A zoo trip. Another thing to add to my long list of things accomplished this summer. I didn’t think much of it before we got to the zoo and I started observing the animals and their habitats. Some exhibits had only one animal, some looked way to small, and most of the animals seemed to be in a depressed state. It really got me thinking about the ethics of zoos and about the animals. Abused animals have a voice speaking for them, but what about the zoo animals? No one really thinks twice about these animals that are taken out of their environments and placed into a cage that people attempted to recreate their habitat. How happy can they truly be? We are the ones responsible for putting them into these situations and it’s for our own pleasure. Some may argue that captive breeding is a beneficial side to zoos, but for almost every successful captive breeding attempt, there is an unsuccessful one that can sometimes end with birth defective animals that can never be released into the wild. Building off of that, when animals do breed, if there is a surplus of animals, those animals, if unwanted by any other zoo, are often killed up so they wont take up space.
How long can a creature stay happy in a recreation of its home but without its whole habitat and environment? Many animals struggle with depression, being overweight, and some animals are even lame, due to not being provided with adequate space. Toys are put into the habitats, but nothing will take the place of the wild and interacting with the other animals around them. Some zoos are better than others, but over all is it right that we keep these animals hostage? These animals are suffering too, and they need a voice. Will you speak for the zoo animals?
Sarah Baker
