The debate for Zoos-Should they stay or should they go?

 London Zoo is famous worldwide as a vibrant, exciting and informative experience for the visiting public who wish to see and learn about wild animals. However, although the many staff work tirelessly to not only create a wonderful experience for visitors, but to also create enclosures that provide enough space and mental stimulation for the animals, it seems to me to not always be good enough. While visiting London Zoo (as well as others in England), I have seen signs that certain animals are not being completely catered for in terms of their environment; these signs being known as stereotypies.

Stereotypies are behavioural abnormalities that cause an animal, due to a lack of space and mental stimulation leading to mental boredom and/or frustration, to start repeating a certain motion over and over again. Pictured above is a Serval Cat that I saw at London Zoo a couple of years ago that would constantly walk up and down its enclosure (the trail it has created from this pacing is slightly visible to the right of it), probably due to the fact that this wild cat that would naturally live in a wide open savannah is being kept in quite a small enclosure. Although you can’t help but feel sorry for this cat that is being put under mental frustration, London Zoo is one of the leading Zoos when it comes to adequate enclosure design and healthy, functioning captive wildlife; and in many ways this cat is luckier than most.

When we look at other Zoos around the world, a bleaker story is revealed.

The many Seaworld sites around the world are home to a range of marine mammals, most famously Killer Whales, that exhibit stereotypic behaviours such as continuous circling around their tanks, a complete lack of movement for long periods, and viscous attacks on staff (watch the documentary Blackfish). This is due to the small enclosures which do not allow these large animals the ability to travel great distances in large areas as they would in their own natural habitats, therefore leading to the development of these behaviours.

There have also been cases, most notably in Central Park Zoo in the 1990s of a Polar Bear that would continuously swim in a figure 8 shape in the pool in its enclosure for hours on end due to ill-conceived and inappropriate enclosure conditions. Other stereotypic behaviours that have occurred due to bad environments in zoos include bar biting in Horses, wall licking in Giraffes, vomit eating in Gorillas and foot biting in Bears.

Due to the terrible conditions many animals all over the world are kept in, made obvious by stereotypic behaviours seen, Zoos are considered by many to be detrimental. Many wildlife organisations (such as PETA) claim that the educational benefits that are gained by visiting Zoos are not worth putting animals in unnatural conditions for, and should be banned. But in my opinion, there are many existing zoos that are carefully planned out and designed, providing the animals with space, mental stimulation and social interactions as well as a high quality of life. Of course there are also many that exploit the menagerie of animals in their care for the money, while keeping them in deplorable conditions, and of course these Zoos need improvement or should be shut down altogether.

Zoos achieve very little all according to some:

After years of hearing the many pro's and con's given about zoos by scientists, animal activists, vegans and general lovers of wildlife, one point keeps being brought up over and over.

"Zoo animals don't educate the public, they entertain them for a few hours until they go home." "The vast majority of the public aren't made to think about conservation issues and ways they can help. They are enjoying pointing at lions and monkeys, and will probably stop thinking about nature entirely once they leave."

 Now I agree, many people visit the zoo for fun as a day out, to see gorillas hanging from branches, and elephants stampeding around their enclosures. But when I was a child my parents used to take me to a number of zoos, and each time I went I became more and more fascinated by the many strange, colourful organisms before me. I would marvel at the intricate patterns of butterflies in the butterfly house, the long necks of the Giraffes, and the ugly faces of the bats, and I would have an urge to learn more about them. I truly believe that it was these many visits to zoos around Britain that has lead to me studying Zoology today, in the hopes that I will be able to conserve wildlife in the future.

Although as I highlighted above that certain Zoos, even the ones considered the most modern and advanced in terms of welfare, require certain improvements (which do occur continuously), they are very important for scientific research in topics ranging from animal behaviour, conservation science and veterinary science, as well as the captive breeding of species to aid dwindling wild populations. But in a world of increased human development, where millions are completely incapable of seeing wildlife and lose touch with the natural world, Zoos are also important as a reminder that other animals share our planet also. They deserve to be remembered, taken into account as part of our society as we make groundbreaking political decisions that could impact them, and appreciated for the incredible biological marvels that they are. And hopefully, as the public continue to visit these wonderful, exciting places portraying examples of the planets rich fauna, many more will start to take a real interest like I did. Start to read every piece of information the zoo has to offer and after leaving, go on to read more on nature in their own time, discovering more about them and the many threats they face. Until one day they discover they are hooked on the subject of zoology and wish to play a part in helping wildlife also.

The future of the Natural World depends on people like this, which is why the the future of the Natural World is partly dependent on zoos, and although improvements are definitely necessary, Zoos must always remain.

-Thomas Glen