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Zoos: Balancing Welfare and Education

The document discusses the debate around keeping animals in zoos. While zoos can educate people and help conservation through breeding programs, critics argue it is cruel to keep wild animals in captivity, especially large animals who have large natural territories. Both sides of the argument are presented along with a conclusion that zoos have a role if the animals' welfare and education/conservation are the top priorities.

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ngocvuthanh1290
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112 views1 page

Zoos: Balancing Welfare and Education

The document discusses the debate around keeping animals in zoos. While zoos can educate people and help conservation through breeding programs, critics argue it is cruel to keep wild animals in captivity, especially large animals who have large natural territories. Both sides of the argument are presented along with a conclusion that zoos have a role if the animals' welfare and education/conservation are the top priorities.

Uploaded by

ngocvuthanh1290
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Model Answer

Most people who have seen a lion or a tiger in a cage have felt concerned that
such a magnificent beast is unable to move about freely or hunt. Those who feel
strongly about animal rights argue that there is no reason to keep animals in
zoos. Although there may be a strong case for allowing animals to remain in the
wild, zoos can bring a number of benefits.

Supporters of zoos would argue that there are many benefits to keeping animals
in captivity. One of the most important of these is that people learn more about
animals first-hand than they do from books. For example, when children see a
gorilla close-up, they are often interested in finding out about its life and about
the threats to its survival. For this reason, zoo animals have been called
‘ambassadors for the wild’. In addition, zoos can play an important role in
conservation by establishing breeding programmes for endangered species.

On the other hand, those that oppose zoos would argue that it is cruel to keep
wild animals in captivity. This applies particularly to large species like elephants
or lions, which have large territories in their natural habitat. Keeping such
animals in unnatural conditions causes stress, which can lead to high infant
mortality rates. A further argument against zoos is that most people who visit
zoos want entertainment rather than education. While they are happy to take a
few photos, they are not necessarily interested in learning about the animals.

In conclusion, it seems that zoos do have a role to play in the 21st Century.
However, society needs to consider the animals’ welfare above everything else
and also concentrate on education and conservation rather than simply
entertaining the public.

(288 words)

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