Captive Breeding Essay

First of all, captive breeding has saved many species from endangerment and extinction. Many zoos and animal sanctuaries around the world have implicated programs like these, and they have become crucial to the continuation of many wild animal species. In these programs, biologists and zoologists work together to ensure successful breeding. They do this by removing predators from the animal’s life. By doing this, the danger factor is removed, and the species can grow and prosper. These programs are designed simply to develop the population of a species, and their main goal is to release them back into the wild where they can live a normal life. Researcher Julianne Couch comments that captive breeding has not only preserved genetic diversity, …show more content…
Some animals are better off living in a controlled environment so that they are safe. Most zoos, like the Baltimore Zoo, the Bronx Zoo, and the Detroit Zoo, have taken in animals that wouldn’t otherwise have a home. For instance, they have taken in polar bears from a travelling circus and an orphan snowleopard from Pakistan (Horton). In this example, the polar bears and the snowleopard, that were previously subject to a life of cruelty, would not be safe if they were released back into the wild. As they lived in captivity and had no knowledge of how to hunt or take care of themselves, they needed to be placed in the care of zookeepers so that they could live a better life. Now, instead of living in cages or performing for audiences, they can run around their habitat and bond with other members of their species. Other animals that often take refuge in zoos and sanctuaries are those that are being hunted or poached in the wild. Almost all species of animals are exploited for something: elephants are hunted for ivory, and tigers are hunted for their skin and bones. Even trees and marine life can be exploited. Not to mention, countless animals are sold as food and pets (“Illegal Wildlife Trade”). Although there are laws in place that try to protect animals from these harmful actions, they still occur, and it …show more content…
Without this important research, scientists would not know nearly as much about wild animal life, behavior, and preservation. Most, if not all zoos and animal sanctuaries, have biologists and zoologists on hand to perform research in order to care for the animals and learn more about them. These zoos conduct both in-situ research (where the species naturally occurs in the wild) and ex-situ research (an unnatural setting for the species) in order to further their knowledge of these wild animals (“Conservation research”). According to this data, zoos and animal sanctuaries are doing a lot to obtain knowledge about the animals that they care for. When they perform research in-situ, they might find out what a typical day for an animal in the wild might be; this can include what the animal eats, when they sleep, and how active they are. However, ex-situ research can be just as valuable, especially when dealing with marine life. A lot of research dealing with underwater life simply cannot be done in ocean conditions, so it is important that zoos and aquariums can conduct research in their facilities (Mannia). When this knowledge is obtained, scientists can figure out how to properly care for the animals they have in captivity, and also how to protect the species that currently live in the wild. This research has become very valuable and we would not know nearly as much about animals if zoos and animal sanctuaries did not perform this