putting them in
rehabilitation programs. But, in 2006, the San Diego Zoo “rescued” 33 monkeys.
It turns out, that they had bought the monkeys from a South African pet dealer
that was illegally trafficking the monkeys. No wonder animals in zoos are depressed! They
have been taken from their original habitats and put in zoos. Now, I know that
not all zoos do this. But still, a zoo with a good reputation?
Have you ever looked at the animal’s habitats in zoos?
They live in spaces way smaller than they would in the wild. For example, in
the wild, giraffes have entire savannas to roam and find food, whereas giraffes
in ZooWorld only have 5000 sq. feet of space, a considerable difference. Even
worse, Zooworld expanded that from a 1500 sq. enclosure, because one of the giraffes
living in the 1500 sq. feet enclosure died.
In the wild,
animals are fine, but in zoos? They are bored and depressed. They need
stimulation that they just can’t get in zoos. They need to be free. After
reading this essay, I hope you get a chance to examine your local zoo. Do the
animals look depressed? Are they bored? Should you spend your money on a zoo?
Wathne, Lisa. "Zoos Play into Hands of
Wild Animal Poachers." Los
Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2006. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Carr, Michelle.
"The Reality of Zoos." PETA
The Reality of Zoos Comments. PETA, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
WJHG. "ZooWorld
Giraffe Dies: Update." WJHG RSS. N.p., 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
I thought you did a good job on this essay. I don't think zoos are bad for animals though... Obviously :)
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, when you said a giraffe died when it lived in 1500 sq. feet how do we know that is why it died?
I liked how you had questions in your essay and that you had lots of examples.
Well, I do know that after the giraffe died, the zoo got a bigger enclosure for their giraffes. Coincidence? :)
ReplyDeleteI really liked this paper!!! My sister was researching zoos for a class and she told me a lot about them and I don't like zoos as much anymore. great job you put a lot of research into this! :) I like this argument better sorry Olivia :)
ReplyDeleteI have never been to a zoo before, so I don't know what its like. Sorry Manna, but I'm leaning toward zoos are good for the environment. Still, good work!
ReplyDelete