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Nia Rallings

Professor Jessica Graue

English 1201

7 April 2019

Zoos: homes or prisons

The story of “the bipolar bear”, mentioned in Laurel Braitman book Animal Madness, is

many of multiple examples of how zoos are affecting animals. In this story, there is a polar bear

named Gus at the Central Park Zoo. One day his actions start to alarm zoo workers and

customers. Gus was constantly running around and making figure eights for twelve hours a day.

He was also stalking children under water and stared at them with violent gazes which prompted

zookeepers to put up underwater barriers to protect children from the bear’s gaze. All these

unusual actions are caused by humans forcing animals to live in an unnatural habitat for views

and human entertainment, (“Animal Madness”). Zoos are not made to be homes for wild

animals, but instead for the benefit of businesses and the economy.

There are multiple interpretations of the word “zoo”. Some people correlate the word

“zoo” with happy emotions, while others correlate it with angry emotions. It is all in the way

someone views the word. Many people view zoos as a fun way to educate their children and give

animals a place to live; others view zoos as a prison for animals and a cruel way to bring money

to entrepreneurs. The common definition interpreted from the National Geographic is “a zoo is a

place where animals live in captivity and are put on display for people to view” (“Zoo”). Behind

all these definitions and ways of viewing zoos, there is one thing that is true, zoos are only for

public entertainment and not for the well being of the animals. As long as the definition of a zoo

is unclear, zoos will continue to profit off of the pain and suffering of imprisoned animals. The
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United States should shut down zoos because the animals placed in zoos are being negatively

affected and their pain and suffering is being masked by the ignorance of our society.

To begin, zoos are overall incapable of housing animals. No matter what they try to do,

the cages and exhibits will never amount to the animals natural habitat. Imagine someone being

pulled from their home and put into a plastic house that some plastic objects that barely resemble

things from the original house. This house is also eighty percent smaller than the original. How

does that person feel, miserably, alone, stuck, depressed? Well sadly all these emotions are felt

by these animals forced into small boxes for human pleasure. It is known that the enclosures are

not only artificial and unnatural, but only 0.00009 percent of their natural habitat (Smith). This

drastic change can cause multiple mental problems for the animals, which can soon lead to

depression and in some cases death.

The change in amount of space and overall habitat switch reduces the life span of

animals. Since the area in which the animals are living has transitioned the animals behaviors

and emotions will also change with it. In the article created by the site Vegan Peace it states,

“The average lifespan of zoo elephants is about 16-18 years, while wild elephants can live 50-70

years” (“Zoos”). The dire transformation for the animals can cause a drastic decrease within

lifespans. If life spans decrease at this rate due to the influence of zoos, it is prominent that zoos

are deficient when it comes to protecting and caring for wild animals. Zoos are supposed to help

animals, but if they are not fulfilling their purpose, they should no longer exist.

Many actions that may seem normal to an uneducated eye, are seen as a form of stress

and depression. Since many people only see these action when visiting the zoo, they are unaware

that the animals do not naturally behave in those ways. Animals in captivity are not fully allowed

to behave naturally, Peta states, “... running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a
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partner, and being with others of their own kind” (“Zoos: Pitiful Prisons”), but are restricted to

certain behaviors. Their inability to act these ways results in stress behaviors which include

“repetitive movements, pacing back and forth, head bobbing, rocking, repeatedly retracing their

steps, sitting motionless, or biting the bars of their enclosure or themselves” (“Zoos”). Animals

will behave these ways when under boredom and depression. All these terrible things revert back

to the center of the issue, the zoo itself.

Animals being torn away from their natural habitats is one of many reasons the U.S.

should shut down zoos. Zoos not only provide inadequate spacing for animals but they also

receive profit off of the animals suffering. As the animals suffer in silence, being unheard, zoo

businesses are still reining in money from unknowing customers. In a call to action and

awareness for animals in zoos The Humane Society Of The United States states, “Animals should

never be torn from their natural habitats, forced to live in cages and perform tricks” (“Helping

Captive Animals”). No animals should be held against their will to be forced to act certain ways

for the benefits of others. It is extremely inhumane and disturbing. The goal for zoos is never to

benefit the animals, but a sneaky scheme to make people pay for something they thought was

beneficial and charitable.

The animals are trained to make cute faces and do smart tricks to persuade customers to

keep returning. This allows the business to continue to run and have a constant flow of income. It

is sad to say that zoos are not made for reasons that many people believe. In a news article by

Western Morning News it states, “Zoos exist for one reason-to make money” (“End animal

cruelty by boycotting zoos”). Overall, no matter what the damage is to the animals the only thing

that truly matters is how many visitors are coming in to see the damaged animals. Zoo keepers
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will continue to forcefully hold animals hostage and visitors will continue to appeal to the

cuteness of the animals and return back to the zoo.

Zoos are just a disappointment, they first can give a decent home to the animals and now

they are using their suffering as an advantage to raise income. What makes it worse is that the

income coming to the zoos are not even used on the animals habitats and care but instead on

what the park area looks like and the keep up of things that the visitors use. Peta states,

“Precious funds that should be used to provide more humane conditions for animals are often

squandered on cosmetic improvements- such as landscaping, refreshment stands, and gift shops-

in order to draw visitors” (“Zoos: Pitiful Prisons”). It is absolutely unbelievable how much zoos

neglect the animals that are the reason for their income. The income they receive is rarely spent

to make the animal “cells” more comfortable to live in or to make an expansion of a habitat for

bigger animals. Thus zoos primary focus is not the safeness and care of the animals but the

upkeep of the park itself.

Zoos profits can be compared to slavery for animals. As animals are bought or taken

against their will, those buying the animals will soon benefit from their purchase. The animals

are forced to do things they do not want to do, live in horrible conditions, and are used to get

money and other profits. An example of this is seen in an article by The Mirror it states,

“thousands of monkeys animal welfare groups claim are being kept as pets in Britain. Many end

up being sold online” (“End this cruelty; Thousands of monkeys are sold online in Britain as

pets... then forced to live in cramped cages & awful conditions; EXCLUSIVE”). Animals are not

supposed to be held captive but instead free and creative. For businesses to keep animals for

himself and for profit is extremely amiss and should not be tolerated. Zoo animals are not pets
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but wild animals they were not made to follow human rule. They need to be free in order to

survive properly.

The main reason for support of zoos is due to the ignorance of those supporting things

they do not understand. Many people who take their children on zoo trips plan for it to be an fun

educational way to teach their children about different types of animals and what they look like.

No one fully takes the time to research places before teaching their children the same habits they

have picked up. As parents take their children to zoos, those children will soon take their

children to zoos creating an ongoing cycle teaching many people that zoos are okay and they are

contributing to the financial income towards zoos. This cycle continues to kill and put more

animals into zoos. In an article written by Romesh Ranganathan, a stand-up comedian and writer,

he states, “there is a negative effect on conservative awareness, given that children take away the

message that ‘endangered species’ are probably OK because they have seen them in the zoo”

(Ranganathan). Children are brought up learning false information about zoos. Children and

Parent blindness only causes more issues and problems within trying to help the animals in

captivity.

As many people remain oblivious to the situation, many animals are slowly dying,

overwhelmed with depression, and taken away from their homes. Others do not know about this

major problem that has been happening for multiple years and since they do not know of it they

will continue to support zoos and unknowingly kill innocent animals. Citizens in society are

ignorant to facts that are pushed under a rug.

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Fig. 1, While parents and children excitingly go around and broadcast different animals to each

other, innocent animals are being locked up and taken away from their families. They are forced

to be alone and live is spaces around eighty time smaller or less than their original habitat. The

small amount of time that people spend smiling and being unaware of the animal abuse that is

going on behind closed doors, is another animal's life taken advantage of. When visitors leave

the zoo their experience is over, but the animals are still left behind and never get a break from

their misery called life (Karen).

Many people may think that zoos are educational and prevents animals from going

extinct. They also may think that visiting animals is an important lesson to show their kids what

animals like and dislike. They may think that since they are saving the animals it is ok to keep

animals in captivity. Although some zoos are associated with animals sanctuaries who help with

animals welfare, like zoos mentioned on the National Geographic, “for an international zoo

conference I first learned of a partnership between a regional, metropolitan zoo and a wildlife
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sanctuary” (“Interview with the Director of Detroit Zoological Society’s Center for Zoo Animal

Welfare”). There is still room for question when it comes to the topic of captivity. Others may

think that zoos are meant to help but in reality all they are doing is pushing for a greater

extinction rate. Sadly since there are not alternative ways to continue housing animals without

causing mental damage zoos should be completely shut down.

There are many reasons now than ever to shut down zoos. When this first started to

become an issue, zoos were the only way children could learn about animals, what they looked

like, and how they behaved. As the problem progresses so has technology and ways to obtain

knowledge. Now that society has a variety of ways to see animals and learn about them, there is

no longer any excuse to use zoos and prolong animal abuse and cruelty. Ranganathan again

states, “The argument that zoos have educational merit might have once seemed convincing, but

there is less reason to see animals in captivity than ever before” (Ranganathan). There are plenty

of educational tv shows such as Animal Planet and Discovery Channel to provide important

information about animals to children. These shows are also a better way to keep animals safe

and children informed because children are now tech savvy and will be more immune to

television than seeing animals held captive. Therefore, zoos are no longer a necessity and instead

of prolonging the pain of animals zoos should just be shut down and release all the animals back

into their natural habitat.

With releasing animals back into the wild, there could also be additional problems with

the animals after they are released from the zoo. The animals are depressed, bored, and

constantly stressed while in zoos, but if they are released back into the wild will they acclimate

back to their original habitat? Can the zoo provide a stressful and emotional connection to the

animal? All these questions would then have to be taken in account of when placing animals
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back into the wild. Zoos have created a problem that could last the animals their entire life no

matter their change in environment. Although the animals will experience relief when being able

to roam freely and interact with family, there is still a question about their mental health and their

rate of attitude change.

Even if the animals may experience withdrawal or a change in acclimation, they are

better off being in their natural habitat so they can heal and become better. The problem is

created and rooted in zoos, taking the animals out of the problem will benefit the animals greatly

and cause an increase of character, happiness, activeness, and emotional stability in the animals.

It is worth having animals have to acclimate back into their environment than having all zoo

animals die off in zoos and in captivity. It is more beneficial for animals to survive and have to

change rather than animals remaining in the terrible conditions they are in and end up remaining

miserable as they die. In this case it is better to do something than to do nothing.

In order to raise awareness and gain enough control to shut down zoos, others need to be

aware of the dangers of zoos and how they not only affect animals but how children learn and

grow up. Citizens need to research and prepare before choosing vacations, outings, or fun

educational trips. If people know the background of places they are choosing to go, they can

truly determine whether or not their choice is beneficial for everyone including the people of

creatures they are going to visit. If people research, there will be an automatic reminder of

awareness for the animals. If everyone researched and changed their minds about going to zoos,

soon zoos will go out of business and will no longer be able to imprison animals and abuse them.

The use of zoos would soon be seen for what it truly is, a scheme to gain money. Taken as a

whole, no matter what decisions someone is making if they research and pay close attention to
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details zoos would no longer be considered an option. Considering other options and ways to

learn about animals by researching so that no one is taken advantage of or put at risk.

Fig. 2, The society is in control of how some animals are treated. Society can stop the damage

that zoos give to animals by refusing to visit zoos and to start awareness for the care and welfare

of animals. People have the ability to save animals by simply not going to zoos. This picture is

saying that people have a chance to save animals and in other ways to also kill animals if they so
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choose to continue to support zoos. It is the humans choice to decide whether or not many

animals will survive or die (Hamilton Zoo).

To conclude, due to the unawareness in society animals are being negatively affected by

zoos and their pain and suffering continues to be masked, thus the United States should shut

down zoos. The world would be a better place and life would be so much easier to bear if zoos

did not exist. Animals should be saved and humanity would be reclaimed. Until animals are

released from their imprisoned misery and able to walk on their land again, animals will continue

to die from stress and depression. People in society have the ability to become aware and do

things about this terrible situation. As long as awareness continues and people begin to stand up

and refuse to go and support zoos, justice will be made. There will be no more suffering, no

more depression, and no more unfair treatment for the benefit of others. Animals should reclaim

their original land and return to their families again. Animals like Gus would no longer have to

go to behavior therapy or be specifically monitored because of his actions.

Gus can be free if society pushed for the U.S. to boycott and shut down zoos. Animals

like Gus would be much happier and less agitated, confused, and bored. It all starts with making

one decisions. How will the community take action and reduce the amount of animals being

mentally hurt by the impact of the zoos artificial habitats? How many animals will people allow

to die before deciding to step and do what's right? These animals lives are in societies hand, they

will not survive if people do not do something. It is the right thing to do and animals lives will be

saved when they make the correct decisions.

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Works Cited

“End animal cruelty by boycotting zoos”, Western Morning News, Solo Syndication, 2017,

eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=799a5aa8-ed34-412b-8549-

8e69d34c889a%40sdc-v-

sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=edsgcl.489708235&db=edsgi

n, Accessed 3 March 2019.

“End this cruelty; Thousands of monkeys are sold online to Britain as pets...then forced to live in

cramped cages & awful conditions; EXCLUSIVE”, The Mirror, MGN Ltd., April 15,

2017, eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=799a5aa8-ed34-412b-8549-

8e69d34c889a%40sdc-v-

sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=edsgcl.485905368&db=edsgi

n, Accessed 3 March 2019

“Global Tiger Day”, Global Tiger Day - Hamilton Zoo,

hamiltonzoo.co.nz/news-and-diaries/zoo-news/global-tiger-day/.

“Helping Captive Animals”, The Humane Society Of The United States,

www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/helping-captive-animals, Accessed 3 March 2019.

“Interview with the Director of Detroit Zoological Society’s Center for Zoo Animal Welfare”,

National Geographic, January 3, 2012,

blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/01/03/interview-with-the-director-of-detroit-

zoological-societys-center-for-zoo-animal-welfare/, Accessed 3 March 2019.

Luseland School, “Animals Rights Social Issue by Karen”, LinkedIn SlideShare, 15 May 2015,

www.slideshare.net/mavishoffman/animal-rights-social-issue-by-karen.

National Geographic Society. “Zoo.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012,

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www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/zoo/.

Ranganathan, Romesh, “Zoos are prisons for animals-no one needs to see a depressed penguin in

the flesh”, The Guardian, March 13, 2017,

www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2017/mar/13/zoos-are-prisons-for-animals-

no-one-needs-to-see-a-depressed-penguin-in-the-flesh, Accessed 3 March 2019.

Smith Laura, and Laura Smith, “Zoos are Fun for People but Awful for Animals.”, Slate

Magazine, Slate, 20 June 2014, slate.com/technology/2014/06/animal-madness-

zoochosis-stereotypic-behavior-and-problems-with-zoos.html

“Zoos”, Last Chance For Animals,

www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/animals-in-entertainment/zoos, Accessed 3

March 2019.

“Zoos: Pitiful Prisons”, Peta,

www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-

factsheets/zoos-pitiful-prisons/, Accessed 3 March 2019.

“Zoos”, Vega Peace, www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/zoos.htm, Accessed 3 March 2019.