Pros And Cons Of Keeping Animals In Captivity

Millions of people around the world enjoy going to the zoo. For most, it is a major part of their childhood and their early education. Some go only to see the animals and learn interesting facts about them; while others go to see how closely represented their zoo environment compares to their habitat in the wild. Then there are the ones that disagree or even despise the idea of keeping animals in zoos or in any kind of captivity. Even though people have their differences about these two issues, there are also some similarities that can be found between them.
The idea of keeping animals in captivity is definitely not a new one. Zoos have been around for decades and they have been popular for almost as long. Over the years, many disputes, debates, and discussions have been had about whether or not captivity and zoos are the best thing for the animals in them. First the pros. Some animals, more specifically endangered species, are not able to keep up a healthy population in the wild. This could be because of habitat destruction, climate change, poaching, or limited resources. In captivity, breeding is more convenient for the animals and records are taken to ensure that the population is increasing at a healthy and as close to the natural rate as possible. Also in …show more content…
They would coexist with humans and other animals of their habitat. In the wild, animals have almost unbounded space, natural resources, and a motivation of life that stems from competition and a constant hunt for food and mates. They are also able to mate at a natural rate and can evolve without humans having an effect. Migration is also only possible in the wild. When animals only have their enclosure, there is nowhere for them to migrate to or migrate away from. Resources that are completely natural can only be found in the wild. There are natural water sources and natural climates that are only made from the original