Keeping wild animals captive needs to end

Imagine being held captive in a cage and you do not understand your keeper’s language. You wake up in the same glass box everyday. Well, we are doing this to animals that belong in the wild. Animals are captured and sold to zoos, where they are kept in small cages that rarely replicate their natural environments. This causes stress for the animals, zoos are overcrowded and can't provide enough room, and animals tend to die faster when kept in captivity. Zoos claim that being held captive helps them survive from predators, but other studies show that this isn't true for all animals. While some may flourish, others are dying. Ultimately, wild animals should not be kept in captivity.

Animals are being stressed out and suffering negative health consequences when held captive. This is causing serious health problems for animals in captivity. Animals such as elephants like lots of room to walk around in and to have a healthy balanced meal. Biologists are noticing that animals are dying of obesity because zoos feed animals regularly with little exercise. Stress is also caused at a very young age. Animals are torn from their mother as babies, causing stress, which is exacerbated when animals are moved from one zoo to another, often away from family members or friends. An article in The Guardian stated, “ Asian elephants born in captivity lived for 18.9 years...working elephants…survived 41.7 years.” This proves that elephants die due lack of exercise including other wildlife animals.

Zoos do not provide enough room for animals. Researchers are noticing the death of animals due to not having enough roaming room. The effects can start with animals at a very young age and last until the animal is very old. According to The New York Times, infant mortality and a tendency to pace around in the cage are signs of unbalanced mental stability. This is caused by lack of wide range for the animal. Scientist believed it’s pleasurable for animals to roam. Dr. Mason stated “...roaming makes their central nervous system develop properly.” If animals must be kept in cages, then zoos need to provide better mental stimulation for wide range animals. Overall, the negative side effects on mental health of animals kept in cages provides a compelling reason for changing this archaic practice.

Animals live longer in wild life rather than captivity. Animals are born to be wild and this limits their ability , including limiting their lifespan. Study shows that elephants live longer in the wild. They can live for 56 years in the wild but only 17 years in captivity. The main causes for the shorter lifespan, as alluded to in previous paragraphs, are obesity and stress. The lower life span is another reason why animals should not live in cages or captivity.

People may feel that animals are safer within a zoo due to what the see. Also that some animals survive inside zoos and thrive more than others. But with research there are animals dying , so why should the animals that do not cope with the zoo stay?

Zoos are to protect and prevent animals from being killed. Yet zoos standards aren't holding up. Zoos should release animals that struggle to stay alive in these zoos. Animal are just like humans and deserve a fighting chance to live.