Animals in Captivity: Are Zoos Good or Bad?
Zoos don’t help animals, and they don’t help people either
Going to the zoo is often seen as a fun, harmless activity to do with kids. Many children love animals and are excited to see the exotic creatures they have read about in picture books. We are told that zoos are educational and important for conservation. But others say it is cruel to keep wild animals in captivity. So which is true? Let's take a look.
Are zoos important for conservation?
Zoos like to claim that they are doing important work by helping to conserve endangered species. However, most of the species kept in zoos are not endangered—so why are they there?
Even when endangered animals are kept and bred in zoos, they are rarely released into the wild. What is the conservation value of breeding an endangered species and forcing it to spend its entire life in a cage? This does nothing to help keep ecosystems in balance or promote biodiversity.
Additionally, zoos typically only bother with “popular” animals such as elephants, tigers, and giraffes. There are many less popular species which are endangered, but these are ignored by zoos.
Though most zoo animals these days are bred in captivity, some—such as elephants—may…
