All About Animals discussion

How do you feel about wild animals in captivity? Do you feel there should be zoo's? Do you feel elephants should perform? Do you think this helps our children learn about animals?

To answer this I think I will copy and paste from a recent interview I did. There may be some animals who suit captivity and some situations where it can be of benefit to the animal but never never should any cetacean (whale or dolphin) be kept in captivity. This is what I said when I was asked about dolphin captivity in my interview:

"The thought of dolphins in confinement fills me with horror. Dolphins in the wild swim vast distances in a day, they dive deep to hunt and have a naturally clean environment with no walls to hold them in. They are joyous animals who revel in their freedom and their social and family networks. In confinement their lives are greatly shortened. Some die of pure depression. They are taught to do tricks by being starved for food until they co-operate.

It is the market for captive dolphins that funds the notorious Taiji dolphin drives in Japan, where dolphins are herded (by cruel processes) into a tiny cove. Then if they are pretty enough, they are torn from their beloved families and sold into slavery for vast sums of money, and the rest are slaughtered on the spot and sold as food. The method of killing is to drive a metal pin into their blowhole to try to minimize the amount of blood spillage (blood looks bad in photos.) It is a barbarous practice.

I ask myself who is most to blame for this? The answer is clear – any person who purchases a ticket to see captive dolphins or any person who stays at a hotel where dolphins are kept to entertain guests."

I am okay with zoos and sanctuaries for learning purposes. I do not agree with keeping animals captive for circus performances or the like. Zoos and sanctuaries ate somewhat like the animals normal habitat, however keeping animals for circus performances takes the animals completely out of their comfort zone. They are kept in enclosures that too small and aren't treated properly during training.

I agree with Melissa
I've seen SOME animals in SOME very spacious, expensive and well-planned zoos where I honestly felt they might be happy and probably preferred the protected life they had there to their more dangerous existence in the wild. But for me to agree with captivity the enclosure needs to be pretty darned large and well-designed and expensive. And as I said above, some animals should never be held captive.
We have a bird prison near us which keeps perfectly innocent beautiful native falcons in a cage where these swiftest, bravest proudest of all birds, can do no more than look up at their beloved sky through a wire mesh. Heartbreaking.

I only agree with captivity when the animals have a large, spacious enclosure with lots of natural habitat and if they don't like people do not let people surround their enclosure all day. It also depends heavily on whether the animal is happy or not.

Unfortunately, these days, we need wild animals to be kept in captivity to assure the survival of their species...that does not, however, include private collections and so-called sanctuaries (most of the times).

I am thinking more of the "Wild Animal Park" and its associated San Diego Zoo. Both are great animal rescue and research centers and I have spent a lot of time in both (sigh--wish I'd still be there)...

I don't really like the parks/zoos with animals in cages. Animals should be free. the only thing is if the animal is hurt or is endangered then yeah maybe. But animals should be free. CAGE FREE!

Zoos with more open habitats are ok for me. I do NOT like circuses and other performing animal shows. And I do NOT think wild animals should be kept as pets

Terri wrote: "Zoos with more open habitats are ok for me. I do NOT like circuses and other performing animal shows. And I do NOT think wild animals should be kept as pets"
Did you see on the Internet the other day about a poor Circus elephant that got shot in a drive by shooting. It was shot in the shoulder and they expect it to be okay. It was just standing in the inclosure. Sad what people will do.

I'm normally very much against caged animals but the huge animals in this video are clearly having few complaints. Perhaps their conditions of captivity allow for greater contentment. This is one big cross-species love-in and the human involved clearly knew and loved these animals well and it is reciprocated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiJuP...

Terrible things are done to animals in zoos by humans viewing them. Animals are frequently fed dangerous objects and substances. They are often tormented also.

If any animal is to be on display it MUST be adequately protected from the zoo's most dangerous animal of all - that's the animal from the species you see whenever you look in the mirror.

A few iron bars might be enough to prevent the animal's escape but is often not sufficient to stop human monsters from feeding through apples with razor blades in them - that kind of thing. That is true cruelty of course. But simple human ignorance can be just as dangerous. People have killed zoo animals by giving food which is normal for some species but toxic to others.

A lot of this is covered quite well in the first few chapters in the fiction story "Life of Pi." The author is actually arguing in favour of zoos but manages to convince me of the opposite, by describing so clearly some documented cases of human cruelty and ignorance causing death and suffering to zoo animals. Life of Pi is a great read for so many reasons.

I think national parks would be a much better alternatives than zoos. It would let the animal live in their habitat (with minor annoyance from human visitors) and the humans can observe the animals in how they really live (not caged and fattened and trained)

I AGREE WITH ANNY! WHOLEHEATEDLY!

But when there's no national parks anywhere within a reasonable distance, a zoo would be your only other options to let children see real animals (not from tv/computer). In that case, it would be heaven-sent if the zoo is the kind that prioritize the animal welfare.

I love zoos as long as animals have big habitats and companionship. I think animals lives are pretty good if not better in them than in the wild these days. We (NC) have an excellent zoo. If animals were only in their natural habitats only the very rich could afford to see them or take their kids to see them.

I am very against people owning wild animals, tigers, chimps, elephants, deer, racoons and such. They are not domesticated animals and bad things can happen when people try to keep them as a family pet. Usually the animal attacks out of fear or mistrust, a human is hurt and the animal gets put down!

I agree BC. I do not agree with wild animals being kept as pets EVER.
Because of loss of habitat, it is unfortunatly necessary that we have zoos. I don't have a problem with zoos that have open habitats and enough space for their animals to roam somewhat freely, but I would NEVER go to a zoo that still uses cages.
I remember going to the Bronx Zoo when I was little (in the 70's) and their animals were caged, but now it's all open, it's clean, the animals seem to be in good health physically and mentally, the employees are VERY educated and there are plenty of educational programs that the zoo promotes.
@ Bonni - I was in NC a few years ago and went to your zoo. It is very impressive.

It is another thing when you see wild animals in the wild, in Kenya for example. The giraffes have a luxurious looking coat and they almost seem to have a smile on their face. Even the lions, wildebeest, and Water Buffalo seem to have a presence that far exceeds one's expectations after seeing only the animals in the local zoo. Hopefully we can protect these species through international programs protecting nature preserves!!!

Florida has a real problem with people letting loose the python snakes (that are not native to florida) when the snake gets too big to keep.

Bonnie wrote: "I love zoos as long as animals have big habitats and companionship. I think animals lives are pretty good if not better in them than in the wild these days. We (NC) have an excellent zoo. If animal..."

Zoos have come a long way (most anyway) from the small cages animals used to be in. Nowadays though most zoos try to help endanger species with education!

I am so outraged by what Sea World has done to dolphins and whales. And now former employees are speaking out. Anyone who goes to Sea World or promotes it is an accomplice in their cruelty.

My heart breaks for the family of those two boys that were killed by the snake that got out of the cage at the pet store in Canada! The apartment was above a pet store and the snake got up there they believe through the vent and killed these poor kids. I believe they didn't even live there, they were just visiting or sleeping over! So Sad!

Having wild animals isn't always bad. :(

i agree with melissa on how to keep wild animals in zoos but i dont think we should have dangerous wild animals like lions or snakes that could get out in a minute but having pandas and birds are ok. And yes i do think having zoos is a great way to learn but we as people just need to be careful on what animals we let into our zoos and houses. Also i do think it is ok to have elephants we just need to make sure to tame them well.

I hate how circus animals are kept up in trailer size cages from one show to the next. No way to live! I don't go to circus that has animals because I do not want to support this. I realize for circus performers many this is a way of life and generational, but with education nowadays we just cant except animals meant to be in open spaces to be locked up in small space cages!.

I have worked as a volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand and I strongly believe now that elephants should not be domesticated. They are essentially wild animals and because of their size,intelligence and family based social structure; they always suffer when domesticated. Traditional Asian methods of training baby elephants are cruel. They involve separation from mothers, sleep and food deprivation and beatings to teach them to fear the prong and make them manageable.
I quote from chapter 1 The Elephants Picnic in my new book: OF MICE & ZEN, ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS IN THE LIFE OF A WANDERING BUDDHIST. Details free download of the whole chapter and Intro can be found on GOODREADS or on AMAZON....
"Some elephant experts, such as Joyce Poole, argue that there should be no domesticated
elephants. They argue that they should not be captured from the wild and raised in captivity.
I agree with this view; and in fact wild elephant capture was made illegal in Thailand in 1957.
In addition they oppose the domestic breeding of elephants for use in trekking, elephant
shows and zoos, on the basis that training and restraint of domestic elephants, even when not
intentionally harsh or cruel, is inherently against the nature of the elephant, which is
fundamentally a wild animal, and should have the freedom to roam in nature in its family
herd, not restricted and controlled by humans. In principle, I agree with this too, but it still
leaves the problem of what to do with the existing population of domestic elephants, which in
Thailand consists of about 3,500 animals. These still need to be cared for. The only facility
which gives former domesticated elephants a life of freedom coming as close as possible to
the life of wild elephants, with reduced human contact and no chains or riding, is the
Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai Province. This sanctuary takes care of about thirty
elephants, and is rescuing more as funds become available. Given that the domesticated
elephant population in Thailand is over 3,000 then a lot more sanctuaries like this would
have to be funded. As always, the crucial reason for the retention of domestic elephants is
money. Trekking, and performing elephants in shows, and even elephants in zoos, are big
income generators, drawing Thai and foreign tourists. Unless tourists can be educated not to
support this commercial exploitation of elephants, then the elephants will continue to be
bred and trained. Mercifully, begging elephants are now illegal in the streets of Bangkok and
other Thai cities, and local government supported projects are under way to help mahouts
and their elephants return to Surin and settle in the traditional elephant villages, and still
retain an income based on the attracting of tourists to these rural locations. Not ideal
perhaps, but better than seeing elephants suffering as they beg in polluted and noisy cities.
The wild elephant population of Thailand is about 3,000 animals in isolated herds in the National Parks.

I haven't read all of the comments but I think that often people's talk to generally on this topic. Keeping an elephant in a small enclosure is cruel, keeping an elephant in a large expanse of land is not. I keep snakes as pets in suitable size enclosures and I don't deem that to be cruel, but some people may disagree. Some animals are more suited to captivity than others, and even those that aren't can often thrive in captivity when given the correct enclosure and husbandry by someone with the relevant knowledge and experience.

So I'm not against wild animals in captivity, but I would agree on many of the points that others have made. I don't agree with elephants performing in circuses or whales kept in small enclosures (or perhaps at all for that matter, I really don't know enough about whales to comment although it does seem cruel on first impression) and I'm sure many other matters.

Tui wrote: "I agree with Melissa
I've seen SOME animals in SOME very spacious, expensive and well-planned zoos where I honestly felt they might be happy and probably preferred the protected life they had there..."

I 100% agree.

I believe animals should be protected and be able to live in the wild. Zoos aren't good for any animal, there is no need to see them in the wild today as we have wonderful animal documentaries.

SometimesIWonder wrote: "I only agree with captivity when the animals have a large, spacious enclosure with lots of natural habitat and if they don't like people do not let people surround their enclosure all day. It also ..."

I agree with this 100% and I think all the animals should have appropriate toys, and such to interact /exercise with.
The Memphis Zoo is way ahead of the boring Cleveland Zoo in that area.

No "performing" for the circus or any audience, however.

I can understand animal sanctuaries where people are taking in abused or hurt animals. But I do not like zoos or wild animals kept for any purpose. Not unless it is a wild animal that is an outdoor animal and someone made it into a pet, but it has to have its freedom. The same with dogs and cats.

I was doing some research on why animals should not be kept in zoos essay for my college assignment when I came across to this post and the comments from you guys make me put some of my thoughts here, I believe common conditions, for example, atmosphere, living space, and bolstering can't be appropriately reproduced, and zoos need adequate space to duplicate a characteristic Brown bear condition, give an ordinary social balance of the species, or keep up a solid quality pool requested by regular determination. Zoos in this manner trade off hostage creatures' odds of fruitful presentation into nature.