Why Are Zoos Unethical

Are Zoos Unethical

By:Kalynn Deppe

An issue that has been hotly debated since the brink of zoos has been whether they are ethical or not. Although some believe that zoos can be beneficial to animals, thousands of research has shown this not to be true. The main reasons zoos are devious is because, there artificial environments are harmful, the animals are more prone to diseases, and it can damage children's views on society.

To begin, zoos are unprincipled due to the fact that they take animals out of the wild and place them in synthetic environments that have failed to meet the animals designated standard of living. For example, research has shown that some larger animals need for space is not fulfilled in their confined cages. One example

One case of this being shown is when children see what is happening to these animals it very much hurts their views on life and societies actions. For example an article written by Jenson E. states, “It is hardly surprising to learn that most children visiting zoos are neither empowered nor educated by the experience of seeing captive wild animals so far removed from their natural habitat. Zoos present an entirely false view of both the animals themselves, and of the real and very urgent issues facing many species in their natural homes. This new research appears to confirm what we have said for many years. Zoos do not educate nor do they empower or inspire children to become conservationists”(Jenson E.). This proves to be significant because although some say zoos are educational they prove of no worth to the amount of information we as humans obtain. Also when children see how these animals were taken out of their natural habitats and put in synthetic homes it can damage the kids. For instance, there have been cases of bacterial infections that could possibly put the children and adult sin danger. On example of this is e. coli bacteria which can be found in some reptiles areas in the zoo. If people make contact with these animals they can catch this sickness which can lead to potential death. This can also be caught just when touching anything that the animal

One example is that some animals can get a disease called zoochosis and it is shocking what zoos will do when trying to hide it. For instance, “As Dr Keith Lindsay, a biologist with more than 30 years of experience in elephant research and conservation, has said, these are symptoms of “pathological, stereotypical behaviour that is common with disturbed animals in captivity, but which is never seen in the wild”. There are also cases of animals being given antidepressants to hide their unhappiness from visitors. In 2015 Auckland Zoo euthanised a gibbon, Iwani, because he was “severely depressed” and the zoo admitted they could not meet his welfare needs.”(An unnatural environment)This is significant because it shows that when zoos commit wrongs and take problems into their own hands it most often ends up worse.The amount of aquarium animals especially that have behavioral defects is very large and so are the consequences A study made by Captive Animals Protection Society proved that animals living in the water also suffer from this mental detrimention. This study also shows that 90% of the animals in the zoo have gotten this illness. Some of these behaviors shown are swimming around imaginary objects, repeatedly raising heads above water etc. This proves that zoochosis is found in not only one section of the zoo but in animals on land and water, and when aquatic animals get zoochosis it