[1]
Zoos
… Do their advantages exceed their disadvantages? …
1. By bringing people and animals together,
zoos foster an appreciation of animals. This
could motivate people to protect them.
2. Zoos save endangered species by bringing
them into a safe environment, where they
are protected from poachers, habitat loss,
starvation, and predators.
3. Many zoos also
have breeding programs for
endangered species. In the wild, these
individuals might have trouble finding mates
and breeding.
4. In a good zoo, animals are never bored, are
well cared-for, and have plenty of space.
5. A visit to a zoo is a wholesome family
activity.
6. Seeing an animal
in person is a much more
personal and memorable experience than
seeing it in a wildlife documentary.
7. Some zoos help rehabilitate animals and
take in exotic pets that people no longer
want or are no longer able to care for.
8. They allow researchers and scientists to
obtain a better understanding of the way
animals live. This could be helpful in saving
more of them.
9. Having zoos
means that all animals are
cared for and do not suffer from illness or
malnutrition.
10. Zoos can be educational, teaching children
and adults about animals and the way they
live.
YES
1. We do not have the right to breed, capture
and
confine animals, even if they are
endangered. Being a member of an
endangered species does not mean the
individual animals have fewer rights.
2. Animals suffer from stress and boredom in
captivity.
3. Removing animals from the wild will further
endanger the wild population because the
remaining ones
will have more difficulty
finding mates.
4. If people want to see wild animals in person,
they can observe them in the wild or visit a
sanctuary.
5. Sanctuaries also rehabilitate animals and
take in unwanted exotic pets, without
breeding, buying and selling animals like
zoos do.
6. If zoos are
teaching children anything, it is
that imprisoning animals for our own
entertainment is acceptable.
7. Studies have shown that animals kept in
zoos do not live as long as those in the wild.
8. Animals sometimes escape their
enclosures, endangering themselves as well
as people.
9. If zoo-born animals are released into the
wild, they will have a very difficult time
adapting to the environment.
