Are Zoos Humane?
Katherine E.G. Morgan
Ivy Tech Community College
Are Zoos Humane?
Introduction
Zoos have been around for hundreds of years. Although, it was not until 1793 that the first modern zoo opened in Paris, France. Prior to this, zoos typically began to show wealth and power. It took a long time for zoos to come to The United States. In 1861, the first zoo was New York City’s Central Park, but it was not much more than a modest menagerie. It wasn’t until 1874 in Philadelphia where the first modern scientific zoo opened, inspired by the London zoo. Critics say zoos are inhumane because wild animals are not designed to be in captivity. While supporters say the animals are highly benefitted in zoos because they are protected for predators, starvation, or other dangerous threats.
Viewpoint #1
The general director of the Wildlife Conservation Society which operates the Bronx Zoo in New York City, Richard L. Lattis, states “Zoos help create support for keeping endangered animals alive in the wild.” Many captive animals would not have the capability to survive without the benefits of a zoo.
Animals such as lions, elephants, giraffes, and a vast variety of others are hunted. They are poached for a lot of reasons, such as fur, ivory, …show more content…
Taking them away from the comfort and roots they’ve grown at their zoo. There has been an array of cases in which animals have been sold into the wrong hands. PETA tells a sad tale of a chimpanzee named Edith. “Born in the 1960s at the Saint Louis Zoo, Edith was surely a big draw for visitors. But just after her third birthday, she was taken from her family and passed around to at least five different facilities, finally landing at a Texas roadside zoo called the Amarillo Wildlife Refuge (AWR). During an undercover investigation of AWR, PETA found Edith in a filthy, barren concrete pit. She was hairless and had been living on rotten produce and dog
Katherine E.G. Morgan
Ivy Tech Community College
Are Zoos Humane?
Introduction
Zoos have been around for hundreds of years. Although, it was not until 1793 that the first modern zoo opened in Paris, France. Prior to this, zoos typically began to show wealth and power. It took a long time for zoos to come to The United States. In 1861, the first zoo was New York City’s Central Park, but it was not much more than a modest menagerie. It wasn’t until 1874 in Philadelphia where the first modern scientific zoo opened, inspired by the London zoo. Critics say zoos are inhumane because wild animals are not designed to be in captivity. While supporters say the animals are highly benefitted in zoos because they are protected for predators, starvation, or other dangerous threats.
Viewpoint #1
The general director of the Wildlife Conservation Society which operates the Bronx Zoo in New York City, Richard L. Lattis, states “Zoos help create support for keeping endangered animals alive in the wild.” Many captive animals would not have the capability to survive without the benefits of a zoo.
Animals such as lions, elephants, giraffes, and a vast variety of others are hunted. They are poached for a lot of reasons, such as fur, ivory, …show more content…
Taking them away from the comfort and roots they’ve grown at their zoo. There has been an array of cases in which animals have been sold into the wrong hands. PETA tells a sad tale of a chimpanzee named Edith. “Born in the 1960s at the Saint Louis Zoo, Edith was surely a big draw for visitors. But just after her third birthday, she was taken from her family and passed around to at least five different facilities, finally landing at a Texas roadside zoo called the Amarillo Wildlife Refuge (AWR). During an undercover investigation of AWR, PETA found Edith in a filthy, barren concrete pit. She was hairless and had been living on rotten produce and dog