Jonathann Thomas II

July 11, 2022

Zoos Cause More Harm Than Good

Did you know animal abuse is evident in over 75% of zoos and aquariums? It’s true and many

zoo lovers are not aware of the atrocities that are going behind closed doors. Each year, millions of people

pay lots of money to go to the zoo to look at exotic animals. Zoos are a great attraction to many places as

we get to touch and see animals perform tricks, see their lifestyles, or even get a deeper understanding of

the animals. However, people do not understand that many animals are forced to sacrifice their natural life

in the wild to be placed in cages for our entertainment. Many zoo animals require a much bigger area of

space to survive on which zoos cannot possibly provide for them. The amount of food that is required to

feed large carnivorous animals often is too much for what a zoo can handle. As a result, many zoo

animals can be seen starving and the public has no idea because they have never seen what the animals

look like in their natural habitat. Although there are still zoos with goals of protecting endangered species,

there are many that do more harm than good to our animals. Zoos exploit our precious animals by having

poor facilities, using them as profit, and with no regards on how these animals do once they are released

back to the wild.

The size of an animal’s home plays a great role in their survival. Animals use their respected

space to hunt, mate, and ultimately repopulate. Zoos often fail to provide enough space for these animals

to survive on. As a result, many animals suffer from limited mental stimulation, privacy, or even physical

exercise. Zoo animals often suffer from stress under these conditions and the those who visit these zoos

only makes it worse. Small spaces are especially detrimental to animals such as elephants, polar bears,

lions, and tigers. According to an article called, “19 Sad Animals in Captivity Statistics”, lions and tigers
has about 18 thousand times less space than what’s required for them to survive. If zoos cannot or would

not afford to offer that much space to these large animals, they have no business keeping them captive for

their pleasure. Additionally, according to the same article, there are more tigers being held captive in

America than there are roaming worldwide! Moreover, the zoos’ actions are not increasing the tiger’s

population. Zoos should slowly release the tigers into their natural habitat to help to repopulate. In the

article, “Zoo of horror exposed for starving animals to death in Africa”, it says, “… 98 percent of animals

at the privately run zoo in Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, had died from neglect and starvation”. This is just

one case of starvation and there are plenty more happening around the world. Additionally, once an

animal has passed away, it is not announced to the public, which means there could be plenty of animals

that we do not know about that have died from starvation or neglect. These zoos are cruel to keep these

animals’ captive when they cannot afford to feed them.

Zoos exploit their animals for profit. According to an article called, “AZA Zoos and Aquariums

Contribute $24 Billion to the U.S. Economy”, zoos generate 24 billion dollars annually with their high

influx of visitors. Although this is good for our economy, there are still plenty of captive animals that are

starving due to zookeepers’ greed. With so much revenue generated, one would assume, animals would be

treated well. However, there are plenty of animals that are chained up in their cage, limiting their

freedom. Not only do zoos make money from the visitors, but many also often receive conservation grants

funded by the government to build these attractions. There should be plenty of money left over to feed the

starving animals and increase their living space. Additionally, another problem with the zoos is that they

love to overbreed. Many times, there will be a surplus in baby animals. When there is a surplus, they must

find a way to lower the cost back down otherwise they will forgo profit. According to the organization,

PETA, the unwanted adult animals are sold to poor-quality zoos or hunters where they will be killed for

their meat and hides. These poor animals are also thrown in laboratories and used as experimental
subjects against their will. These atrocities will only continue behind the public’s back if we don’t find a

way to put an end to it.

Zoos have been great for repopulating the endangered species. However, what many are unaware

of is that many animals die after they are released back to their original habitat. According to the article,

“Are Zoos Good or Bad for Animals”, large carnivorous animals such as lions and tigers that were born in

the zoos die once they are returned to their natural habitat. A shocking study was done in 2008, by the

University of Exeter, showed that animals such as tiger or wolves only had a measly 30% survival rate

after they are returned to the wild. This is because of how different their environment was in captivity

versus the natural wild. In captivity, these animals get used to humans daily. Because of this, the animals

often die by the hands of hunters due to their lack of fear towards humans. Additionally, zoo animals are

often fed by the zookeepers with dead animals in a small enclosure. Once the animals are in the wild, their

fight or flight instincts are much lower than their average counterparts. Moreover, they would not

understand how to hunt for their own food and possibly starve to death or get killed off by another

predator. One of the many ways to prevent this issue is to require all zoos to imitate their animal’s

environment with the ones in the wild. They should release live prey in their environment to simulate real

hunting. That way once these animals are released to their natural habitat, they will not suffer from their

lack of fear and hunting experience.

The people’s love for animals is understandable and zoos provide a great opportunity for those

who wish to see and learn about exotic animals. However, we must not be selfish to place our wants over

what an animal clearly needs. Animals require all the space, food, shelter, and freedom they can get.

Humans have no right to keep these animals locked up solely for entertainment and business purposes.

There are many animal rights activists out there that are always fighting to help these animals in need to
get what they deserve. However, even more are unaware of the horrible things that really occur in the

zoos and how their actions could ultimately end the animal’s life. The public should be more cognizant of

their actions and the crimes that are uncovered in many zoos. Neglect and starvation commonly occur in

captivity and are terrible ways for animals to die. Zoos must change their terrible ways or be forced to

suffer the consequences of harming these animals. Animals will only continue to be forced into poor

facilities, exploited for profit, and left for dead in the wild.

(Chained monkey found in an African Zoo) (Emaciated lion struggling to walk from starvation)

Citations

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eath-in-africa/news-story/a95acfaf1b56254f13eab2b52c3c6d57

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