Animals should not be kept in Captivity
By: Liana Torpey
Born in the mountains of Central Asia, insulated by thick hair, and fur covered feet acting as natural snowshoes. Your powerful legs can suspend you up to 50 feet (15 meters), using your long tails for balance and as a blanket to cover sensitive body parts against the chill. You prey upon blue sheep (bharal) of Tibet and the Himalaya, as well as the mountain ibex found over most of the mountain range. Killing animals three times your weight, but also feeding on smaller fare, such as marmots, hares and game birds, you live freely and your only limitation is the time that constricts the day. You are well known as a snow leopard. Many animals kept in captivity, for example, at Zoos, and petting farms, are caged in and are cramped into spaces too small to fit their personal needs.
Many times in Zoos, they try to bring the creature’s natural habitat to the enclosure. However, this poses a problem; many times the Zoos have limited conversion space. Animals born in captivity, are confined their whole life to the boundaries and never see their natural habitat. For example, in contrast to the animals living in the wild, the enclosures, or cages, are small and cramped. This restricts the animals and very often in most cases, affects the animal’s health and mental stability.
In studies conducted by behavioral biologists, Georgia Mason and Ros Clubb of the University of Oxford, U.K, they stated, “Some animals thrive in captivity, but other species die young, don't reproduce, and show bizarre, repetitive behaviors…” They used the example of Polar Bears, captive Polar Bears spend much of their day pacing back and forth, and clouded leopards pluck their fur out, Georgia Mason noted. Researchers believe that these animals suffer because they are too confined to carry out their normal routines. In addition, researchers examined more than 1200 studies on 35 species of carnivores. In the October 2 issue of Nature, they reported, “…the larger the home range, the higher frequency of pacing and the more infant deaths…” Among the worst were the polar bears, which have a home range of 1000 square kilometers or more, about 1 million times bigger than their average enclosure, Georgia Mason says. They paced about 25% of the day and had an infant mortality rate of 65%. Georgia Mason and Ros Clubb had predicted that the biggest problem for zoo carnivores would be the drastic change in their environment.
Animals that are confined to the zoo suffer from negative psychological effects due to the confinement. Big cats and canids are commonly observed; exclusively in captive environments, with irregular pacing. It is referred to as a repetitive locomotion stereotype. During the progression of the behavior over time, the intensity changes. When the animal initially begins the pacing, sights or sounds may easily distract them. However, after some period, the animal may appear in a “trance,” unable to break their pace or gaze. This is what we so often see in zoos – the apparent detachment from their environment. However, this is hardly exclusive to big cats in zoos, backyard lions and tigers often exhibit these behaviors as well as those used for roadside animal attractions and circuses.
The animal’s ability to adapt decreases. If the animals where released into the wild, they would have an extremely difficult time adapting to their natural habitats, because they had no former experience with it. They would have been taken care of their whole lives and would have no way to provide for themselves. For example, in the last century there have been 167 attempts to reintroduce a certain species, of which only 16 have been successful.
An animal in captivity at a zoo has a day consisting of much repetition. Contrary to what many people believe, often cause great suffering and stress to the captive animals.
Animals in zoos are deprived of the opportunity to develop and fulfill the full range of their interests and needs. Social animals are often forced to live in the misery of solitary confinement. Animals who would prefer to live alone are often forced into close contact with others. Some animals are confined next to their predators, and some are held in crammed, barren environments where they are constantly bullied by cage mates.
In zoos, many animals are taken from their families and sent to other zoos, or killed when their group size exceeds the space allotted to them. Their normal behaviors are regulated and eliminated with regimes of food and artificial paring. The daily routine in zoos is repetitive and monotonous.
Many people argue that zoos bring education and are beneficial in the educating of young children. However, zoos imply to young children, whose minds are easily suggestible, that humans have the right to enslave animals and reinforce the notion that animals have no other purpose other than for out benefit. Zoos do not teach us to respect other individuals and their lives.
The behaviors of animals in zoos, is typical of many other animals in captivity. It is stunted and un-natural. Instead of Zoos teaching the children about the natural attributes of animals, they provide a distorted image of the animal’s “natural” life.
People often compare the animals in captivity to domestic animals, or pets. To argue, animals in Zoos have no variety in their day and therefore experience negative physical and mental side effects. While pets have freedoms, and can roam about their territories. For instance, domestic animals have a sense of purpose, as a watch dog, a medical dog or a search and rescue dog. In contrast, zoo animals have no sense of life purpose.
In conclusion, animals should not be kept in captivity, people can experience animal’s in their natural habitat in the natural environment. In order to increase and help certain species numbers, we can improve their natural ecosystems and change our way of living. Habitat preservation and education are the ethical ways to guaranteeing the survival of a species.
Many times in Zoos, they try to bring the creature’s natural habitat to the enclosure. However, this poses a problem; many times the Zoos have limited conversion space. Animals born in captivity, are confined their whole life to the boundaries and never see their natural habitat. For example, in contrast to the animals living in the wild, the enclosures, or cages, are small and cramped. This restricts the animals and very often in most cases, affects the animal’s health and mental stability.
In studies conducted by behavioral biologists, Georgia Mason and Ros Clubb of the University of Oxford, U.K, they stated, “Some animals thrive in captivity, but other species die young, don't reproduce, and show bizarre, repetitive behaviors…” They used the example of Polar Bears, captive Polar Bears spend much of their day pacing back and forth, and clouded leopards pluck their fur out, Georgia Mason noted. Researchers believe that these animals suffer because they are too confined to carry out their normal routines. In addition, researchers examined more than 1200 studies on 35 species of carnivores. In the October 2 issue of Nature, they reported, “…the larger the home range, the higher frequency of pacing and the more infant deaths…” Among the worst were the polar bears, which have a home range of 1000 square kilometers or more, about 1 million times bigger than their average enclosure, Georgia Mason says. They paced about 25% of the day and had an infant mortality rate of 65%. Georgia Mason and Ros Clubb had predicted that the biggest problem for zoo carnivores would be the drastic change in their environment.
Animals that are confined to the zoo suffer from negative psychological effects due to the confinement. Big cats and canids are commonly observed; exclusively in captive environments, with irregular pacing. It is referred to as a repetitive locomotion stereotype. During the progression of the behavior over time, the intensity changes. When the animal initially begins the pacing, sights or sounds may easily distract them. However, after some period, the animal may appear in a “trance,” unable to break their pace or gaze. This is what we so often see in zoos – the apparent detachment from their environment. However, this is hardly exclusive to big cats in zoos, backyard lions and tigers often exhibit these behaviors as well as those used for roadside animal attractions and circuses.
The animal’s ability to adapt decreases. If the animals where released into the wild, they would have an extremely difficult time adapting to their natural habitats, because they had no former experience with it. They would have been taken care of their whole lives and would have no way to provide for themselves. For example, in the last century there have been 167 attempts to reintroduce a certain species, of which only 16 have been successful.
An animal in captivity at a zoo has a day consisting of much repetition. Contrary to what many people believe, often cause great suffering and stress to the captive animals.
Animals in zoos are deprived of the opportunity to develop and fulfill the full range of their interests and needs. Social animals are often forced to live in the misery of solitary confinement. Animals who would prefer to live alone are often forced into close contact with others. Some animals are confined next to their predators, and some are held in crammed, barren environments where they are constantly bullied by cage mates.
In zoos, many animals are taken from their families and sent to other zoos, or killed when their group size exceeds the space allotted to them. Their normal behaviors are regulated and eliminated with regimes of food and artificial paring. The daily routine in zoos is repetitive and monotonous.
Many people argue that zoos bring education and are beneficial in the educating of young children. However, zoos imply to young children, whose minds are easily suggestible, that humans have the right to enslave animals and reinforce the notion that animals have no other purpose other than for out benefit. Zoos do not teach us to respect other individuals and their lives.
The behaviors of animals in zoos, is typical of many other animals in captivity. It is stunted and un-natural. Instead of Zoos teaching the children about the natural attributes of animals, they provide a distorted image of the animal’s “natural” life.
People often compare the animals in captivity to domestic animals, or pets. To argue, animals in Zoos have no variety in their day and therefore experience negative physical and mental side effects. While pets have freedoms, and can roam about their territories. For instance, domestic animals have a sense of purpose, as a watch dog, a medical dog or a search and rescue dog. In contrast, zoo animals have no sense of life purpose.
In conclusion, animals should not be kept in captivity, people can experience animal’s in their natural habitat in the natural environment. In order to increase and help certain species numbers, we can improve their natural ecosystems and change our way of living. Habitat preservation and education are the ethical ways to guaranteeing the survival of a species.