Analysis of Positions on Why Animals Should Not Be Kept in Zoos

Whether or not animals, such as tigers and other endangered species, should be kept in captivity in zoos. In why animals should not be kept in zoos essay we will analyse this topic. Here is the controversial issue: some argue that zoos are detrimental to the welfare (physically and psychologically) of many animals that are in zoos. Others argue that animals live a better quality of life in captivity and would otherwise be extinct. What are the PRO and CON positions?

PRO Positions

This position says that tigers should be kept in zoos for the preservation of the species and the education and entertainment of human beings.

Perspective #1 - an animal-behaviorist/researcher

Many species are rapidly decreasing in the wild due to conflicts with human practices. From an animal-behavior researcher’s perspective, it is more difficult to study a species in the wild, especially a large predator species like tigers. Keeping tigers and other animals in captivity in zoos makes studying and understanding their behavior, psychology, etc, more accessible and subsequently contributes to the preservation of a species. competition over resources between tigers and human beings is a primary factor in the decline of the species’ population in the wild. The captivity of tigers in zoos allows researchers to understand their behavior and best replicate the natural environment they would live in if they were in the wild. It is natural for tigers to hunt for their food, typically during sundown, and feed on their prey over the course of a couple of days. Researchers and ‘enrichment programs’ have worked to best replicate these instinctual hunting and feeding patterns to avoid any psychological and physiological implications that may arise from processed feeding.

Tigers in the wild habitually patrol their territory, spraying or marking it. In captivity, it’s difficult for there to be variety in the scents and stimulations that tigers encounter that would lead them to mark their territory or practice other territorial behavior. Researchers have discovered that implementing different scents (such as scents of typical prey, other species’ feces, spices, etc) stimulates the tigers and encourages them to practice habitual behaviors that they would do in the wild. Frequently rotating the tigers to different-sized habitats also provides this variation in scents and stimulation. However, studies show that tigers in captivity alone have less variety in behavior than if they are housed in pairs or triplets.

Wild tigers are a solitary species and have minimal social interactions with other tigers besides for mating and reproductive purposes. Tigers are a naturally aggressive species, so human and tiger interaction has not been common until more recently (between tigers and zookeepers)

Positive reinforcement training (praising for good behavior). A study by Mellen and Shepherdson in 1997 highlights that there are reproductive and behavioral benefits to human-tiger interactions. A researcher would be in support of housing tigers in zoos for studying their feeding, territorial, and social behaviors in order to best replicate the wild and preserve the species. Holding tigers in zoos allows for this kind of research and discovery of the stimulation that tigers need in order to live a happy and healthy life in captivity.

Perspective #2 - the general public (humans)

Housing animals—whether they are large cats, birds, or reptiles—is educational to the general public that visits zoos. In modern society, zoos are an educational outlet for humans and the primary source of interaction between humans and wild animal species. Mark Morgan and Marlana Hodgkinson conducted a study about the incentives that humans have to visit zoos and whether they are for educational or recreational purposes. The study found that while many visitors acknowledged the educational benefits of zoos, a larger proportion of humans visit zoos for recreational entertainment and social interaction.

Those who visited for recreational benefits scored a value of x=3.56 while visits for education had a value of x=3.04. The results of those who visit zoos for educational or for recreational purposes are very similar, the value for recreational visits is only slightly higher than the value for educational visits At zoos, the educational and recreational aspects can go hand in hand. While many people might visit a zoo for entertainment or socializing, they typically get a certain level of education as well. Zoos provide the general public with amusement and knowledge about wild species that would otherwise be less accessible, contributing to the overall welfare of human beings.

Concluding statement of both PRO positions. Zoos provide the general public with an outlet for simultaneous amusement and education, while researchers can study animal behaviors and patterns for better preservation of endangered species.

CON Position

This position says that zoos cause animals to develop abnormal behavioral patterns

Perspective #1 - Animal activist

Many animal activists advocate that zoos do not provide the necessary level of treatment for the wild species that they often house. Looking specifically at tigers and their natural habitats, the artificial environment in a zoo is not an adequate replica of their natural, wild environment and thus causes the animals to develop abnormal patterns of behavior.

A study of the behaviors that zoo animals repeatedly develop highlights that their welfare is dependent on having the choice of what to do and how to do it.  For tigers specifically, it was discovered that small enclosures, solitary confinement, predictable feeding patterns, low stimulation, absence of pond/watering hole, and visibility of other species contribute to the development of abnormal behavior.

Tigers are large creatures that require lots of space and lots of stimulation from their environment, which many zoos do not have the resources to provide. Animal-activists would argue that since these zoos cannot always provide what the animals need, they often develop abnormal behavior that can be detrimental to their welfare.

Perspective #2 - Zookeeper

The job of a zookeeper requires that they provide the necessary daily care for the animals of the zoo. From cleaning their enclosures to feeding, this means that they must enter the enclosure and possibly be in close proximity to animals that instinctually are aggressive. Tigers are immensely powerful creatures with habitual hunting and feeding behaviors, sharp claws, and strong jaws. Since many zoos do not have the resources to give them large enclosures, variety in stimulation, etc, this leads them to develop patterns of behavior that may put their caretakers—and even the general public who visits—in danger.

There are reports of numerous attacks by captive tigers. Two attacks on caretakers with 20+ years of experience who were cleaning the enclosure occurred in zoos in Europe. Attacks on people through the fences of their enclosures. An average of 4.5 deaths by tiger attack occurs each year. These reports show the ferocity of captive tigers, even with experienced zookeepers and under strict safety regulations, there is still room for human error or technology malfunctions and tigers will revert to their predatory instincts. As a zookeeper or even visitor of a zoo, there are so many potential dangers of being in close proximity to such powerful and unpredictable animals that outweigh the amusement and educational benefits of housing these animals in zoos.

Concluding statement of both CON positions. Zoos create a whole slew of issues for both the animals housed there, and those who visit and care for them. Captivity of tigers specifically can lead to abnormal behaviors due to the artificial environment they are housed in. These artificial enclosures can deprive tigers of the behavioral patterns of hunting and feeding, leading them to aggression when in contact to potential prey, putting themselves as well as those they interact with in danger.

Conclusion

There are numerous reports and articles about the effects of holding tigers captive in zoos, demonstrating that people of different backgrounds will have different perspectives on the issue.

Compare/contrast PRO and CON: Zoos provide animals with shelter and food while simultaneously providing entertainment and education to the general public, allowing for preservation of endangered species. However, the shelter and caretaking patterns do not align with their natural environment in the wild and thus can lead to behavioral implications.

Which Argument is More Persuasive? The Pro argument is more persuasive. Without zoos, many more species would likely be endangered and even extinct. With increased human use of resources from the natural environment, more species are facing extinction. It’s also important for humans to learn about other species and how they interact with the environment and with others.

Concluding sentence justifying which position is supported best: the best solution would be to house animals in zoos only if they are properly and safely cared for in an environment as close in replication to the wild for the sake of education, research, and preservation.

References

• Morgan, J., & Hodgkinson, M. (1999). The Motivation and Social Orientation of Visitors Attending a Contemporary Zoological Park. Environment and Behavior, 31(2), 227-239.
• Nyhus, P. J., Tilson, R., & Hutchins, M. (2010). Thirteen Thousand and Counting: How Growing Captive Tiger Populations Threaten Wild Tigers. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780815515708000177
• Rose, P., Nash, S., & Riley, L. (2017). To pace or not to pace? A review of what abnormal repetitive behavior tells us about zoo animal management. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 20, 11-21.
• Szokalski, M., Litchfield, C., & Foster, W. (2012). Enrichment for captive tigers (Panthera tigris): Current knowledge and future directions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 139(1-2), 1-9.
• Salas, M., Manteca, X. (2017). Visitor Effect on Zoo Animals. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.zawec.org/en/fact-sheets/111-visitor-effect-on-zoo-animals
• Tantius, B., Wittschieber, D., Schmidt, S., Rothschild, M., & Banaschak, A. (2016). Two fatal tiger attacks in zoos. International Journal of Legal Medicine, 130(1), 185-189.