Should Animals Be Kept In Zoos?

     Animals should not be kept in zoos. Animals should be out of  zoos rather than being in zoos. There are many reasons why animals should not be kept in zoos. For example it’s a matter of space, Quality of the environment and lastly animals are being killed and sold off. 

     First of all, zoos don’t have that much space. This is bad for animals. Elephants live three times longer in the wild than they do in the zoos. Lions reach speeds up to 58km/h when hunting. Lions spend 48 percent of their time pacing. Space for animals in zoos is obviously limited. Lions and other big cats have 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would in the wild. Also sharks often get injured when knocking their snouts into the tank walls.

    Another reason animals should not be kept in zoos is the quality of the environment. This is very harmful to many animals. Apes’ homes are exchanged with little playgrounds and climbing frames. Once in a zoo a fox had a little pit enclosure without the ability to dig, which they always do.  These enclosures have animals and they stay in there for a few days let alone years. Indoor enclosures are even worse, to fail the animals’ needs. They spend long hours. Light and sound also has negative effects on animals held in captivity.

    Lastly, animals are  killed and sold off. “Breeding programs in zoos eventually lead to the same animals being sold off to other zoos or worse -circuses.”  Baby animals attract more customers. “Once the small animals outgrow their “cute” phase the zoos have to get rid of them since feeding and housing them all can get expensive”, especially to other big animals such as elephants, giraffes and lions.

    As you can see animals should not be allowed in zoos for the reasons above. It’s a matter of space, Quality of the environment and lastly animals are being killed and sold off.  Animals seem happy in zoos but are they really? What side are you on?