Do you think all zoo's should be outlawed and the animals returned to their natural habitiat?

Question

Case in point, the elephant that died in captivity and the Los Angeles Zoo, during the weekend

Answer 1

Not exactly, some animals can't live in the wild because they are weak, ect., and if we set zoo animals free they would not be used to the wild. But some animals are abused and mis treated in the zoo. I.E. Elephants in Tucson Zoo. Great Question!

Answer 2

The sentimental idea that animals are necessarily
cruelly treated or depressed in zoos (note there is
no apostrophe in the plural) is largely false. Of course
it depends on the zoo, but on the average, especially now that many zoos have become more aware of the animals' needs, they are being
very well taken care of.

The idea that animals should "have their freedom"
is just sentiment. Animals have no sense of
freedom. If they have been provided with their
needs they are quite content in captivity, as shown
by the frequency with which they breed. In the
wild, animals often set up a territory which they
rarely if ever leave unless forced to. This may be
a very small space, in the case of tropical squirrels
sometimes just four or five trees.

Of course it isn't possible to provide for the needs
of some animals in captivity, and usually no one
tries to. You could scarcely hope to provide proper living conditions for a one hundred foot
blue whale, for example.

You should read some of the books by Gerald Durrell, especially one in which he describes what
happened when he had to release a bunch of
animals he had collected for sale to zoos. He
could hardly get rid of them, they kept coming
back to their cages.

Answer 3

Zoos should not be outlawed (at least good zoos). For many people a zoo is the only contact they have with the "natural world" (i.e. people who live in concrete jungles like NYC). A good zoo will stress education of the public and conservation of the natural world and its inhabitants. Furthermore, animals already in captivity should never be returned to the wild because they would become a danger to themselves and humans in the area. Captive animals are, in a sense, accustomed to human presence. They associated humans with food and would not hesitate to approach a human they come upon in the wild. Zoos that are run in a humane manner, however, should not be allowed to continue operation.

Answer 4

Zoos can do some good. We want to teach children about endangered animals and conservation. We want them to know what they would be saving through conservation. At the same time you probably would not want to take a 5 year old on a safari to Africa. So zoos provide that option of them being able to see the different species of animals without the expense and danger. That humans are not alone on this planet. I do think, however, that stays in zoos should be only temporary and that animals should be placed in their natural habitat eventually. Animals will die in captivity, but they probably die more greusome deaths in the wild.

Answer 5

Well seeing as the animals and their offspring are already domesticated, no. Zoos allow for education of the greater public on what a wondrous world we live in, as well as giving small children dreams of veterinary careers and love of animals and the wild. Inner city children would be ignorant to the natural world without this.

There is so much television can't provide, the smell of a lion, the soft fur of an otter, a true feel for just how LOUD an elephant can be. Educate the world and teach them compassion for the natural world or the cities will spread to the wild due to ignorance.

Answer 6

No, for a few reasons. 1. Because the animals currently in zoos no longer have the ability to survive in their natural habitat due to people handing them everything they need instead of them foraging for it. 2. they also have no idea how to avoid predators since they have been kept away from them all of their life. 3. there will be no where for the ignorant people of the world to learn about animals and about the need to preserve rain forests and other habitats of the earth, and the best way for learning is actually being there with the animals in the zoos. 4. Zoos are important in helping the endangered species survive through breeding programs, in which their aim is to return these to the wild with as little human contact as possible.

Answer 7

No depends on the care they get at the zoo. In main stream society several animals are being taken out of existence. So no I feel a zoo teaches people to respect animals and it teaches them about that animal also. However I do believe the cages should be more of a natural habitat for the animal(s)

Answer 8

If you outlaw zoos and return the animals to the wild, those animals acclimated to captivity will die quickly, so that idea is actually much crueler to zoo animals. Also, zoos have established breeding programs for threatened and endangered species, which could then be moved from zoos to preserve where they could be observed.

Zoos and the people who manage and care for the animals inside do genuinely care for the animals and their well being. I have heard for mistreatment stories come from circuses, traveling shows, and private owners than from zoos.

Answer 9

I want to say yes but, I have to agree with the others here who say it should be phased out because there are so many things against them putting them back into the wild.
What about those who were born and raised in captivity?
What about those who were wounded and can no longer live with out the help of man.
I think the world and all of us humans should make our selves aware of the wild life problem that MANKIND has created in the last 100-150 yrs. and fix it. Where would all the animals go?
Man has moved them out of their land taking over everything.
It is a shame, Maybe within the next 100 yrs we will be able to correct what we have destroyed.I am only one person and I am a part of the solution not the problem, I try to give when I have to animal centers of all kinds.

Answer 10

No, zoos serve a purpose.
Zoos are a place for city-dwellers to see animals (some, that they would see if they lived in a rural setting) and get an idea that there are animals other than two-legged, out there.
IF all the city-dwellers got it into their heads to travel to the forests or fields and streams to seek out the wildlife or not-so-wildlife, it would be much harder on animals and everyone, would it not?
We can't worry about animals croaking while in captivity--their numbers are relatively small.