Some critics contend that keeping animals in zoos is inhumane and must be changed. They believe that zoos are unnatural and provide no real benefit to society besides providing entertainment at the expense of the animals involved. The truth is that zoos are essential to a modern culture that places value in animal life.
Animals are treated well in zoos. In fact, the most passionate animal lovers are usually the animal keepers found in zoos. They ensure that the animals maintain the same level of psychological “happiness” as their wild counterparts. They, along with the zoo itself, help animals live longer, feed better, and suffer from fewer diseases; These animals are allowed to exist without the fear of predation or famine because of zoos.
Additionally, zoos are no longer seen as or marketed as forms of entertainment, but as education. Zoos work to inform the public about exhibited animals, wildlife in general, and the important need to preserve our Earth. The emphasis on conservation and education is an important one. Visitors are taught about issues and animals that they would never have direct experience with otherwise. Thus, zoos provide a crucial tool to direct the public towards more humane ways to look at the world.
Finally, zoos serve the vital function of helping to protect and preserve endangered species. For example, the Golden Lion Tamarins are an endangered species native to Brazil. In the early part of the 1970s, only around 200 of these small monkeys existed. It was only through the coordinated actions of several zoos and the Brazilian government that these animals were saved from extinction. Today, as a result of these efforts, you can find about 1, 500 living in the wild.
Some
critics contend that keeping
animals
in zoos is inhumane and
must
be
changed
. They believe that zoos are unnatural and provide no real benefit to society
besides
providing entertainment at the expense of the
animals
involved. The truth is that zoos are essential to a modern culture that places value in
animal
life.
Animals
are treated
well in zoos. In fact, the most passionate
animal
lovers are
usually
the
animal
keepers found in zoos. They ensure that the
animals
maintain the same level of psychological “happiness” as their wild counterparts. They, along with the zoo itself,
help
animals
live
longer, feed better, and suffer from fewer diseases; These
animals
are
allowed
to exist without the fear of predation or famine
because
of zoos.
Additionally
, zoos are no longer
seen
as or marketed as forms of entertainment,
but
as education. Zoos work to inform the public about exhibited
animals
, wildlife
in general
, and the
important
need to preserve our Earth. The emphasis on conservation and education is an
important
one. Visitors
are taught
about issues and
animals
that they would never have direct experience with
otherwise
.
Thus
, zoos provide a crucial tool to direct the public towards more humane ways to look at the world.
Finally
, zoos serve the vital function of helping to protect and preserve endangered species.
For example
, the Golden Lion
Tamarins
are an endangered species native to Brazil. In the early part of the 1970s,
only
around 200 of these
small
monkeys existed. It was
only
through the coordinated actions of several zoos and the Brazilian
government
that these
animals
were saved
from extinction.
Today
,
as a result
of these efforts, you can find about 1, 500 living in the wild.