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The Ethicality of Zoos - Unit 1 Final Draft
Principles of English Composition II (ENGL 1213)
University of Oklahoma
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ENGL-1213-
10/2/
Word Count: 1769 The Ethicality of Zoos Although they only began truly spreading in the 1950s, zoos and aquariums are now a common staple in everyday life; they are present in every big city in the world and were visited by millions daily before the pandemic. However, beginning in the late 1980s, as people became educated about the conditions of the animals, these institutions began to come under heavy public scrutiny as critics questioned the necessity of their existence. An ongoing, fierce debate rages between animal rights organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Freedom for Animals, and zoo and aquarium advocates such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, with individuals such as Dr. Robert Ganzert being drawn in as well. The importance of which becomes clear when the suffering and wellbeing of animals and the increasing ecological concerns that have pushed numerous species ever-closer to extinction are considered. After all, when examining the zoo and aquarium debate, it becomes clear that the stakeholders involved ardently disagree in the Evaluation stage of the issue. They conflict on whether conservation and education efforts are worth keeping zoos and aquariums open. Then, even amongst those that agree on Evaluation, each stakeholder holds differing opinions on the procedure and what type of action should be taken to address the situation.
Beginning as private collections of animals, when the first modern, public zoo, the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes, was opened in 1794, it was more of a museum than the faux- natural habitats of today’s zoos. In fact, throughout the 19th century, these zoos were few in
number and primarily used for zoological and scientific study into the various species. It wasn’t until the 1950s, when it was discovered that significant money could be made off of them, that zoos became such a widespread phenomenon (Grech). Then, as environmental and wildlife concerns increased and the public became aware of the mistreatment and inhumane living conditions that the animals suffered, zoo exhibits got a redesign. The exhibits become larger and more akin to the animals’ natural habitats in an effort to appease the public outrage and animal welfare activists. This redesign was also accompanied by a shift in purpose as, in addition to the previous functions of entertainment, scientific study, and education, zoos became a part of the wildlife and ecological conservation efforts (Phillips). However, even with these changes, there is still outrage at even the basic concept of zoos and the idea of animals kept in captivity. Recent controversies over the poor treatment of animals at places such as Seaworld has led to documentaries Tiger King and Blackfish which have shed light on orca captivity and the exploitation of big cats and has kept the conversation going. Critics such as animal rights activists are still staunchly opposed to zoos and question whether they should be kept open at all, unconvinced that the education and conservation contributions of zoos and aquariums are worth the animals’ suffering.
The Captive Animals' Protection Society, more commonly known by its working name Freedom for Animals, is an England-based charity that is dedicated to exposing animal cruelty and exploitation, thus taking issue with the continued existence of zoos. They aim to end animal captivity, focusing especially on animals in the entertainment industry, live animal displays, exotic pet trade, and zoos and aquariums and have campaigned for centuries for the abolition of zoos (Freedom for Animals). The charity asserts the animals kept in captivity suffer greatly and that zoos are unethical. They maintain that the animals are subject to severely “cramped
Another staunch opponent of zoos and aquariums, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is the largest animal rights organization in the world. They “oppose speciesism [and] a human-supremacist worldview,” protesting the suffering of animals in laboratories, the food industry, the clothing trade, and the entertainment business among others, thus leading to their objections over the mistreatment of animals in zoos and aquariums (PETA). The organization argues that zoos and aquariums are more concerned with profits than with the health of the animals they are supposed to care for. They maintain that the animals in zoos are “closely confined, lack privacy, and have little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise,” (PETA) while those in aquariums and theme parks are “denied the opportunity to engage in almost any natural behavior[,] forced to perform meaningless tricks[,] are often torn away from [their] family[, and] many die far short of their species’ natural life expectancy,” (“Aquariums and Marine Parks”). While opponents claim that zoos serve educational purposes, PETA counters that the enclosures rarely contain more information than the name, diet, and natural range of the species. Additionally, PETA asserts that the natural needs and behaviors of the animals cannot be observed because they are not met as, for example, “many animals who naturally live in large herds or family groups are often kept alone or, at most, in pairs [while] natural hunting and mating behaviors are virtually eliminated,” (PETA). The justifications, PETA feels, are not sufficient reason to keep zoos and aquariums open as they are now.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or the AZA, is an American nonprofit “dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation” (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and so are in support of zoos and aquariums remaining open. The AZA asserts that zoos and aquariums "support reintroduction and rehabilitation programs” by helping to reintroduce endangered animals such as the California
condors back into the wild and repairing the habitats of species in danger of extinction due to habitat loss (). They maintain that zoos and aquariums assist in environmental and animal education efforts as they “[cover] topics like habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict,” and even offer projects that allow the public to get involved in conservation efforts.
Dr. Robin Ganzert is the president, CEO of the nonprofit American Humane Association, and a strong proponent of zoos remaining open. While she admits that there are zoos that are unethical and exploit and take advantage of their animals, she asserts that these zoos are the exception to the rule and the negligence and abuse is limited to the “roadside zoos” while proper, accredited zoos assist in conservation efforts and animal research which benefits both animals in captivity and in the wild. Dr. Ganzert states that in addition to the breeding programs which have saved numerous species from extinction, zoos and aquariums are also centers for research such as “the study of animal infection and disease” which could improve the lives of animals in the wild. Therefore, she argues that “sweeping indictments of zoos and aquariums fail to account for how ethical institutions enrich and ultimately protect the lives of animals,” standing firm in her belief that zoos and aquariums should not be indiscriminately shut down and that, instead, welfare standards need to be heightened and better enforced. Additionally, she asserts, these standards need to be set by an “independent collection of world-renowned experts” so as to ensure that the evaluations are made by an unbiased party with no danger of conflicts of interest or exceptions made.
The central source of disconnect between these different stakeholders stems from a difference in Evaluation. On the one hand, opponents of keeping zoos and aquariums open argue that they are major ethical issues, continuing the neglect and abuse of the animals in their care and that the minimal benefits in conservation and education are not reason enough to keep them
Works Cited Grech, Kali S. “Detailed Discussion of the Laws Affecting Zoos.” Animal Law Legal Center, 1 Jan. 1970, animallaw/article/detailed-discussion-laws-affecting-zoos. Phillips, Keri. “The Ethical Evolution of Zoos.” ABC Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 21 Oct. 2015, ethical-history-of-zoos/6869776. abc.net/radionational/programs/rearvision/the-
“Mission.” Freedom for Animals, freedomforanimals.org/mission. “Zoos.” Freedom for Animals, freedomforanimals.org/zoos. “Inspectors Find Suffering and Unnecessary Deaths at South Lakes Safari Zoo.” Freedom for Animals, 22 Apr. 2019, freedomforanimals.org/News/inspectors-find-suffering-and-.
Pallardy, Richard. “Grounded: The Pinioning of Captive Birds.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., britannica/explore/savingearth/grounded- the-pinioning-of-captive-birds. “About Us.” Association of Zoos & Aquariums, aza/about-us. “I Used to like to Visit Animals at the Zoo, but They Seem so Sad. How Does Peta Feel about Zoos?” PETA, 30 Oct. 2013, peta/about-peta/faq/i-used-to-like-to-visit-animals- at-the-zoo-but-they-seem-so-sad-how-does-peta-feel-about-zoos/?v2=1. “Aquariums and Marine Parks.” PETA, 6 Mar. 2020, peta/issues/animals-in- entertainment/zoos-pseudo-sanctuaries/aquariums-marine-parks/. Marcy, Karlyn. “Why Zoos and Aquariums Are Beneficial.” Association of Zoos & Aquariums, 13 Nov. 2020, aza/connect-stories/stories/benefits-of-zoos?locale=en.
The Ethicality of Zoos - Unit 1 Final Draft
Course: Principles of English Composition II (ENGL 1213)
University: University of Oklahoma
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