Should animals be held in captivity?
The human race have such power, sometimes we don't notice how much damage we do. Animals could be living in fear, some maybe are already in fear. From destruction of nature to poaching, animals do not have the power to speak up and stop people. Many researchers argue the disadvantages of keeping mammals and animals captive in zoos and amusement parks and making it have a negative impact on these mammals and animals life.
The famous Seaworld has shown that these captive animals are not fit to swim in a fish bowl. Life for these captive whales and dolphins is nothing like a life in the wild. Evidence shows aggression within these mammals because of being enclosed with no escape resulting in struggle and end up with injuries within themselves such as self mutilation or injuries to trainers as well. "Four years ago killer whale, Tilikum, dragged Dawn Brancheau into the water and killed her in front of a horrified audience in seaworld"(Kuo). A CNN reporter Vivian kuo gives detailed information about the incident and how it affected Seaworld as a whole and showed people the truth of the way these animals are treated. Another incident that has happened because of the stress these marine mammals have because of being struck in a small tank all day, everyday happened to Alexis Martinez. "Killer whale, Keto, Killed Alexis Martinez on December 24, 2009 during a training session" (Zimmerman). As you can see these mammals become emotionally disorientated leading to young and slow deaths. "The survival rate of captive born whale and dolphin calves is lower than those in the wild"(Endangered Oceans). Why are we educating other about these beautiful mammals in their unnatural habitat? Having them in captivity is unhealthy " The mental, emotional and physical stress that captive marine mammals suffer can weaken their immune system and make them prone to diseases"(Zimmerman). Don't we try to stop extinction? and if their are dying more being captive why keep them in our hands. Marine mammals are not the only ones, zoo's are not often looked at captivating land animals.
Many zoo keepers feel as if they are doing the right thing when taking these exotic animals in their care when they have to think about the long term outcomes. Evidence shows that animals being captive causes animals to retain stress making them build it up inside and could possibly hurt others. "Animals kept in captivity suffer enormous harm, driving some to the point of madness"(Arguments about captivity). Animals cannot speak up for themselves and when they try it can end badly. They become aggressive because they are trapped. "Zoo's regardless of their intentions are fundamentally immoral because they imprison thousands of helpless animals merely fot the sake of human amusement"(Arguments against captivity). Although these zoo keepers who take care of these animals try to stop the end of them many of these cases don't go as planned. Animals that are captive born don't learn to fend for themselves because they are well taken care of in the hands of humans. "A recent count put the number of successful reintroductions at 16 out of 145 attempts"(Masci). Even though we try to breed to animals that are on the verge of extinction we don't know the outcome because we give them too much care, which is not harmful, but does not helo them in the long run. "One particular painful failure all but a few 500 orangutans released into the jungle of borneo and sumatra died soon after thier release of being incapable of climbing trees"(Masci) They don't learn how to hunt, self heal, and survive in this habitat.
People also hold exotic animals captive in their own backyards. This can lead to bad outcomes and maybe even fatalities. People try to keep them as pets, However no matter what they do these animals are not meant to be domesticated. Tracy Coppola, Campaigns Officer for International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Says "Many people don't realize these are wild animals that can never be trained like dogs, and as beautiful as they are, [they] can end human life". Not only would the owners be in danger but people around them. Imagine your neighbor having a adult tiger in their home and one day it escapes, the tiger has the opportunity to escape and would possibly react as if it were in danger and would attack. "In 2009, a woman was killed by her pet 350-pound black bear while she cleaned his cage, and then in 2010, a man was attacked by his deer, an animal he had raised since it was a buck " (Kendall). These animals probably thought they were in danger after being enclosed in a cage for so long they tend to get a lot of stress and their thought process goes into defensive mode. Keeping these animals in captivity in such a small space to roam also violate these animals rights, These exoctic animals require a lot of attention and could be costly. "On average, it costs up to $6,000 a year to care for an adult tiger in captivity. A mountain lion needs to eat 8-10 pounds of meat per day in order to survive. And buying an exotic pet can be a long-time commitment. A zebra can live 25 years, an American alligator up to 50 years, and a chimpanzee as long as a human. That's a long time to have a pet, especially one with unique needs and an unpredictable nature"(Kendall). Why would you keep a beautiful animal and know you don't have the time to take care of it. You have to be able to suit their specific habitat and not a cage. You also need to be wealthy to keep these animals fed, or they will get aggressive. "Every golden lion tamarin reintroduced into the wild cost estimated $22,000"(Francione).
Animals that are put into captivity is completely cruel and a harsh thing for animals to be put through. They should know how it is to be in freedom however they live day to day with the torture still smiles on their faces. There are so many facts, statistics, and examples that can prove that everyone should be against animal captivity. Should we really be keeping wild animals in captivity for our own entertainment? Many researchers argue the disadvantages of keeping mammals and animals captive in zoos and amusement parks and making it have a negative impact on these mammals and animals life.
Work Cited
Kendall, Jodi. "Wild at Home: Exotic Animals as Pets." Nat Geo WILD. National Geographic, 03 Oct. 2012. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
Kuo, Vivian "SeaWorld appeal of OSHA citations denied." CNN Wire 11 Apr. 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Masci, David. "Zoos in the 21st Century." CQ Researcher 28 Apr. 2000: 353-76. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. "Keeping Marine Mammals Captive in Theme Parks Is Cruel." Endangered Oceans. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Arguments Against Captivity." 2003. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Zimmermann, Tim. "Blood in the Water." Outside Online. N.p., 15 July 2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
