Animal Captivity
Tilikum, an orca whale who had been kept in captivity for thirty-three years, passed away on January 6, 2017 at SeaWorld Orlando (Sanchez, 2017). He was imprisoned his entire lifetime to entertain the public, eventually growing so frustrated he caused the deaths of three people (“Blackfish,” 2013). Despite clearly not being fit to be kept in captivity, the only freedom Tilikum found was in death. His story was made popular by the documentary “Blackfish,” which raised many questions for the public about how animals are being treated in captivity, and whether they belong there in the first place. A closer look into the lives of captive animals reveals centuries of health, behavioral, and psychological problems. It is found that …show more content…
Especially of concern are animals who must perform for the public at circuses and other parks. It is found that these animals are often abused by their trainers, live in deplorable conditions, and often spend long periods of time traveling without sufficient water, food, air conditioning, or heating (Evans, 2010). The same can also be true for zoo animals. In 2010, complaints were filed against the Philadelphia Zoo for the inhumane conditions its elephants were living in. The elephants, Kallie and Bette, were often confined in a small barn, and suffered from lack of water and stimulating activities (Harold, 2010). Another issue concerning the living conditions of animals is the amount of room they have in their enclosures. Many of these animals are taken from their natural habitats to live in cramped quarters where they simply do not have room to thrive. This problem of being confined to such small spaces has been known to cause health, behavioral, and reproductive problems (Evans, 2010). Imprisoning animals to live in small enclosures where they may not get the proper care necessary to live is immoral and
Tilikum, an orca whale who had been kept in captivity for thirty-three years, passed away on January 6, 2017 at SeaWorld Orlando (Sanchez, 2017). He was imprisoned his entire lifetime to entertain the public, eventually growing so frustrated he caused the deaths of three people (“Blackfish,” 2013). Despite clearly not being fit to be kept in captivity, the only freedom Tilikum found was in death. His story was made popular by the documentary “Blackfish,” which raised many questions for the public about how animals are being treated in captivity, and whether they belong there in the first place. A closer look into the lives of captive animals reveals centuries of health, behavioral, and psychological problems. It is found that …show more content…
Especially of concern are animals who must perform for the public at circuses and other parks. It is found that these animals are often abused by their trainers, live in deplorable conditions, and often spend long periods of time traveling without sufficient water, food, air conditioning, or heating (Evans, 2010). The same can also be true for zoo animals. In 2010, complaints were filed against the Philadelphia Zoo for the inhumane conditions its elephants were living in. The elephants, Kallie and Bette, were often confined in a small barn, and suffered from lack of water and stimulating activities (Harold, 2010). Another issue concerning the living conditions of animals is the amount of room they have in their enclosures. Many of these animals are taken from their natural habitats to live in cramped quarters where they simply do not have room to thrive. This problem of being confined to such small spaces has been known to cause health, behavioral, and reproductive problems (Evans, 2010). Imprisoning animals to live in small enclosures where they may not get the proper care necessary to live is immoral and