Zoos also have the power to euthanize their animals when they themselves deem it permissible. Zoos often have insufficient knowledge of animals. These are wild animals, who are dangerous by nature and cannot be domesticated. The same applies to elephants. Many zoo animals are forcefully removed from their natural habitat. Many zoos claim to be helping preserve dwindling populations. In most cases, animals in zoos lead very unhappy lives. In the age of social media, high profile culls have sparked heated debates. However, not all of them are suitable for captivity and are better left alone in the wild. William Randolph Hearst created his own private zoo with lions, tigers, leopards and more at Hearst Castle. Zoos are held to their word of conserving animals and releasing them back into the wild when they are ready. These associations ensure that members are treating their animals with a high standard of care and following any guidelines they provide. The allure of baby animals and the crowds they pull can lead a zoological garden director to increase them to keep attracting customers. Wrong! Animal Legal Defense Fund,National Headquarters Zoos are a part of culture across the world. Children leave most zoos with a misconception about how animals behave in the wild and what it takes to truly care for endangered animals. We do know that common animals kept as pets include lions, tigers, cougars, ocelots, servals, wolves, bears, alligators, snakes and nonhuman primates like chimpanzees. A 2019 report by World Animal Protection found that captive animals exhibitedabnormal levels of aggression, indicating that the attack in Miami Seaquarium was a direct result of captivity, despite claims that it is an isolated incident and is uncommon. This is particularly true if the animal is there for entertainment. Many zoos conduct such studies, and also run captive breeding programmes for endangered species. Most people arent always comfortable seeing animals that are kept in zoos. These laws help the animals and also people, since wild animals in captivity present a serious public safety risk. Your voice is needed, so that captive wild animals in the United States, and elsewhere, are better protected. The forerunners of the modern zoo, open to the public and grounded in science, took shape in the 19th century. And heres our email: [email protected]. Giant Insect From Jurassic Era Found in Walmart Opens Deeper Ecological Questions, 3,500-Year-old Perfectly Preserved, Mummified Bear Might Lead to 'Breakthrough in Ancient Animal Study', Presumed Extinct Funji-eating Fairy Lantern Plant Found Emerging Again in Japan, How Did Missing Argentinian Man's Remains Get Into a Shark's Stomach? Taking your family for a day out at the zoo has been a sort of tradition for a very long time and given recent statics the number of visitors is growing. These are highly intelligent animals with complex social constructs that scientists have studied for . Will we ever see all zoos closed down? I remember well the awe and joy on their faces, 15 years later. Zookeepers are not mustache-twirling villains. Just as we humans are free to do whatever we want so long as we follow the law, then it shouldn't be different for animals. Lawsuit to Force USDA to Recognize Its Authority to Take Possession of Animals Upon License Revocation, Demanding USDA Strengthen and Enforce AWA Licensees Recordkeeping Requirement for All Animal Deaths, Demanding USDA Revoke Animal Welfare Act License from Pennsylvania Roadside Zoo Claws N Paws, Big Cat Public Safety Act Passes the U.S. Senate in Victory for Animals, USDA to Strengthen Tracking of Animal Deaths at Licensed Facilities Following Legal Petition, Lawsuit Seeks to Force USDA to Recognize Its Authority to Take Possession of Animals When Agency Revokes Licenses. In fact, while animals will have almost unlimited space in the wild, they are often caged in rather confined areas in zoos. Groundhog More than Just a Weather Prognosticator! The Animal Welfare Act: The Animal Welfare Act, or AWA, is the primary piece of federal legislation regulating captive wild animals. Lack of Sufficient Space No matter how dedicated a zoo is, it can't meet the space requirements for most of its animals. This may be true to some extent; however, many zoos are running breeding programs for their own benefit and have no interest in releasing their animals back into the wild. Animals such as lions, elephants, and tigers dont get even close to one percent of the area they roam in the wild. A gorilla named Togo at the Toledo Zoo used his incredible strength to bend the bars of his cage. However, when the animals being culled arent in demand, they might find themselves facing death. This is evident in killer whales' most vital body part: their teeth. The owners of such zoos are focused on maximizing profits even at the animals expense. Especially animals like lions that are used to roaming vast distances in the wild in search of food. However, it does not change the fundamental fact that as the world changes, we must also become more aware of the darker side of such animal sanctuaries. According toAnimal Behavior: Resources for Applied Ethology, fleeing or running away is the most popular reaction of animals towards humans. But the law excludes protection for birds, rats and mice, farmed animals and "cold-blooded" animals such as reptiles, amphibians and fish. In April, ethical tour operator Responsible Travel after consultation with wildlife charity Born Free Foundation axed trips that include zoo visits. A largely unregulated trend is the hybrid breeding of wild cats with house cats, with predictably disastrous consequences. at the time estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 animals are euthanized in European zoos each year. Animals in the wild are naturally shy to humans. There were five such states until 2017, when South Carolina passed a law banning wild and exotic animals to be kept as pets. Terrifying, Pre-Historic-Looking Fish Captured in the Ocean's Twilight Zone; What Is It? But whether recent events have triggered a profound shift in public consciousness is harder to . All Rights are Resvered. Zoos are expensive to run, often have a very tight budget, and cannot afford to maintain and support animals that do not pull their weight in terms of attraction. Since most countries dont have any regulations on how to handle animals in zoos, these business people can do whatever it takes to make the most profits possible. These standards set a low bar and are widely considered to be sub-par in protecting animals. The first modern one was opened in Paris, France in 1793. We use cookies to help ensure the best experience on our website. An example of this is a snake that will bite whatever is threatening them since they are not as good at running away as other animals. Zoos accredited by the A.Z.A. They go to get out of the house, to get their children some fresh air, to see interesting animals. While researching my book on the ethics of human interactions with wild species, Wild Souls, I examined how, exactly, zoos contribute to the conservation of wild animals. When theres a surplus, you can just have a plant sale. According to an article inPlant Based News, marine parks and aquariums are a billion-dollar industry that exists to entertain the public by catching fish and sea mammals from the wild and using them as live exhibits. If an untrained zookeeper comes across a stubborn animal, they might hurt it if they are impatient. A 2014 study by the Society for Conservation Biology found that of over 2,800 children surveyed following visits to London Zoo, 62% showed no positive learning outcomes. "Only 15% of the thousands of species held in zoos are considered 'threatened'," says Will Travers OBE, president of Born Free. says that its members host more than 50 reintroduction programs for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Nevertheless, a vast majority of zoo animals (there are 800,000 animals of 6,000 species in the A.Z.A.s zoos alone) will spend their whole lives in captivity, either dying of old age after a lifetime of display or by being culled as surplus.. An example of these associations is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which represents over 240 businesses across the globe. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is rated four-stars by Charity Navigator, is a Platinum Level GuideStar Exchange participant, a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity, and an Independent Charity Seal of Excellence awardee, ensuring that we meet the highest standards of accountability, efficiency, and impact. What people can do: Justin Gillis and Hal Harvey describe the types of local activismthat might be needed, while Saul Griffith points to how Australia shows the way on rooftop solar. This treaty is credited with helping foster international cooperation to protect some endangered and vulnerable species. Read more: Should I worry about chemtrails? This can have huge negative effects on the environment in many adverse ways. Its protections are minimal as well. Thats true, he said. Sanctuaries promise to take in and care for any animals that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and to keep them for life. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/opinion/zoos-animal-cruelty.html, Photographs by Peter Fisher for The New York Times. State laws vary considerably, with some states banning the ownership of wild and exotic animals while others have virtually no regulation whatsoever. Students and the general public get a chance to learn about different species of animals. Here is an example of just how harsh it can get when an animal is being trained to perform tricks. But that day of release never quite seems to come. Their lives in captivity can be harsh especially when the animal has been completely removed from its social structures. Well, scat reveals all sorts of things about individual animals; information the keepers share with the scientific community. Keeping endangered animals in zoos infringes on those individuals' rights to freedom. However, they are really just teaching children about caring for animals in captivity. When it rains, the topsoil gets washed away leaving the land more exposed. Animal Legal Defense Fund petition for rulemaking spurs reporting improvements: Forms will be revised to ensure AWA licensees maintain complete records of all animal deaths. Early in the pandemic, the Neumunster Zoo in northern Germany coolly announced an emergency plan to cope with lost revenue by feeding some animals to other animals, compressing the food chain at the zoo like an accordion, until in the worst-case scenario, only Vitus, a polar bear, would be left standing. Why Are Puppy Mills Bad: The Numerous Reasons Why They Must Be Stopped And How You, yes you, Can Help! In zoos, elephants are often given a small outside enclosure and an internal house. This is nowhere near enough space to provide an elephant with a life comparable to that of its wild counterparts. Lack of trees to rain will then lead to less and less vegetation and eventually draught in the area which will force the surviving animals to migrate to areas with better conditions. See Related: Best Books on Endangered Species. On the other hand, the researchers reported, there were no significant differences in survey responses before entering an exhibit compared with those obtained as visitors were exiting., A 2008 study of 206 zoo visitors by some members of the same team showed that while 42 percent said that the main purpose of the zoo was to teach visitors about animals and conservation, 66 percent said that their primary reason for going was to have an outing with friends or family, and just 12 percent said their intention was to learn about animals., The researchers also spied on hundreds of visitors conversations at the Bronx Zoo, the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. For example, the typical enclosure designed for a polar bear is about a million times smaller than its natural roaming grounds. However, the vast majority dont do enough to accurately replace an animals natural habitat. All things considered, animals should not be kept in zoos or aquariums. Healthy animals in zoos are killed because they are not needed. (707) 795-2533 |[email protected] See Related: How Similar is Human DNA to Other Animals. When factoring in the number of zoos breeding animals and the risk posed to baby animals, the change of disease skyrockets further. And it is true that the territory size of an animal like a wolf depends greatly on the density of resources and other wolves. Below are a dozen reasons why zoos can be bad for animals: No matter how dedicated a zoo is, it cant meet the space requirements for most of its animals. The first zoos housed animals behind metal bars in spartan cages. If an animal cannot be given sufficient space or is suffering from stress and not behaving as expected, the zoo is within its right to kill the animal s. In many modern zoos, animals are well cared for, healthy and probably, for many species, content. What if they sent all the animals that need really large areas or lots of freedom and socialization to refuges? All of these options afford you a close view of nature exactly as it was intended. Thousands of animals are captured and put in zoos and aquariums for tourist attractions every year. However, the truth remains that zoos often have insufficient knowledge of the animals they are housing. Do not reproduce without permission. Older menageries existed as far back as 2500 BCE, in Mesopotamia. In some environments, we believe it's best not to keep certain wild animals at all, as their needs simply can't be met. Though the zoos business has grown from what it was over a century ago, there are still some things that can be improved. Roadside zoos dot the American landscape. After all, more than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums worldwide every year, and biodiversity is still in decline. Gus, a polar bear at the Central Park Zoo, was given Prozac as part of an attempt to stop him from swimming endless figure-eight laps in his tiny pool. In 2014, the Animal Legal Defense Fund successfully brought a lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act against a roadside zoo called the Cricket Hollow Animal Park, that was mistreating protected animals. The surpluses are then sold off to zoos, aquariums, or even circuses. Whats Causing Their Decline? In this way, they could lead the predator away from their nest. This is due to the inhumane conditions that these animals are forced to endure. Ive heard and read some of their stories. Wildlife experts said that the incident was just another proof that wild animals should not be kept captive because it would not happen had the dolphin was only in the wild. When a female gorilla named Johari kept fighting off the male she was placed with, the zoo dosed her with Prozac until she allowed him to mate with her. For some animals in zoos, the shock of their relocation alone can be fatal. He also found many examples of zoo elephants hurting or killing their keepers and evidence that zoos routinely downplayed or even lied about those incidents. Some surplus animals or injured animals are even fed to predators as a means of life-cycle maintenance. The real question is, how can we change things?