Over the break, I happened to catch this documentary on
CNN and what I discovered was horrifying.
I had never really given it much thought, but I assumed that the animals
at Sea World were “rescued” or in need of care in some way. In Tilikum’s case, he was captured off the
coast of Iceland for no other reason than to provide entertainment and ultimately
make money for Sea World. Orcas are
social creatures by habit and the movie heartbreakingly showed their reactions
to being stripped away from their mothers and family units. The pools that the Orca’s live in at Sea
World are .00001% of the amount of water that Orcas would swim in a typical day
in the ocean. In some case, the Orcas
could barely turn around, their massive bodies stretching from end to end of their
tiny pools. The whole movie was so
distressing that twice I had to turn it off and come back to it later.
As a response to his captivity and his primitive nature,
Tlilkum has been involved in the death of three people since his capture. He is also the main breeder for Sea World and
as a result, it is estimated that up to 90% of all Orcas at the Sea Worlds parks
share his DNA.
For their part, Sea World Vice President has stated that
they have “altered how we care for, display and train these extraordinary
animals,” and that Sea World has “changed facilities, equipment and procedures
at the whale habitats.” In fact, as a
result of this documentary Sea World has pledged to end their Orca breeding
program and phase out all of their live Orca shows.
I’m glad Sea World responded to mounting public pressure
to end these practices, but the movie got me thinking about other animal
habitats, including zoos. My family holds season passes to the Indianapolis Zoo
and it is a favorite place of my niece and nephew. Again, without giving it much thought, I
always assumed that the zoo supported conservation and the animals in the zoo
had been “rescued” in some fashion. I
now fear I am terribly wrong and I wonder what my money has gone to
support. So my question to you this week is, “Do you think zoos are positive organization which support conservation and teach kids about animals they otherwise would not have a chance to see – or do you think zoos exploit the animals to support their own financial gain? What do you think could be done to ensure that animals in zoos are properly cared for?” You must answer all questions to earn full credit. Answers are due no later than Wednesday, April 20th, 2016.
This post is dedicated to one of my best friends, Azriel Sassafras,
who passed away on March 25th, 2016.
She was the best first pet I could’ve asked for and I will miss her
much!
I do believe the zoo teaches children about animals. They have many animals that children other wise would not be able to see on their own. But at the same time I do feel that hey exploit the animals to support their own financial gains as well. It is a touchy situation. I think that they need regulations set for zoos that the animals are properly cared for and are held to safety standards that are not harmful for the animals at the zoo. By doing so they will not be harmed and the children can still learn about different rare animals.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michelle. Zoos teach children about animals. In most places, zoos are more interested in how much money they can make with these animals. I found an interesting article relating to this subject with the shocking quote,
ReplyDelete"Enclosure sizes, for instance, are basically required to be large enough only for the animals to stand up and turn around."
That's crazy! If a zoo is doing this, they need to be out of business. here's the article: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2011/04/the_elephant_in_the_room.html
I am somewhat torn with this question. While zoos can serve as a learning ground for young children, I believe that zoos are more concerned with making money than they are with the well-being of the animals. While zoos do provide similar habitats for these animals, they often aren't anything close to the animal's natural habitat and sometimes restrict the animals.
ReplyDeleteTo ensure that animals are properly cared for, I think zoos should have a standardized areas that they HAVE to have... maybe like 1/2 of what their natural habitat is or just SOMETHING bigger than a 'swimming pool' sized tank.
I also think that if the animals that they have in their zoos, should be animals that are rescued, not just stripped away from their families. I don't think that most people realize that animals, too, can die from that kind of thing. Being taken from their loved ones and what they are used to can be emotionally distressing to animals, just as much as it can be to humans and that can lead to death, eventually.
Lastly, with the prices of zoos nowadays, some kids STILL might not be able to get the opportunity to see certain animals in real life and that's perfectly fine. It won't kill them to read about the animals or watch them on tv... Seeing them in real life is really just a plus.
I believe that zoo's are in it for the entertainment and money more then to teach people of what animals are out there. I have heard on many occasions of animals going extinct or missing in action because of hunters. But I bet some have to do with being dragged away to entertain in a zoo. For caring for these animals, I honestly couldn't tell you what I would do. I personally do not think they should be in there in the first place. If they are being rescued..okay,rescue them and take them home. Don't keep them for human entertainment and selfish greed.
ReplyDeletePreservations are ideal but zoos can be habitable as well. There needs to be adequate space, they need stimulation for 'entertainment', and natural eating habits need to be accommodated. The people working there need to be patient and knowledgeable of the animals they are working with. If all of the correct conditions are met to keep the animals comfortable but not bored, zoos can be a great way to teach everyone, not just children, about environmental awareness. They need to make money to care for the animals. Zoos are not cheap endeavors. With that being said, events like dolphin shows or anything alike are mostly inhumane. Some animals have the drive to complete tasks but it has become exploitation. I am also not a fan of the Indianapolis zoo's dolphin dome. I signed a petition against it that unfortunately took no affect.
ReplyDeleteThe Pittsburgh zoo has been my favorite. Its huge, you can go to all of the 'behind the scenes' areas, there were no inhumane shows, the animals were really active and portaying signs of 'happiness', and the employees were very knowledgable about the animals and even the plants.
I believe Zoos give a great purpose for education, unlike Seaworld which is made to be theme park and the animals are made to perform to entertain humans, zoos try their best to give the animals an environment that is close to their natural habitat. To make sure these precious animals are properly cared for, state government need to have safety inspections once or twice a month to ensure that the animals are being treated well and are being provided an environment where they can flourish.
ReplyDelete-Randell Mayrina
I am on the fence with this topic because I believe that zoos are definitely educational to children and adults, but I also believe that it can be for their own financial gain as well. I agree with Randell... Sea World is made to be a theme park and the animals are made to perform to entertain humans, while zoos try their best to give the animals an environment that is close to their natural habitat. However, it is not their actual habitat... I believe that animals belong in the wild... I could never imagine being a human trapped in an amusement park and not being able to say anything about it. Since that is not the case, I think their should be safety regulations and inspections every month to keep the animals safe, healthy, and properly treated.
ReplyDelete- Cody Van Horn
From reading others comments, I am set in the middle of thinking zoos are educational and harmless to animals and also wondering if somewhere down the line it's just for the money. One way to make sure that these animals are being cared for is to set regulations on the use of wild animals for entertainment and educational purposes.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kaylona on if you're going to rescue these animals then put the back in the natural habitat instead of tanks and cages for one the see.
The issue I have with this topic is that not all zoos are bad, and theme parks are increasingly rare because of the very issues this topic has brought up. We have to make sure and not paint all zoos with the same brush, let a minority speak for the majority, ext. People have to understand that many animals that have been born or raised in a zoo simply wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. While it is unfortunate, zoos do actually protect some species from extinction, rhino's are one example of this. But, there unfortunately are cases of zoos and park mistreating or failing to take proper care of the animals in them. Overall, I think scientifically based regulations and rules need to be made and maintained for the captivity of a animal species.
ReplyDeleteI am on the edge with this, because I believe that zoos are educational for children and they do have some good into them, also it is a way that you can see those wild animals up close but with that i also think that they do that for the financial gains. Sea world is different than zoo's they use them to amuse people and make them perform every night and sometimes 3 or 4 times a day, it is made as a theme park as to when it is compared o zoo's they have them doing whatever they want in their cages. I love animals and I feel that depending upon the animal that they belong in the wild, some i can understand having them in captivity for educational purposes but others they just need to be on their home land roaming free. for places like there they need to have more and strict safety regulations for the animals.
ReplyDeleteI believe it's a little bit of both. I've heard instances where animals are being treated badly by their caretakers and others are very passionate about what they do. I honestly didn't know that about SeaWorld and it does get me thinking about how other facility's are run. I think to provide adequate protection and reassurance that these animals are properly taken care of, there should be people who are to specifically come in and evaluate these animals. They seem to know a lot based on their actions and can follow up with what they say they are doing to care for these animals. Also, if someone like that worked there. It might make them sad/angry to see that often but also reassuring that they are making sure these animals are cared for since they are already there. As far as educational purposes go, I don't feel like they usually teach kids much to keep them in there. I always have felt they were there just so we can go see neat, exotic animals. On field trips you don't really learn about these animals and there isn't people who tell you about them aside from maybe the elephants or other animals who do specific shows. It would be more beneficial to watch documentaries on the animals if they really want to educate kids.
ReplyDeleteI guess from experience, I would agree with Cody Mann. I also attest to the fact that not all zoos are bad. Yes in many cases Zoos teach and inspire kids to see that there is more to this world than they would think, but on the other hand there are just as many that exploit animals for their own gain. Maybe if the zoos were more set up (Habitat wise) like Jurassic World but more expansive. I feel it would give kids a chance to both learn more and to see their favorite animals in their natural habitat doing natural things like creating families, or hibernating, or even hunting.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the plan for most zoos is to properly educate kids about animals they dont understand and do thier best to save the animals. However, I also feel like only endangered animals should be kept in zoos or animals that have been saddly injured or abandoned as babies. That would count as saving them. Zoos need to make money to care for the animals but also Zoo keeping is not a volunteer job and people need to be paid to work these jobs. Money should primarially be going to improving the lives of the animals but with how much it costs to keep a zoo running, they have to manage the money evenly between animal habitats, employees, and sponsors. Zoos do their best to keep the animals happy and thankfully there are Donation Organizations that make sure the focus is keeping the animals safe and happy. There are zoos that are cruel and treat their animals poorly but there are also organizations that are exposing those zoos and shutting them down. It is a relief to know this.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel like it depends on the zoo. There are some obvious establishments like Sea World that do it specifically for money, and it is quite an unethical thing for them to do, as they do not treat the animals with proper care or respect; let alone give them adequate living space.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, some zoos do function to preserve species and they aren't exactly few and far between. With the environmentalist movements that have happened over the years, there have actually been a significant amount of preserves designated and built.
In general it is something that you must think about for each zoo you visit; do the animals seem to have enough space? Are their areas clean? Have they been properly handled? It all varies from place to place.
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ReplyDeleteI think it highly depends on the zoo. The Indianapolis Zoo is actually considered one of the most humane zoos in the nation. Zoos can be a great educational opportunity. However, the treatment of animals needs to be considered. Large animals need large areas to roam. Sea World didn't provide that. Proper diets, enclosures, and care need to be present in order to be beneficial for the animals. There are some bad zoos out there, but not all are.
ReplyDeleteZoos can be a positive organization that might support some conservation and also provides children with limited education about animals. I mentioned that they might support some conservation because not all animals in the zoo are going in extinction; such as, moneys or flamingos. The organization is not providing a lot of education; just some information about the particular animal, since visitors needs to be inform about the animal they are viewing. Also, I strongly believe the zoos are exploiting the animal to support their own financial gain. By supporting some conservation, they need to hire animal technicians, and employees in order to take care of the animals which contributes the organization to become a business. Not everyone wants to volunteer without getting paid. Then again, the animal needs to be feed and their shelter maintained. I thing that to ensure the animals in the zoos are properly taken care of is by education our self of every single animal in the organization. If the animal needs to be in larger areas that humans can’t provide, then they need to let the animal go; if only if, the animal’s survival in the wild are going to contribute positive feedback.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletei do think zoos are really great for an educational stand point allowing children to get to see an animal that they have learned about in the classroom physically in person. This i feel opens up the child's mind on many different levels. Yes, exploitation happens when it comes down to animals and not just at the zoo. They are exploiting the animals and making a financial gain off of them because not all those animals were rescued but on the other hand it is giving the community the ability to experience something that they wouldn't be able to if the zoo was not there. I feel like the animals should be checked on weekly by whoever regulates the zoos ensuring proper food, care, living environments, updates on how the animals are progressing, making sure the staff is qualified, the facility is clean, that there is no mistreatment, etc. I would also like to see the stories of the animals being rescued why not give us the back story if the animals have one since we are doing a good thing and rescuing them why not show the public the positive progression the animal is having in the facility.
ReplyDeleteI personally find that Zoos are a great experience to go to. even now i wouldnt mind going to the Indianapolis zoo. Considering you would have to fly half way around the world to see any of these animals otherwise. as far as ensuring that the animals are properly cared for, proper funding can ensure proper food, clean and suitable habitats and proper training to the staff that works with handeling the animals. as far as I'm aware, i havent heard of any mistreatment of the animals at the Indianapolis zoo and look forward to going there relatively soon.
ReplyDelete-Patrick Shaffer
While I do enjoy going to the zoo, I believe that a wildlife preserve would be a better option overall. When it comes to zoos, it is likely a mixture of education and financial gain that acts as motivation. For a zoo to have animals that are cared for properly, I believe that the zoo should employ educated and experienced staff who know how to take care of the animals in the zoo.
ReplyDeletePersonally I have never liked zoos and always chose to not go any time my friends or family made plans. The first time I went was in kindergarten I visited the zoo with my school and I clearly remember feeling out of place and not comfortable. Since then I have been 2 other times and each time I feel worse. My friends kept trying to tell me "oh you see that door? Right behind there is a bunch of land for them to roam. I honestly do not think I am educated about positive contributes zoos provide but walking into a barn where a giraffe is being kept in a stall wide and tall enough for his body is disturbing. I try to believe they bring education to children but in the end is a zoo really necessary to learn? We live in a world where we can create 3-D holograms and have technological advances to use as educational tools.
ReplyDeleteI believe it's a little bit of both. Children do get to learn a lot about animals from going to the zoo, but they do have to pay to get into the zoo. Zoos can be a little pricey. But zoos are a convenient way to learn about these animals that come from all the way around the world instead of having to travel to find out about them.
ReplyDeleteI think that zoos could use it as both a way to make money and to be able to have children and others learn about animals. Zoos are an extremely convenient way to get a good concept of the animals they have heard about. It is also a way to make money by showing these animals but its also pricey to keep them and acquire them.
ReplyDeleteI think zoos are positive, but yet negative organizations which support conservation and teach kids about animals but yet profit for their own financial gain. Nowadays everything in this world is made to make money. No one does it for the education anymore. In order to ensure that animals in zoos are properly cared for I think the state should hire someone that can look into every zoo and keeping up with them.
ReplyDeleteI think that zoo's are for educational purposes for both children and adults, but also they have to make money to feed and take care of the animals and their environment. Lincoln Park Zoo is a zoo located in Chicago, and it's a free zoo which is awesome! I think that zoo's take great care of animals and that could get pricey.
ReplyDelete