Keeping Animals in Zoos and Aquaria - Essay Example

Keeping Animals in Zoos and Aquaria al Affiliation Keeping Animals in Zoos and Aquaria Zoos and aquaria have become commonplace in most places of the world. Debate rages whether it is appropriate to keep animals in aquaria and zoos. In as much as some quarters are against the idea of keeping animals in zoos, there are many proponents who think more animal and fish species should be kept in zoos and aquaria respectively (Kleiman, Thompson, & Baer, 2010). The supporters of the argument insist that keeping animals in zoos and aquaria brings educational, research, and conservation benefits. On the other hand, the skeptics argue that such a practice disturbs the natural ecological system in addition to infringing on fundamental animal rights. Besides, most zoos and aquaria are for profits and they stress the animals, sometimes leading to their extinction (Singer, 2013). Both sides of the argument have their demerits and merits, depending on the perspective of a person or an organization. Although some aquaria and zoos protect the lives of the animals, animals should not be in any captivity if they are not in any form of danger. Demerits of Keeping Animals in Zoos and Aquaria Zoos and aquaria are the worst places for keeping animals because they increase the boredom and stress levels of animals. Animals that are in captivity live a sad life because they cannot explore their surroundings to discover new things around them. Irrespective of the dangers that thrive in the wild, animals can survive in their natural environment. Confining animals in aquaria and zoos denies such animals the freedom to mingle with other animals and live a happy life. In most cases, zoo animals are inactive because of the limited space offered to them. Also, confining animals in cages in zoos and aquarium breaks the intergenerational bonds within such animals. Subsequently, the animals may start behaving in a queer manner, particularly because of high-stress levels. A vast majority of animals in zoos and aquarium were transported from their natural habitat and traded so that people can delight in seeing such animals in their confinements (Kleiman, Thompson, & Baer, 2010). The idea of having animals in aquaria and zoos is misguided because most zoos around the world are in business. People pay good sums of money to view zoo animals and fish in aquaria. To make profits, zoos tend to overbreed their animals, leading to overpopulation and overstretching of the facilities. The offspring of such animals are not let off into the wild but sold for slaughter or to private entities for more confinement. The animal rights activists are against this practice because the zoos major concern is money rather than the protection of such animals (Singer, 2013).  When one looks at the keeping of animals in zoos from an animal rights perspective, he/she realizes that the practice in both offensive and unfair. Regardless of the reason, people or organizations lack the right to capture, confine, and breed animals in aquaria and zoos. Even the endangered species have the right to live and die in their natural habitat. Animal rights activities have been advocating for the release of animals from zoos and aquaria for many years. The trend gets worse with time in the sense that more animals, including the non-endangered species, are brought into zoos and aquaria largely for aesthetic purposes. This practice is a gross violation of the fundamental rights of animals. The zeal to care for and protect the environment should be comparable to the push to free animals from captivity (Singer, 2013). Research shows that animals and fish confined in zoos and aquaria respectively are more likely to die prematurely than their counterparts that are in their natural habitats. For instance, marine parks and aquaria offer little space for big sea animals like the whales and sharks. Such sea species usually die before their natural time because of the constant agitation and irritation by their unnatural surroundings. African elephants will tend to live a third of their natural lifespan if they are confined in zoos than when they roam freely in the wild. The Asian elephants subjected to work live longer than their counterparts in the zoos. Dolphins that swim freely in the vast oceans live longer than those that are confined in water tanks. It implies that aquaria and zoos are bad for animals for whatever circumstances (Singer, 2013).  Removing any species of flora and fauna from their natural habitat threatens the entire ecological system. Nature is unique because animals and plan depend on each other for food and protection. Taking away prey from the predator threatens the existence sustainability of the entire food chain. On the other hand, keeping primary predators in zoos can lead to a population influx of certain prey animals. Plants and animals thrive best in the wild because of the genetic diversity that natural habitats offer. Eliminating one species or a group of animals from a certain ecosystem will cause distress in similar species. Animals will find it hard to find mates in addition to being predisposed to endangerment and extinction. Conservationists warn that ecological diversity will be sustainable only if the world stops transporting animals away from their natural habitats. Some food security proponents and wildlife managers find fault in animal captivity in the sense that the practice denies animals an opportunity to learn crucial survival skills. Both predators and prey surround animals that are in their natural habitat, and such animals can figure out how to escape danger or find food. Besides, natural habitat provides animals the adaptation that they need for various circumstances because they can learn from other animals, particularly similar species. On to the other hand, zoo and aquaria animals depend on the zoo management to offer them protection and food. Such animals cannot survive without assistance, especially if they escape to the wild. Animals in captivity lack the indispensable killing instincts, which make them lazy, and they cannot look for food. Besides, such animals cannot pass their genes because they lack partners to mate with. The animals grow without knowing how and where to look for mates, which is unusual for animals (Kleiman, Thompson, & Baer, 2010). Some studies have established the demerits of captive breeding in the sense that the likelihood of animals becoming extinct is high. Animals that have been confined to aquaria and zoos for the purposes of breeding have not shown any signs of success. Zoos only play the last resort when it comes to the extinction of animals. For example, the Land Lobster, which goes by the binomial nomenclature Dryococelus australis, became extinct shortly after it was held in captivity for breeding purposes. All the available records indicate that zoos and aquaria have been unsuccessful in preventing extinction because even the endangered species in captivity are on their way to extinction. Most medical researchers in zoos and aquaria do not let off animals to their natural habitat after captive breeding programs. It renders the program unreasonable because most animals under captive breeding stay in the zoos and aquaria forever. Merits of Keeping Animals in Zoos and Aquaria Despite the much opposition to keeping animals in zoos, it is worth noting that aquaria and zoos offer some advantages in terms of conservation when compared to the natural habitat. For instance, zoos and aquaria play a key role in the advancement of education, especially in some special areas and rare animals (Helfman, Collette, & Project Muse, 2011). Besides, the public can visit aquaria and zoos to learn about the behavior and lifestyle of certain animals of interest. When people visit the zoos and large aquaria to view various species of animals, especially the endangered animals, they gain significant exposure in environmental conservation. Most educators and medical researchers encourage the public to visit zoos and aquaria as a way of sensitizing the public to protect such animals (Irwin, Stoner, & Cobaugh, 2013).  Zoos provide a haven for the endangered animal species and the ones that are at risk of extinction of left in their natural habitat. Besides the changing environmental conditions triggered by climate change, poachers, hunters, and trophy hunters present a significant threat to some animal species. When such animals as some species of tiger and the white rhino are left in the wild to survive, it will only be a matter of time before the world loses the animals. In the zoo, impaired and endangered animals can feed well, and their safety is guaranteed. It is ethical to save the environment with all its diversity for future generations rather than to ignore real dangers in the pretense of letting animals survive in their natural habitats (Rees, 2015).  Besides providing a learning environment for both children and adults, zoos are vital to research institutions. To for medical scientists, zoologists, and other researchers to establish the real issues in the ecosystem, they have to study the existing animals. The best environments to conduct studies about various animal species are the zoos and aquaria. The researchers can implement their finding by restoring the ecological system for the betterment of all animals and plants. Understanding the breeding patterns of animals will help conservationists and animal research scientists to control the population of wildlife. This way, the wildlife managers can keep the population of wildlife in check while at their natural habitat and evade imminent cases of extinction (Irwin, Stoner, & Cobaugh, 2013).  Apart from creating awareness about the endangered species, the zoos and aquaria are fun places to visit, especially with family members. It is nearly impossible to spot some animals in the wild because they appear at odd hours when no one is around. In this respect, the zoos help people to see some animals that perhaps they would never see in their entire lifetime. Conversely, the ocean is diverse, and some sea creature can only be found at the bottom of the ocean. When aquaria have such rare sea creature, they contribute a lot to the public in terms of entertainment and motivation. People will realize how wonderful the world is by just looking at the creature that they have never seen or heard. In this perspective, some aquaria and zoos provide unique opportunities to the public, an opportunity that the public, conservationists, and wildlife managers should cherish and acknowledge (Rees, 2015).  In cases where some wildlife species have turned rogue, it is advisable to contain such animals in zoos and aquaria to avert any damage that the animals may cause to humans and property. For example, killer whales and sharks can become stubborn and refuse to leave the beach where tourists and other visitors surf. Such animals can sometimes cause deaths intermittently leading to the closure of affected beaches. The only way to prevent further damage is to confine such animals in aquaria instead of killing them (Perrin, Würsig, & Thewissen, 2009). Similarly, some African elephants and Indian elephants can develop a habit of killing human beings and destroying property. Irrespective of who encroached on another’s territory, it is logical to transfer the rogue elephants to other areas. If there is no other natural habitat for transferring rogue animals, the best place is the zoo or the aquarium, depending on the animal species (Kleiman, Thompson, & Baer, 2010). Most zoos and aquaria take orphaned infant animals so that such animals can grow to become adults. The animals can be released into their natural habitat depending on how they adapt to the environment during their stay at the zoo. When orphaned animals are left in the wild, they may die natural or unnatural deaths, depending on the prevailing threats in their habitats. There are more zoos and aquaria in the world than there are animal orphanages. It means that the aquaria and zoos should host orphaned animals whenever need be. This measure is not only a conservation move but also an issue of animal rights concern. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep some animals in aquaria and zoos as opposed to condemning the practice in totality (Irwin, Stoner, & Cobaugh, 2013).  The vast majority of zoos across the globe offer breeding programs for some animals that may be either endangered or lacking the capability to find mates. From a conservationist approach, this move helps to restore the diversity of the wild by saving the endangered species. From an animal rights point of view, keeping animals in captivity for breeding purposes helps the animal to pass its genes to its offspring. Medical and ecological reasons may force zoologists to put some animals under captivity, especially if the animals suffer from treatable conditions. Some animals have inherent characteristics that may prevent them from mating and breeding naturally. Such animals require special environments and equipment like zoos and aquaria for them to breed. The breeding process may either be naturally or through artificial insemination in relevant cases (Rees, 2015).  In summary, animals should not be kept in zoos and aquaria for any other purposes other than those that protect the lives of such animals. Modern zoos and aquaria focus on profit ate the expense of the animals’ enjoyment of their surroundings. Animal rights activists and some conservationists oppose strongly, the idea of holding animals in captivity (Kleiman, Thompson, & Baer, 2010). However, some cases warrant the keeping of animals in aquaria and zoos, especially circumstances that stand to benefit the animal in terms of protection, health, and food. In this respect, animals should not be kept in any zoo or aquarium except when the lives of such animals are in danger. The deciding factor should be the right and benefit to the animal rather than the interest of zoo and aquaria managers (Singer, 2013). References Helfman, G. S., Collette, B. B., & Project Muse. (2011). Fishes: The animal answer guide. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Irwin, M. D., Stoner, J. B., & Cobaugh, A. M. (2013). Zoo keeping: An introduction to the science and technology. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Kleiman, D. G., Thompson, K. V., & Baer, C. K. (2010). Wild mammals in captivity: Principles and techniques for zoo management. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Perrin, W. F., Würsig, B. G., & Thewissen, J. G. M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press. Rees, P. A. (2015). Studying captive animals: A workbook of methods in behavior, welfare and ecology. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Singer, P. (2013). In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Read More