SHOULD ZOOS STILL EXIST?

Kabacan National High School

Senior High School

Requirements in the English for Academic

And Professional Purposes 11

______________________________________

Presented By:
Marc Remuel Parojinog (11-ABM)

November 28 2022

Introduction
Zoo is an area in which animals, especially wild animals, are kept so
that people can go and look at them or study them. A zoo is a place where
animals live in captivity and are put on display for people to view. The word
“zoo” is short for “zoological park.” Zoos contain wide varieties of animals
that are native to all parts of the Earth.
Though people have kept wild animals for thousands of years, those
collections have not always resembled modern zoos. The first zoos were
created as private collections by the wealthy to show their power. These
private collections were called menageries.
Wall carvings found in Egypt and Mesopotamia are evidence that rulers
and aristocrats created menageries as early as 2500 BCE. They left
records of expeditions to distant places to bring back exotic animals such
as giraffes, elephants, bears, dolphins, and birds. There is evidence that
ancient zoo owners hired animal handlers to make sure their animals
thrived and reproduced.

Discussion
The Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) says the zoo doesn’t provide the
space and socialization that Happy needs. The NhRP is taking the Bronx
Zoo to court. Its case will be heard in 2022. The case has restarted
conversations about whether or not zoos should still exist. Some say zoos
save species from extinction and teach people about conservation. Others
argue that living in captivity is bad for an animal’s mental and physical
health. Here, TIME for Kids readers weigh in.
Then there’s the issue of zoos striving to maintain genetic diversity
while having limited capacity. In pursuit of this goal, one of two
controversial tactics are employed. The first—commonly practiced in U.S.
zoos—is contraception (birth control in the form of pills, IUDs, and
vasectomies). But the use of contraception brings medical risks. Large cats
with hormonal implants can be more susceptible to tumors, and elephants
sometimes experience difficulty restarting their reproductive cycle when
they are taken off contraceptives. Many people—such as Bengt Holst,
director of conservation for the Copenhagen Zoo—also have argued that
it’s inhumane, saying: “We’d rather they have as natural behavior as
possible. We have already taken away their predatory and antipredatory
behaviors. If we take away their parenting behavior, they have not much
left.”

Abstract
Zoos can help to save endangered species by keeping them in a ‘safe’
environment. Safe as in protected from poachers, predators, habitat loss
and even starvation. If a zoo has a breeding programme, this is another
way to protect endangered species which may have trouble finding suitable
mates in the wild.
The case has restarted conversations about whether or not zoos should
still exist. Some say zoos save species from extinction and teach people
about conservation. Others argue that living in captivity is bad for an
animal’s mental and physical health. Animals are kept away from their
homes, where they have lots of space to roam, and put in fenced areas or
cages. If it’s a crowded day at the zoo, some animals might get
overwhelmed. When they’re in zoos, they can also lose their natural
instincts. If they were released into the wild, they wouldn’t know how to
survive. An animal’s health is more important than our entertainment. Many
animal species are saved from extinction thanks to zoos. This past
summer, I saw the California condor at the San Diego Zoo and learned
about the breeding program there. Several decades ago, these vultures
were almost wiped out in the wild. But the zoo has taken some of them in
and helped them breed. Now there are many more California condors.

References
https://greenecofriend.co.uk/should-zoos-still-exist/#:~:text=Zoos%20can
%20help%20to%20save,suitable%20mates%20in%20the%20wild.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90365343/should-zoos-exist