Animal Captivity Is Inhumane

Imagine this, a lone animal paces back and forth in a cramped metal cage with a crowd of spectators watching its every move. But the sad thing is that you don’t have to imagine, as this occurs in zoos across the globe daily. According to an article written by PETA kids, zoos are teaching kids and adults that imprisoning helpless animals in metal cages and taunting them is ok ( ¨5 Secrets Zoos Don't Want You To Know¨). This torment of animals has been going on since 1500 B.C in Egypt (Sangll). This practice of animal captivity is inhumane and should be banned all together. Animal captivity is inhumane because animals in captivity are prone to psychological damage, are taken from their natural habitats, and often do not live in the correct conditions.

The animals live in cramped, unkept, and dirty enclosures that are far too small to be pleasant for them. No matter how intricate and beautiful the habitats are or how well taken care of the animals are taken care of, no synthetic habitat can replace the wild. In captivity, animals can’t live a natural life or carry out natural behaviors. For example in the wild, “Elephants have constant companionship and are emotionally attached to other members of the group – they even show visible signs of mourning when an elephant close to them passes away. They walk up to 40 miles a day. They play, bathe in rivers and engage in constant exercise. In their natural environment, they can live up to 60 or 70 years” (Sentenac). Elephants have a fantastic life in the wild, but for captive elephants, its a different story. “ Elephants in captivity. They’re deprived of the socialization that’s necessary for their well being, and frequently show abnormal signs of stress like head bobbing. Often, they’re chained in place and receive little to no exercise. They frequently become depressed and overweight, and depending on where they’re kept” (Sentenac). As you can see, elephants in the wild and elephants in captivity live very different life. Many zoos in Europe are unkept and dirty. “A major undercover investigation of British zoos, wildlife parks, bird of prey centres and aquaria, revealed numerous cases of agitated animals and repetitive behaviour.Other animals were in a state of apathy, while many enclosures were dirty and drinking water was stagnant or dirty” (Macrae). Zoos provide poor living conditions for the animal, depriving them of their natural life and behavior. The conditions they live in are