Zoos Should Be Banned: The Reasons

The issue that has been lingering for a long time, why zoos should be banned, is discussed in this essay. “We do not own planet Earth; we belong to it. We must share it with our wildlife” – Steve Irwin. Keeping animals in zoos means that they do not have any freedom, they live in an unnatural habitat and they get bored stressed and lonely. Therefore, zoos are bad for all animals in the world.

Animals only have a limited amount of freedom in zoos. In the wild animals have thousands of kilometers to roam and be free. In zoos the animals are trapped in tiny cages and sometimes the floor is even made of concrete. Neil Strauss, author, journalist and ghost writer said, ‘Rather than having actual freedom, it seemed that, like animals in a habitat in the zoo, we had only the illusion of freedom. As long as we did not try to leave the cage, we’d never know we weren’t actually free.’ Animals that were taken from their natural habitat early will never know what real freedom is. Living in an environment like this is not at all like the animal’s natural habitat.

Living in habitats with no grass, sand or plants on the floors and inadequate space is not anything like an animal’s natural habitat. Taking an animal away from its family and putting it in a small enclosure with glass or gates around it is not right. Robert Breault says, ‘The only creature on Earth whose natural habitat is a zoo is the zookeeper.’ Some zoos have balanced natural ecosystems and give animals adequate space, but most zoos give them extraordinarily little space and often with artificial plants and grass. With everything going on around the animals it can be incredibly stressful for them.

Animals are often alone in their cages and they can become very isolated without necessary bonding with their own kind. Zoos are usually remarkably busy places and with all the commotion going on around the animals it can be incredibly stressful, and they can get very bored as well. Sundaram Mani states that, ‘Within the prison walls of every zoo, there sits the tortured souls with empty eyes and broken spirits.’ This is a devastatingly sad quote because it talks about the heart-wrenching suffering of some animals that are kept in zoos. At times animals get anxious leading to the point where they stop eating and drinking an then they just starve to death and die if not monitored. No animal deserves this trauma, even though they could live longer in zoos they live a life of boredom and can display nervous behaviors. Therefore, zoos should be banned because they are very cruel to animals.

In conclusion, after all these aspects have been considered zoos should be banned. Animals that are kept in zoos have an unnatural environment where they get unstimulated and socially withdrawn. Having limited freedom would drastically affect any creature’s life. It is time for people to realise how serious this issue is and how cruel it is for animals. As Jane Goodall said, “The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.

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