Several good reasons to close zoos (1 Viewer)

Andy Adcock · Dec 9, 2016

Some establishments do great work behind the scenes in species protection but some are totally unjustifiable. I don't know if this zoo runs any conservation projects or not but there seems to be a catalogue of errors here costing animals their lives and for what?

It isn't quite clear to me if all these incidents were at this one zoo?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38265025

A

jurek · Dec 9, 2016

This article, considerably better researched, shows that 86% of mammals live longer in zoos.

From the point of animal welfare at least, there are good reasons to keep as many animals in zoos as they can accommodate. Wild is very brutal place.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161107112635.htm
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep36361

AFeather · Dec 10, 2016

Animal welfare? Living longer doesn't mean they're better off,

'Carnivores show enhanced survival in zoos in our study, but are more susceptible to behavioural abnormalities'

Mysticete · Dec 12, 2016

I have no problem with steps to improve the care of animal welfare in captivity, but getting rid of zoos is something I absolutely am against

For starters...that means shuttering a lot of captive breeding programs. Many species would have already gone extinct were it not for efforts from zoos.

Secondly, for most folks zoos are basically the only access they will ever have to many of the wild animals on display. Out of sight out of mind applies to the public, and in this way zoos are probably the most effective way of educating the public about environmental threats and actually putting "a name to a face", for why people should care.

MJB · Dec 14, 2016

Mysticete said:
I have no problem with steps to improve the care of animal welfare in captivity, but getting rid of zoos is something I absolutely am against

For starters...that means shuttering a lot of captive breeding programs. Many species would have already gone extinct were it not for efforts from zoos.

Secondly, for most folks zoos are basically the only access they will ever have to many of the wild animals on display. Out of sight out of mind applies to the public, and in this way zoos are probably the most effective way of educating the public about environmental threats and actually putting "a name to a face", for why people should care.

Regarding your last paragraph, recently I've visited Adelaide and Melbourne zoos; both were packed out with schoolchildren of all ages from dozens of urban schools involved in learning more about the natural world. With few exceptions, they were utterly absorbed, especially about the captive breeding programmes and the reasons they were needed. The plight of the Orange-bellied Parrot was one of the many themes very well publicised.
MJB

Several good reasons to close zoos (1 Viewer)

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Andy Adcock

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