Imprisonment Of Animals: The (Im)Morality Of The Zoo
Whether it’s a good idea to keep animals in zoos or not has been an ongoing debate for quite some time. Critics say it’s unhealthy and morally wrong to keep animals imprisoned, while those who are in favour of zoos argue that it’s for the animals’ good. But if we truly care about the animals, shouldn’t we just let them be? Is it really for the animals’ sake that we keep them behind closed doors? Shouldn’t we let them make their own future? The answer is yes, animals should be allowed to make their own decisions and not be obliged to spend their lives in zoos.
Imprisonment of animals is a violation of their rights. Animals are not much different than us. We all were just like them once upon a time and they have the same rights as we do. Imprisoning animals is just as wrong as imprisoning people. They have the right to be free. Although zoos try to recreate the animals’ natural habitat as much as possible, it will never be the same. There’s not only a possibility that the animal may have too little room, but it will also be robbed of his natural social structure and be forced to live near humans. Animals that have been bred in captivity may also never know what it feels like to be the species they are and will therefore never experience their true identity. It is true that animals’ lifespan may be longer in zoos than in the wild; however, the quality of their life will be lower and the animal may live in boredom, stress or even depression.
Animals that have been imprisoned in zoos will not be treated with the respect they deserve. Mankind has no right to keep animals captive for their own amusement and entertainment, even if the animal is endangered. Yes, zoos help endangered species by creating breeding programs for example. However, many of those breeding programs don’t release animals back into their natural habitat and keep them in zoos or other places. Treating animals with respect and helping them does not only mean keeping them healthy, but also keeping them happy. A study released by the University of Bristol in 2008showed that no less than half of the elephants kept in UK zoos had behavioural problems, even though they were in good health.
If those animals aren’t happy, what is the point in keeping them imprisoned? There is no need to imprison endangered animals to save them. Everything a zoo does to help an animal can be done without holding it captive. If we keep on imprisoning animals, there won’t be much of them left in the wild and they will be distinct from their true selves. If we want to help endangered species, we don’t need to imprison them; we need to let them flourish in their natural habitat and live their life like they were supposed to.
