Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 29 views

    Zoos

    Uploaded by

    Kian
    This document discusses the ongoing debate around whether zoos should exist. Supporters argue that zoos play an important role in educating the public and protecting endangered species through captive breeding programs. However, critics say that keeping animals in confined enclosures deprives them of their natural behaviors and rights, even if the intentions are good like education or conservation. The document concludes that while zoos have benefits, the ends do not justify the means of keeping animals in captivity against their nature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Zoos

    Uploaded by

    Kian
    29 views2 pages
    This document discusses the ongoing debate around whether zoos should exist. Supporters argue that zoos play an important role in educating the public and protecting endangered species through captive breeding programs. However, critics say that keeping animals in confined enclosures deprives them of their natural behaviors and rights, even if the intentions are good like education or conservation. The document concludes that while zoos have benefits, the ends do not justify the means of keeping animals in captivity against their nature.

    Original Description:

    Zoo

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document discusses the ongoing debate around whether zoos should exist. Supporters argue that zoos play an important role in educating the public and protecting endangered species through captive breeding programs. However, critics say that keeping animals in confined enclosures deprives them of their natural behaviors and rights, even if the intentions are good like education or conservation. The document concludes that while zoos have benefits, the ends do not justify the means of keeping animals in captivity against their nature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    29 views2 pages

    Zoos

    Uploaded by

    Kian
    This document discusses the ongoing debate around whether zoos should exist. Supporters argue that zoos play an important role in educating the public and protecting endangered species through captive breeding programs. However, critics say that keeping animals in confined enclosures deprives them of their natural behaviors and rights, even if the intentions are good like education or conservation. The document concludes that while zoos have benefits, the ends do not justify the means of keeping animals in captivity against their nature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Zoos:

    The Necessity vs. Prohibition


    Since approximately 3500 B.C. to date zoos have been an emblem of
    human's long-standing fascination with nonhuman creatures and
    nature. Nowadays there are over 10,000 zoos worldwide, in which
    various number of living species are being held captive. According to a
    survey conducted by World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, every
    year more than 700million people visit these zoos all over the world.
    Notwithstanding this enormous number of annual visitors, there is a
    heated debate which revolves around animal rights and the morality of
    animal captivity.
    Zoo community assumes that it is mankind's misbehaves toward nature
    that is driving animals to the verge of extinction, hence not only are we
    account for their survival, but also it would be inhumane not to rescue
    endangered species. In this regard, modern zoos claim that what they
    are doing is merely protecting threatened and vulnerable animals from
    poachers and conserving them for future generations by their captive
    breeding programs. Furthermore, when it comes to educational
    purposes, zoos are generally believed to be immensely valuable. Due to
    holding animals in controlled captives, scientists and biologists have
    the opportunity to conduct researches and experiments on them at first
    hand, a situation which is practically impossible to create by any other
    means.
    On the contrary, animal rights activists reprove zoos for striping
    animals from their inalienable rights and depriving them from satisfying
    their most rudimentary needs. They argue that animals which are being
    kept in confined enclosures do not conduct themselves in the same
    manner as their counterparts living in their natural habitat. Moreover,
    activists assert that whether we stand to benefit from keeping animals
    in captive or not, it is a breach of their natural rights to use them for
    our own purposes, no matter what the purpose is; thus they contend
    that imprisoning animals even for educational benefits is cruel and
    unfavorable and may have some detrimental impacts on animals'
    welfare.
    In conclusion, seemingly, the ongoing debate between the party in
    favor of zoos and against them is not about to end. On one hand, zoo
    keepers claim that keeping animals in a controlled situation can be
    beneficial for both humans and animals. On the other hand, animal
    rights activists insist that confining animals in a restricted space is

    distressful and inhuman. Despite the merits that zoos have, I personally
    believe that the end does not justify the means, therefore animals
    should not be kept in captivity, whatever the intentions are.
    Kian Ashoory

    You might also like