Do you think animals should be kept in cages in zoos?

Question

We are doing a project/debate on the topic "That animals should not be caged in zoos for human entertainment." We are on the negative side. We are asking you to give your honest opinion on this question. We are going to look at the answers that you give us and then look at the majority at the answers and use them in our debate.

Thanks if you answer this.

Answer 1

As long as we are talking about a good respectable zoo and not some road-side crap hole, the plus side of zoos greatly out shadows the negative.

Yes the animals might be stuck in captivity but through them they serve as ambadassors for their wild brothers and sisters. It gives the public a chance to connect and learn about things they would have never had the chance to before.

Zoos have also transformed greatly over the years. They are changing from the old concrete and steel pits/cages of the past to wide lush open habitats with live plants, waterfalls, etc. On top of changing the way they house animals they have also changed how they run things. Though zoos are still out to make money (to keep doors open since most are non-profit) they have and still are moving to more of a conservation and education outlook rather than strictly entertainment.

On top of all that, zoos work a great deal in rescue projects with injured wildlife as well as breed and release programs with endangered species. For example sea world and other facilities in FL were being over-run with injured manatees to the point that they had no more room to house them. To help a handful of other zoos built exhibits where the injured/sick manatees could recover before they were released. With breeding there are many zoos who work together with the US govt as well as programs around the world to breed endangered species and release those that are born back out into the wild to help with new healthy blood lines. The California Condor would be extinct today if it was not for such programs.

Zoos also use the animals in their collection to help learn how to better care for those that are in the wild. Back to the manatee example. There is currently a virus floating through the wild manatee popluation that the science world has yet to figure out how it happened and how to stop it from spreading. Zoos are using their captive manatees with the virus to try and find a treatment or cure so that they can help the wild populations and re-release those that were sick.

So do I think animals should be kept in zoos? In this day and age it is a 100% yes. Because of what man has done to this world it is something that is needed. However, it should only be done for the right reasons and under the right conditions.

Answer 2

I believe SOME zoos benefit animals in the long run by helping preserve endangered species (Gorillas, Tigers, etc.) and educating people about animals and their importance to healthy ecosystems. The breeding programs are excellent in some zoos - look at the Giant Pandas - they are a wonderful animal and have been saved from extinction. The larger zoos have state-of-the art exhibits so the animal can roam as if they were in their own environment. Zoos are regulated and have veternarians on staff and personnel assigned to specific animals. However, I believe it would be hard for an animal in a small space (caged) 24/7 like some small petting zoos and animal exhibits. This is where thousands of animals suffer lives of quiet desperation, languishing in roadside zoos or outdated and inhumane conditions. Then they wonder why an elephant goes out of control and runs and tramples people. They are social animals and need to live with other elephants and some of these road side tent exhibits have one elephant and it eventually goes beserk and then they wonder why? I am Pro animal - some species are safer in the zoos - whiile thousands of others don't have the same fate.

Answer 3

The way things are going zoo's will be the only places that we will be able to see certain species of animals ! I think that zoo's do a good job of educating people on the importance and needs of animals ! All zoo's have breeding programs in place for many different species of animals and do a fantastic job !

Answer 4

Some animals must be kept in cages, if the are kept for human viewing.

Entertainment a: amusement or diversion provided especially by performers b: something diverting or engaging: as (1): a public performance (2): a usually light comic or adventure novel.
http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entertainment

Viewing animals at a zoo is not entertainment. At a circus, yes. Yes, some zoos do put on shows. But, for the most part zoos are setup for people to view animals and to educated about them.

Answer 5

Yes, as long as they are well cared for and are provided with a large comfortable enclosure.

Zoos often get a bad rap because of older zoos from centuries ago. Those kinds of places were terrible, but modern zoos are a completely different idea.

And for 99% of the population the only way they'll ever see these animals in person is at a zoo, or possibly the circus.

Answer 6

I think you are completely missing the point of zoos..they are NOT just for human entertainment. Nowadays, zoos play an important role in endangered species breeding programs, and soon zoos may be the ONLY place left in the world for wild animals to be bred and live since we are destroying their habitats worldwide. Zoos also may a major role in education. If not for zoos, the California Condor would now be extinct! The Los Angeles Zoo and the San Diego Zoo both contributed to the breeding program to release condors back into the wild. Zoos are now the ONLY hope for several other endangered species to survive, such as Pandas, several rhino species, etc. If you want to eliminate zoos you need to save natural habitat in the wild. Unfortunately, most people are not willing to make an effort to do this. See more info below:
http://cres.sandiegozoo.org/

So many people rant and rave about zoos..if only they would put this effort into saving natural habitats for these animals to continue to exist in the wild..there would be no need for zoos!

Answer 7

If you did not see those animals in the zoo you would have no idea about them and have no interest in them or in keeping their species alive. If every elephant in Africa was wiped out by poachers who want their ivory or every rhino killed to make potions from their horns the world would be a much more boring place.

When all the crazies are done killing the free ranging animals then only the ones in the zoos would exist. Keep that in mijnd when you worry about the zoo animals being bored.

Answer 8

NO i do not think that animals should be kept in cages or used for entertainment i think all animals belong in their natural habitat

Answer 9

For Entertaintment, you may be right..
But for some reseach and learn something about them like their behavior in some situations, their lifecycle and to save them zoos is very important!! With this that's not wrong that people watch them.
Sometimes we have to separate entertainment and scientific!!!
I think this question is so agressif!! :(

think about dissections! hah?? is that entertainment?

Answer 10

pro zoo animals
by putting animal on display it educates people on animals. People often learn to love wild life from seeing them in person ,
Makes people more aware of endangered species ,
also many endangered species are kept from becoming extinct because of zoo breeding projects ,, also vets learn how to treat exotic animal diseases from the experience they have from treating animals in captivity .
so because of that animals in the wild benefit from what researchers and vets learn from zoo animals

con captive animals here is a good web site http://animalbehaviour.net/JudithKBlackshaw/JKBlackshawCh10.pdf
http://www.mobilizationforanimals.org/entertainment.html