In 2015, an orangutan who tried to escape was shot dead by keepers at Duisburg Zoo in Germany. In 2015, dozens of animals including lions, tigers, monkeys and crocodiles died from hunger or thirst at a zoo in the Gaza Stript. In 2012 a polar bear in Buenos Aires Zoo overheated and died. These are the types of occurrences that happen through the years in zoos around the world. We need to understand the negative impacts zoos have on animals.
Zoos are a huge problem in many places across the world, but there’s a lot more happening behind the scenes than you think. The truth is, that keeping animals in captivity is harmful for animals’ comfort and health. Despite people’s claims to care for animals, they are still suffering.
The stress and boredom that captive animals go through is one of the main problems. Small cages can cause unusual behavior and psychological suffering in animals that would usually wander in big areas. According to their statement in support of worldanimalprotection.us, Hannah Goldstein believes that, “The primary change is that animals lose some of their natural behaviors including food-finding, avoiding predators, and rearing young, and replace them with stereotypic, destructive behaviors brought on by chronic stress and boredom.”
Behaviors such as being self-destructive are one of the outcomes. Animals in cages are often seen gnawing on bars, or running headfirst into walls. In zoos most animals are clearly bored and stressed. Zoo animals are usually seen pacing back and forth. There are so many problems with zoos, and raising animals in cages is one of them.
Zoos are not normal for society, and the way animals are treated in them makes it clear why. Inspectors who looked at South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria, UK claim that “overcrowding, poor hygiene, poor nutrition, lack of suitable animal husbandry, and a lack of any sort of developed veterinary care” is the cause of the near 500 animal deaths in less than 4 years (animalsaustraliateam.org).
There are so many dangers faced by animals in zoos as a direct result of human behavior. For example, the animalsaustraliateam.org claims that in 2022 Eurasian lynx were killed by being choked by the catch pole during handling. In 2022 animals were trapped in zoos in Ukraine during the war, and were dying and unable to evacuate. Or in 2008 a leaked video showed a zookeeper had stabbed an elephant dozens of times with a sharp metal spike. In their natural environments or in sanctuaries this would have never happened. Animals should have the freedom to roam, hunt, and be able to engage in natural behaviors. Confining them in unnatural and unsafe places leads to suffering animals.
It seems that zoos are keeping animals for profit and human entertainment. This shows that some zoos prioritize human entertainment over the well-being of the animals.
Zoos may not have enough room or resources to properly take care of all the animals if there are too many. Especially for species that are used to living in tight communities, this can lead to animals being separated from others, which is stressful for them. Zoos sometimes sell their excess animals to other places, such as other zoos or circuses, safari parks, canned hunting ranches etc. In more severe but common situations, they might end up killing extra animals.
Many of us may remember when a young giraffe was killed at the Copenhagen Zoo in February 2014. Marius, an 18-month-old giraffe born at the Copenhagen Zoo, was in good health and was shot, killed, and fed to the lions in front of the public.
According to earthisland.org, Jacalyn Beales believes that, “Zoo animals are typically killed for two reasons: to control the population and manage ‘surplus animals,’ or to maintain genetic strength and diversity within a captive breeding program.” The problem of having too many animals in zoos really shows the upsetting truth of how zoos handle animals.
Zoos usually don’t provide the correct treatment for animals. Zoo animals are harmed by the treatment and suffering.