Disadvantages of zoos

(or)
Disadvantages outweighing Advantages after
reconsidering ‘Zoos’
Zoos, while often seen as educational and conservation institutions, have faced
increasing scrutiny in recent years. Critics argue that confining animals in artificial
environments for human entertainment raises ethical concerns, and that such practices
can be detrimental to the physical and psychological well-being of the animals involved.
Zoos are captivity and entertainment centers where collections of wild animals are
exhibited in solitary, often in solitary confinement. Moreover, in zoos, animals have their
decisions that controlled by human such as including what to eat, when to sleep, and whom
they choose as a mate. They can't roam vast distances or do many of the other things that
are natural and important to them. Even the best artificial environments can't come close
to matching the space, diversity, and freedom that animals have in their natural habitats.
As we have mentioned above, to summarize a bit, zoos are akin to jails for the captured
animals due to lack of space or lack of natural habitat. Thus, consequences are bound to
occur from this occasion. For instance, this deprivation causes many zoo animals to become
stressed or mentally ill, by observing the critics of zoos arguing that animals often suffer
physically and mentally by being enclosed. Also, diseases, social isolation and so on are just
primarily stemmed from such 'deprived boundary experience'.
First and foremost, stress, one of the greatest arch nemesis for all creatures on this
planet, may be caused by many reasons, in which of those, enclosure is a part of them.
Hence, animals in zoo enclosures may experience stress, not only from this, but also from
human contact, noise and the loss of their natural habitats. "Stress can harm their immune
system and lead to behavioral problems, such as pacing, self-mouthing, and aggression",
said Dr. Wilson, a well-known zoologist.
As the consequence, when stress has overwhelmed them, they may become gloomy and,
as the doctor said above, plus due to limited exercise basing the limited space, disease
would make them I'll and even dead! Animals in zoos may he exposed to diseases from
other animals, visitors and even zookeepers. Moreover, animals in zoos may have limited
access to fresh or appropriate food, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies and other
health problems. So, as one plus one equals two, stress, malnutrition, limited exercises and
activities plus diseases exposures may result in harming them recklessly.
According to some researches, "some animals in captivity have shorter lifespans
compared to their wild counterparts. This can result from various factors, including stress,
lack of exercise, and potential health problems or zoonotic diseases". If one asked a
question, for instance, "what about Momo from Yangon Zoo? She has already been living
beyond her kind's lifespan limit, hasn't she?", then, we would like to suggest what Dr.
Heinen said. That is "animals' lifespans can't be measured only from the nutrition which
they get or activities they do. We also need to measure their stress, happiness or, we
could simply say, their feelings!" In plain words, longevity and death not only depends upon
physical factors but also physiological factors. But, animals in captivity may have eventually
succumbed to stress or negativity.
In addition to the facts mentioned above, zoos may lead to genetic bottleneck, as many
zoo populations are isolated and interbreed. This can result in a loss of genetic diversity
and a greater risk of genetic defects. Also, many animals in zoos experience challenges
with reproduction such as infertility.
In conclusion, it's evident that zoos have serious drawbacks for the well-being of
animals. They face stress, health problems, and shortened lifespans in captivity. The
confinement and limitations in zoos lead to these issues. Moreover, breeding problems and
genetic bottlenecks further harm animal populations. While zoos may have educational
value, the evidence strongly suggests that we should rethink their existence. It's crucial
to prioritize the happiness and welfare of animals in their natural habitats and explore
more compassionate alternatives for conservation and education.