Ethics of animals in zoos
Ethics of animals in zoos
Are zoos exploiting animals for profit? Are they prisons for wild animals? Does the need for species conservation outweigh the costs to individual animal welfare? These are some of the question zoos face as they try to respond to the criticism from animal rights groups and justify their existence to a public increasingly concerned about the welfare of captive animals
In the wild, animals may roam for hundreds of miles, hunt their prey, raise their children, explore, play and enjoy complex social relationships. in zoos, their lives are restricted to four walls. The confinement and lack of stimulation often result in abnormal and self-destructive behaviour, known as “zoochosis” – for example, pacing, walking in tight circles, rocking, swaying or mutilating themselves. Zookeepers sometimes give the animals anti-depressants, tranquilisers or anti-psychotic drugs to try to conceal their distress.
Are zoos exploiting animals for profit? Are they prisons for wild animals? Does the need for species conservation outweigh the costs to individual animal welfare? These are some of the question zoos face as they try to respond to the criticism from animal rights groups and justify their existence to a public increasingly concerned about the welfare of captive animals
In the wild, animals may roam for hundreds of miles, hunt their prey, raise their children, explore, play and enjoy complex social relationships. in zoos, their lives are restricted to four walls. The confinement and lack of stimulation often result in abnormal and self-destructive behaviour, known as “zoochosis” – for example, pacing, walking in tight circles, rocking, swaying or mutilating themselves. Zookeepers sometimes give the animals anti-depressants, tranquilisers or anti-psychotic drugs to try to conceal their distress.
Comments
Post a Comment