What is a zoo?
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A Zoo is a place where people get a chance to get a closer look at animals, finding all kinds of them such as birds, insects, reptiles, and more. But that’s not its’ unique function, as Zoos serve as breeding grounds for animals, supporting the preservation of some species, and helping to understand and discover new things about them.
Over the years, zoos have become an extremely famous public places, where people visit, mainly, for educational and recreational purposes. A survey conducted by the World Association of Zoos, in collaboration with national and regional zoo areas, showed that annually over 700 million people visit these, and specifically roughly 181 million people in the U.S, over 25 million in Australia, and 22 million people in the UK.
Even so, animal protection organizations and animal right advocates question and raise opinions against the concept of captivating animals, whether it is for educational purposes or breeding purposes. They simply believe zoos seize freedom from the animals, and its concept is wrong from an ethical point of view. For safety reasons and the sake of the animals’ health, those that don’t operate according to imposed protocols to preserve the well-being of the species should be closed and banned. However, we believe these need to remain operating under certain conditions.
Timeline
The first known zoos were created by wealthy owners in order to display their possession. Back then, they were called menagerie, a collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition, and it symbolized power. Then, wall carvings, which dates back to around 2500 BCE, were found in Egypt which provided evidence that rulers back then too created menagerie. The illustration showed that they traveled far to bring exotic animals such as giraffes, elephants, and dolphins and ensured that there were animal handlers to take care of the animals.
Zoos were intended as an institution to study and collect information about animals. However, the London Zoo was the first to allow the public to visit when they figured out that people showed interest and found those animals intriguing. By the 1840s, zoos started to open to the public. Today, zoos have evolved, they provide better care and some zoos try to recreate the preferable environment for the animals. The modern zoos are not just limited to you observing animals stuck in cages. Now, you can either visit Safari Parks, Urban and Suburban zoos, Game reserves, or even Petting zoos.
Cons
Undoubtedly, there are cons to these institutions as well. When being trapped in a cage a considerable amount of time, animals can develop certain behaviors that affect their stability. Many animals are cramped and often are unable to exhibit natural behaviors as they would in their natural habitat.
With various restrictions in some of these zoos, animals may begin to stimulate depression and a decrease in mental health. Some of them do nothing but stand around all day in their tiny spaces with absolutely nothing to do. This behavior is known as zoochosis; something many captive animals get. Many symptoms include pacing, grooming too much, and bobbing their heads. It may seem amusing to some, but for the animals, it is tormenting.
Saving endangered animals is just a mere excuse for generating revenues. Although they might spend quite some money on making zoos attractive, behind the scenes proper food, treatment, and good health facilities may not be provided in every institution. Some animals are not built to be confined to small places, especially animals such as elephants, giraffes, among others. There are other certain behaviors of some animals such as hibernation and migration behaviors.
Pros
On the other hand, zoos create a learning environment not only for kids but for the entire community, including scientists, offering them better ways to identify, understand, and study behavior patterns. These also protect endangered animals, as in the wild they don’t count with the necessary protection. Endangered animals are left in hands of leading researchers and experts who observe their habits and breeding patterns to help them breed and prevent extinction.
Furthermore, Zoos work with Veterinarians and professionals so animals have ensured the best possible care. Most Zoos try to replicate the natural habitats of the animals and provide them with their respective nutrition and diet. These institutions help humans by providing jobs for people from various fields. To set an example, zoos hire qualified personnel that is trained to take care of animals, veterinarians are required to stay 24 hours with the animals in case of emergencies, and also need tour guides, janitors, food services, souvenirs vendors and many other man powers. Zoos in a large city such as Seattle can have a budget of more than 40 million dollars, without taking into account the income cost by tourist influx.
However, there are animals at risk of extinction that need private services zoologists offer to these species. To set an example with local people and the Madagascar government, specialists worked to gain support and raise funds to set up the acclaimed Ranomafana National Park. In return for not exploiting the resources in the forests and zoos, local people were provided with schools and healthcare facilities as well as new employment opportunities within the park. The park now receives over 100,000 visitors each month, bringing much-needed money into the local economy, fomenting a good usage of the resources and rights of the animals.
Conclusión
By Fernando Lascano
and Valentina Quintero,
Step 10 Yellow
Biffi-Fest 2021,
Second Place Winners
