Zoos Do More Good Than Harm
Well, zoos do do more good than harm in my mind. For one, zoos have changed since they have been around a long time.
Their living environment has changed. Instead of all the iron bars and cement cages, their habitats look and feel more like their natural living environment. Also zoos use their habitats to bring back endangered species by breeding them and then releasing them back into the wild. There is this one true story where they brought back the Pere David’s deer from the brink of extinction. The deer had ceased to exist in the wild but some zoos in Europe and China had them, they then released some of them into the wild and now they are self-sustaining. Also, zoos have changed their methods of getting animals. Instead of capturing them from the wild, zoos now get their animals from other zoos and through captive breeding programs.
Some zoos have taken abandoned animals that wouldn’t have a home if they hadn’t taken them. Take the Baltimore Zoo and the Detroit Zoo for example. They both took in polar bears rescued from a traveling circus; the Bronx Zoo took care, and is still taking care of a snow leopard cub, Leo, in 2007. Zookeepers now understand that many animals need activities to keep them from being bored and mental deterioration. That’s why sometimes you see monkeys playing with toys and tigers “hunting”. Many zoos even contribute to the care of the animals wild natural habitats. The Toledo Zoo is helping restore butterfly habitats in Ohio, and the Bronx Zoo has put more than 3 million dollars toward conservation projects in Africa.
Zoos give scientists an opportunity to conduct research. According to Jennifer Horton, an environmentalist and journalist, in 2002, zoos participated in 2,230 research projects and conservation projects in 80+ countries.(Horton, 2011)
The information that they gathered helps them develop new medicines an improve animal health; besides all the good things that zoos have for animals they help people too. Zoos educate and give children a fun way to learn. Children aren’t the only ones to learn either, zoos aim programs toward adults and teens too. Zoos teach people about what animals need and that conservation is important and why; when people get exited enough they just might be more towards donation to conservation projects. Just another good thing about zoos.
While I’m here telling you about all the good things about zoos there are people who will argue that zoos are bad. Animals like zebras, giraffes, gazelles are ment to run around, and while the habitat that zookeepers are just beginning to understand, and it is very hard to replicate the environment in which they naturally live in.
It is an on going debate in whether zoos are good or bad. It all depends on what zoo you are talking about and whether you are talking about a random zoo animal or a random wild animal a thousand miles away.
Horton, J. (2011). Are zoos good or bad for animals?. Retrieved from http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/zoos-good-or-bad1.htm
Their living environment has changed. Instead of all the iron bars and cement cages, their habitats look and feel more like their natural living environment. Also zoos use their habitats to bring back endangered species by breeding them and then releasing them back into the wild. There is this one true story where they brought back the Pere David’s deer from the brink of extinction. The deer had ceased to exist in the wild but some zoos in Europe and China had them, they then released some of them into the wild and now they are self-sustaining. Also, zoos have changed their methods of getting animals. Instead of capturing them from the wild, zoos now get their animals from other zoos and through captive breeding programs.
Some zoos have taken abandoned animals that wouldn’t have a home if they hadn’t taken them. Take the Baltimore Zoo and the Detroit Zoo for example. They both took in polar bears rescued from a traveling circus; the Bronx Zoo took care, and is still taking care of a snow leopard cub, Leo, in 2007. Zookeepers now understand that many animals need activities to keep them from being bored and mental deterioration. That’s why sometimes you see monkeys playing with toys and tigers “hunting”. Many zoos even contribute to the care of the animals wild natural habitats. The Toledo Zoo is helping restore butterfly habitats in Ohio, and the Bronx Zoo has put more than 3 million dollars toward conservation projects in Africa.
Zoos give scientists an opportunity to conduct research. According to Jennifer Horton, an environmentalist and journalist, in 2002, zoos participated in 2,230 research projects and conservation projects in 80+ countries.(Horton, 2011)
The information that they gathered helps them develop new medicines an improve animal health; besides all the good things that zoos have for animals they help people too. Zoos educate and give children a fun way to learn. Children aren’t the only ones to learn either, zoos aim programs toward adults and teens too. Zoos teach people about what animals need and that conservation is important and why; when people get exited enough they just might be more towards donation to conservation projects. Just another good thing about zoos.
While I’m here telling you about all the good things about zoos there are people who will argue that zoos are bad. Animals like zebras, giraffes, gazelles are ment to run around, and while the habitat that zookeepers are just beginning to understand, and it is very hard to replicate the environment in which they naturally live in.
It is an on going debate in whether zoos are good or bad. It all depends on what zoo you are talking about and whether you are talking about a random zoo animal or a random wild animal a thousand miles away.
Horton, J. (2011). Are zoos good or bad for animals?. Retrieved from http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/zoos-good-or-bad1.htm
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