Imagine being in a cage your entire life, locked up in a confined area with people condoning you to a lifetime of of being used as a source of entertainment. The only view an animal in captivity will ever experience, is life behind metal bars and barren concrete with people gawking at them. The number of animals suffering from extreme stress and depression is increasing daily. Zoos teach people it is acceptable to interfere with animals in their natural habitat and continue to place them into captivity; depriving them of open space, herds, and control over their life.
A large percentage of the animals living in zoos are captive bred, and are traded between zoos their entire life. Many people believe that the animals held in zoos are an endangered …show more content…
In reality the animals develop extreme stress and frustration and are often found pawing at the ground, pacing, walking in tight circles, or even swaying their heads, showing signs of psychological dysfunction. Although zookeepers have expressed concern regarding the well-being of the animals, zoos can often be defined as a ‘collection’ of animals rather than havens or homes (Zoos: Pitiful Prisons). Throughout time people still tend to believe that zoos provide an enriched habitat with plenty of space, and the animals are never bored and are well cared-for. However, most zoos follow the bare minimum of required area stated in the federal Animal Welfare Act. Author for PETA, Michelle Carr stated, “Captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and as a result, they become bored and lonely and many even suffer from a condition called zoochosis.” An Oxford University study has found that an elephant in captivity has an average lifespan of 16.9 years, whereas African elephants living in their natural habitat and die of natural causes have an average of 56 years (Zoos: Pitiful Prisons). All of the ‘accommodations’ zoos have made to make the animals cages look more like their natural habitats, do not meet the animal’s needs. Many animals who naturally live in large herds are dwindled down into a cage alone, and at most, into pairs. Birds wings …show more content…
People tend to look past the abuse that is placed on the animal, such as confining them to a small enclosure and cutting off ties with its herd. They claim that zoos are educational, but in reality the only thing they learn about the animal is its depressed state in captivity, rather than when its free in the wild. The animals are in a constant state of depression, in the effort to escape they end up injuring bystanders, resulting in the end of the animals life. Do innocent animals really need to be used as a source of entertainment, rather than what their meant to be, wild and
A large percentage of the animals living in zoos are captive bred, and are traded between zoos their entire life. Many people believe that the animals held in zoos are an endangered …show more content…
In reality the animals develop extreme stress and frustration and are often found pawing at the ground, pacing, walking in tight circles, or even swaying their heads, showing signs of psychological dysfunction. Although zookeepers have expressed concern regarding the well-being of the animals, zoos can often be defined as a ‘collection’ of animals rather than havens or homes (Zoos: Pitiful Prisons). Throughout time people still tend to believe that zoos provide an enriched habitat with plenty of space, and the animals are never bored and are well cared-for. However, most zoos follow the bare minimum of required area stated in the federal Animal Welfare Act. Author for PETA, Michelle Carr stated, “Captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and as a result, they become bored and lonely and many even suffer from a condition called zoochosis.” An Oxford University study has found that an elephant in captivity has an average lifespan of 16.9 years, whereas African elephants living in their natural habitat and die of natural causes have an average of 56 years (Zoos: Pitiful Prisons). All of the ‘accommodations’ zoos have made to make the animals cages look more like their natural habitats, do not meet the animal’s needs. Many animals who naturally live in large herds are dwindled down into a cage alone, and at most, into pairs. Birds wings …show more content…
People tend to look past the abuse that is placed on the animal, such as confining them to a small enclosure and cutting off ties with its herd. They claim that zoos are educational, but in reality the only thing they learn about the animal is its depressed state in captivity, rather than when its free in the wild. The animals are in a constant state of depression, in the effort to escape they end up injuring bystanders, resulting in the end of the animals life. Do innocent animals really need to be used as a source of entertainment, rather than what their meant to be, wild and