Notes

Should animals be kept in zoos?

Zoos have become quite an occasion, so much so, that they are now firmly connected to the American mainstream. Most children can probably recall the sweltering hot trips to the zoo, complete with strollers and sippy cups. The efforts of famous conservationists and renowned programs have helped to keep the support high - and the experience certainly does not disappoint. As such, it is strange to think about zoos disappearing. There are certainly advocates of this. In condemning the morality of zoos, they push to eliminate a key part of American life. In reality, zoos' conservation initiatives and opportunities for learning experiences far outweigh the scruples some have with them.
The first benefit of zoos is the most obvious: it's the one parents love to see and children love to experience. Zoos enrich lives by giving people exciting experiences and opportunities. As Phippen explained in his article, "zoos are a type of consciousness expander" (9). By exposing people to the awe of in-person fauna, an impression is made that will likely never go away. Children may decide to pursue zoology careers - or perhaps one in conservation, the chief aim of most zoos. By bringing animals and people together, "zoos have the potential to educate the public about conservation issues" (3). Indeed, the expansion of people's perspective towards animals remains one of zoos' primary benefits.
So, what about conservation? In order to inspire the public, most zoos have a conservation initiative, by which they pursue the protection and reinstatement of animals into their native environment. This is one of the most quantitative benefits of zoos. For example, in 1982, there were 20 condors in the wild. Due to the conservation efforts of the Los Angeles Zoo, "there are hundreds of condors living in captivity, and about 75 have been released back into the wild" (10). Because of zoos, scientists are able to carry out important research dedicated to the betterment and longevity of animal species. This effort to conserve and protect is at the core of most zoos. This greatly benefits the ecology of the world as a whole, and is another reason to support the existence of zoos.
Of course there are some that do not. Most point to the extraction of animals from their natural environment or the exploitation of species - one opponent claimed that "the vast majority of zoo programmes do not release their animals back into the environment" (2). Conservation is a tedious process - but certainly this doesn't invalidate it. It is true that some animals cannot be returned to their native environment - but this is for good reason. Surely preservation, even if it means captivity, is better than extinction? In any case, this circumstance is not typical. And companies like BIG (11) prove that the animals' artificial habitats are only getting better.
In the end, zoos do too much for the world to be forgotten. Not only do they enrich the lives of humans, but they enrich the ecology of the planet - first by directly researching and pursuing conservation, but second, by instilling in the public a general sense of excitement and interest in animals. Who knows? Maybe this ardor will inspire a new generation of zoologists, or a new age of animal conservation.