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Fiona Brockner
Mrs. Salta
Honors Biology
16 June 2015
Enclosures or Prisons?
Animals are seen as a commodity that people pay to see for five minutes on a summer
day, to buy and sell as pets, or consume for taste. These creatures are not seen as sentient beings
that share many of the same feelings and needs that humans possess. Zoos are detrimental to any
animals well being because of physical and mental issues that come with being enclosed in a
cage, and not being educational. Whereas some argue that zoos are helping endangered species,
despite their best efforts, the programs are doing the opposite.
The biggest attractions for the zoos are always the exotic animals shipped from foreign
countries. In the wild these creatures are use to roaming freely in their most ideal climates,
socializing with their herds, and eating an abundant amount of vegetation. They are ripped from
their environment and shoved into small habitats that only look like their homes, with their
painted backgrounds and fake plastic leaves. In his book The Last Panda, George Schaller, the
scientific director of the Bronx Zoo, says zoos are actually contributing to the near-extinction of
giant pandas by constantly shuttling the animals from one zoo to another for display (Dont
zoos help to preserve endangered species?). By depriving the animals in such small spaces they
also do not get the required amount of activity they usually get. For example, elephants walk
around 50 miles a day in the wild. According to The Times, most of the elephants who died in
U.S. zoos in the last 50 years suffered from diseases related to captivity, such as chronic foot
problems caused by standing on hard surfaces and musculoskeletal disorders related to

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inactivity (Ten Worst Zoos For Elephants - In Defense of Animals). This problem isnt just for
elephants, some animals have even smaller enclosures that deprive them from their natural
instincts such as running, flying, climbing, foraging, and choosing a partner. No matter how big
the cage an animal is held captive in it is not the same as its natural ecosystem.
Along with the physical issues that come with being enclosed, there are mental disorders
that the animals develop also. All of the mental problems a zoo animal can develop is called
zoochosis. Zoochosis is the term used to describe the stereotypical behaviour of animals in
captivity. Stereotypical behaviors is defined as a repetitive, invariant behaviour pattern with no
obvious goal or function (Wildlife New Zealand). These actions are never examined in the wild.
When visitors come to learn about different species they find these miserable animals sitting in
corners without any hope that they can escape this habitat ever. The Oxford University study
also found that about 40 percent of captive elephants display stereotypies, swaying, circling,
bobbing their heads or biting at the bars of their cages (Zoos | Liberation BC) . Is it not obvious
to the visitors and especially the workers to see these animals are unhappy and display signs of
disease? Why should we be keeping them captive when they are depressed?
Most zoos cover up the horrible welfare of the inhabitants and instead call them
educational. In reality, when you look at the conditions that lead the animals to premature death
and mental disorders, they are prisons that are depriving the helpless creatures from their entitled
freedom. Zoos are not educational for the public. Even in the final, given in this class, students
who chose the behavioural and ecological studies as their project are asked to research even
further than just visiting at the Bronx Zoo. This is because students can not study the way
animals are suppose to be behaving in an captivity where every aspect of their lives is

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controlled and manipulated (Zoos and Pseudo-Sanctuaries) nor can they study their
environments when they are man made.
Many may disagree with this argument, animals should not be in captivity, and say that
the zoos do help many endangered species from going out of extinction. But, due to activities of
humans; further acceleration of extinction rates began approximately 1600 AD, with the onset of
accelerated human population growth and expanded scope of agriculture. Natural causes of
extinction are regarded as being an irrelevantly small fraction of present extinction events
[inflicted by humans] (Hogan). The human race is causing these animals more harm than good.
As our population is going up there are even more species that are becoming extinct. There are
programs that zoos can participant in that breed endangered species so the population rises. A
1994 report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals showed that only 1,200 zoos out
of 10,000 worldwide are registered for captive breeding and wildlife conservation (Dont zoos
help to preserve endangered species?). Zoos and conservatories should be focusing on how they
can protect species in general in order to prevent this from happening. But only 2 percent of the
worlds threatened or endangered species are registered in breeding programs (Dont zoos help
endangered species?). The populations of the few species may be benefitting from these
programs. But they are not being introduced into their environments, instead only used for
entertainment for viewers for a small amount of time that isnt educational. In order for zoos,
which cause animals distress and dont allow them to have their own natural habitats, to help out
endangered species they should look for ways to protect the habitats of the animals. Rhoads,
member of a social justice group disputed each year millions of dollars are spent on zoos The
money being poured into these public facilities can be better utilized on restoring natural habits.
We, as humans, are the cause of dwindling populations. We cannot use the excuse of low

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populations as a means to capture whats left of them for the sole purpose of entertainment
(Rumbaugh). They are teaching, if anything, that it is morally correct to keep creatures in
captivity because we have forced them to become extinct. Zoos should focus their efforts
towards the root of the problem instead of focusing on ways they can increase in population
synthetically in cages.
Zoos are prisons for animals. Not one creature deserves to be ripped from their natural
homes to be used as entertainment and education for humans. Animals do not belong in captivity
because of physical and mental issues that come with being in a zoo, the false idea that zoos are
educational. Humans do not help endangered species as much as we are hurting populations of
millions of animals everyday.

Works Cited
"Don't Zoos Help to Preserve Endangered Species?" PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June
2015.

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Hogan, C Michael. "Causes of Extinction." Causes of Extinction. N.p., n.d. Web. 15
June 2015.
Rumbaugh, Andrea C. "Do We Need Zoos?" : An All Creatures Animal Rights Article.
N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2015.
"Ten Worst Zoos For Elephants - In Defense of Animals." - In Defense of Animals. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 14 June 2015.
"Wildlife New Zealand." Zoochotic. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015.
"Zoos | Liberation BC." Zoos | Liberation BC. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015.
"Zoos and Pseudo-Sanctuaries." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2015.