Curse of captivity: why zoos should be banned. Activists are calling to ban zoos, and their voices are getting louder. Reasons why people think keeping animals in zoos is bad for their welfare: the animal is deprived of its natural habitat the animal may not have enough room the animal is deprived of its. Learn about the devastating environmental setbacks that have occurred over the last 50 years. +44 (0) 20 7923 6242 (fax). The breeding programmes serve no true conservation purpose, and under the guise of species preservation, many zoos get rid of surplus animals either by killing them or selling them to unethical exotic-animal dealers. Learn about global activism that have changed the ways we interact with our precious planet for the better. "Zoos are prisons for animals, camouflaging their cruelty with conservation claims," Mimi Bekhechi, director of international programmes at PETA, explains. Many Zoos Fail to Provide Even a Minimum Standard of Care. Some animals in zoos are kept in enclosures far too small for them, while others are forced to perform degrading tricks. Should Zoos Be Banned? - YouTube We wouldnt go to a prison to learn about typical human society, so why would we try to learn about animals by observing them in captivity? For example, roadside zoos throughout North America make their profit by attracting visitors to adjacent facilities usually on gas station lots. Many children and adults in cities can only see wild animals in TV or the internet. South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria made headlines in 2017 when it was discovered that nearly 500 animals died there in under three years from causes ranging from malnourishment, hypothermia, and lack of veterinary care to outright neglect. Should zoos be banned, we would need to find another economic resources for these communities. Petting zoos are hotbeds of E. coli bacteria, and numerous children have been infected with the potentially deadly bug after visiting such displays. They attract more than 200 million visitors annually, with special educational programs designed specifically for school groups. Should zoos be banned, or do they serve a positive purpose? Police fired 87 bullets into Tyke before finally killing her. Critics and animal rights activists insist that despite their noble intentions, zoos are inherently immoral and primarily serve to entertain humans at the animals expense. Many Roman emperors kept private zoo collections. Back in 2010, an elephant at Woburn Safari Park in the UK was forced to obey the keepers commands through the use of high-voltage electric shocks. Since paper trails are notoriously inaccurate and difficult to follow, its nearly impossible to know how many surplus animals end up at exotic-animal auctions, in slaughterhouses, or on hunting ranches. Moreover, these smaller, unregulated organizations sometimes possess animals procured through illegal trafficking channels, a serious global problem. Dont pass a few hours at a place where animals will languish in misery long after youve gone home. Zoos offer them the unique experience of contemplating real animals. Imagine not being able to control a single aspect of your life when you eat, what you eat, when you sleep, where you can go or who you start a family with. Infections can spread through direct animal contact or mere touching of the surroundings near an animal exhibit. In this article, well take a look at. Why are zoos bad for animals? Putting aside these opposing views, it does remain a sad reality that thewelfare of zoo animals varies widely depending on where you are. Posted by Zoos play an important economic role, especially in the less developed areas of the world, where they are an important income source for many communities. More than a dozen municipalities in the United States have banned performances that feature wild animals. And a few months ago, baby elephants were captured in nature and taken away from their mothers and herds before being sent to China to live a life of deprivation in zoos. The modern circus arose in the early 19th century, beginning with equestrian and acrobatic acts. Many of them are reported every week in the media, however, the large majority are kept secret and those responsible are never held accountable or punished. But through Johnsons explanations, readers learn the often brutal tricks of training animals; it becomes clear that these exercises involve domination, humiliation, and pain, and any pleasure one might take in seeing a chimpanzee ride a bicycle should evaporate.