Pros And Cons Of Zoochosis

A zoo is collection of living animals usually for public display, in which, sometimes, employees don’t take care of the animals the way they should. Animals kept there are often sad and depressed, either because the area they are given is too limited for the space that animal needs, or because they were kidnapped from their natural habitats and family only to be inprisioned for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, those animals develop Zoochosis, an abnormal animal behavior caused by time in captivity, which most of the times turns out to be fatal. Zoochosis occurs as a result of boredom, depression, frustration, a lack of mental and physical enrichment, and removal from their natural habitat and social structures. Signs of zoochosis include:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

An enormous percentage of people see zoos as just an entertainment, and a place to go with your family and kids, but have you really sat down to think how animals feel when they are kidnapped from their natural habitat, and forced to live in cages for the rest of their lives? Probably, the answer to that previous question will be no. Zoos take down at least 30 animals per year, a figure too high, considering almost half of those 30 are just put down because they are too old or not attractive anymore, not because they are sick, or have any condition at all. Many of you will be concerned about this number, but there are some people who are uncommitted to the animal’s well-being, and just say that because in a zoo you have 2,000 animals, 30 a year is not a big fraction, but… does this really

You may be thinking that this doesn’t affect you in any way, but it does. Think about this: What would happen if bees go extinct? Nothing much, you may say, but it will be a huge impact on our lives. Why? Well, two of the main reasons are because bees pollinate a third of everything we eat and play a vital role in sustaining the planets ecosystems. This is an example of how some animals are more important than what we think. We have to protect our animals, because they play a significant role in our lives.
When you go to the zoo, you see animals who don’t feel comfortable with their environment, and who were taken away from their habitats (yes, there are still zoos that import animals from the wild). Did you know that in zoos 40% of lion cubs die before one month of age, while in the wild only 30% of cubs die, and almost one third of those deaths are due to factors which are absent in zoos, like predation? There are things zoos will not tell you.

RESEARCH QUESTION

How is a nature reserve a better suit for animal care than a zoo?

SUPPORTING RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• What are the similarities and differences between the two of them?
• Which are the living conditions in zoos and nature reserves?
• What happens to animals after going through zoos and nature