The Pros and Cons of Zoos

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Visiting the local Zoo is a treasured part of any great childhood and
for most people, it is the first and only experience they will have of
being up close and personal with some of the world’s most beautiful
and rarest animals.

Yet in recent years, Zoo’s have been met with some controversy, with
welfare concerns being highlighted repeatedly by the mainstream
media. But are these isolated cases, or are Zoo’s inherently bad places
for animals to live? In this post, we will explore the main pros and
cons of modern-day Zoo’s and demystify some of the most common
questions people have.

 The Main Cons of Zoos

Now that we have highlighted some of the main advantages of Zoo’s,
it’s equally important to realize that they are by no means a perfect
environment.  Even though the importance of conservation cannot be
overstated, it’s important to be aware of the limitations and failures of
modern Zoo’s.

#1 Ethics of Captive Animals

Many wild animals have evolved to thrive in a certain environment,
habitat, and climate and not suited to the confines and containment
of captivity. Unfortunately, even though Zoos often try their best to
mimic a specific species natural habitat sometimes it has little impact
on their behavior and well being. For example, an Orca in the wild can
survive as long as 100 years, yet in captivity, they typically don’t reach
30 years of age. This illustrates that the Zoo environment does not
always succeed and there are many reasons behind this.

#2 Captive Offspring are Often Dependant

Although one of the main aims of zoos is to have successful breeding
programs for some of the world’s rarest animals, the resulting
offspring doesn’t always result in successful integration in the wild. 
Many animals born and raised in captivity fail to successfully make the
transition from captive to wild environment, meaning that sometimes
there is no choice but to keep them in the Zoo for the remainder of
their lives.

#3 Financial Problems
In recent years, it’s become apparent that many popular zoos have
been failing financially, which in turn has a knock on effect to the
health and welfare of captive animals. Staff shortages and limited
budgets often mean healthy animals have to be euthanized or sold to
other Zoo’s.

This reliance on a constant inflow of money is also a constant burden

for modern Zoo’s who always have to prioritize their finances. For
example, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is one of the most popular
Zoo’s in the US, yet in 2015, their expenses exceeded their incoming
revenue.

#4 Altered Animal Behaviour

Some animals are just not built for Zoo’s, particularly animal species
with certain behaviors that Zoo’s don’t cater for, such as hibernation
and migratory animals. For instance, Elephants are often the biggest
animals within Zoo’s and many argue their enclosures are simply too
small and since they have to resist their natural instinct to migrate;
this can result in behavioral issues such as aggression.
#5 Health Problems can Develop
Sometimes the measures Zoo’s take in an attempt to mimic a natural
habitat just doesn’t work. A natural habitat is also related to climate,
so some animals can develop problems in some locations that can get
relatively cold in comparison to their natural habitat.

For instance, a polar bear that is used to arctic temperatures can find
it extremely difficult to cope with heat and humidity. Yet, some Zoo’s
still seem to put profit before well being of their animals and animals
such as Polar bears continue to suffer in some Zoos.

#6 Some zoos are Profit Only Zoo’s

Unfortunately, for some Zoo’s, conservation and breeding programs
to save some of the world’s most endangered animals are little more
than a marketing tactic to get customers through their doors. Even
though many Zoos claim to have a mission statement that lives up to
an ethical and moral viewpoint most people would agree on, behind
the scenes there is very little effort made in this direction.

Having said that, it’s important to note that many Zoos’ do make an
active effort in the mission to save and conserve species, but many do
not. Instead, they partake in the sale of animals for profit and their
bottom line is profit over animal welfare.