Using Captive Breeding for Conservation of Exotic Animals: Are there Ethical Concerns? Imagine a hypothetical observance of an enclosed lion exhibit, proudly displayed in a local zoo. Stationed at the apex of a nearby hill is Tamarin, a spectacular example of an immaculate exotic animal, practicing his patience while playing with his cubs. Curiosity stimulates a concern for this animal. Does he enjoy inhabiting this place? How does he compare to his wildlife counterpart? Is it just and ethical to keep him here? Human-kept collections of exotic animals are certainly not just a contemporary practice, with such traditions extending back to Ancient Egyptian times (Warburton et al., 2012). Fast forward thousands of years, humans transitioned exotic
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Concerns associated with nutrition are extremely significant and involve questions such as: Are the animals receiving nutrients at a level that would provide optimal health and general function? Nutrition is integral to longevity, disease prevention, growth, and reproduction, however, it has garnered insufficient focus in earlier years of zoo conservation efforts (Dierenfeld, 1997). Historically, the diets of captive animals differ comprehensively in nutrient content from diets eaten by their wild counterparts (Cohn, 1992). Findings made by Dierenfeld (1997) and Cohn (1992) have been disputed by (Smith et al., 2014) in a study they conducted in 2014 with captive gorillas. The body weights of captive male and female gorillas, from 24 zoos, were compared to average published body weights of their free range counterparts. Average body weights of captive males were higher than that of their free range counterparts at 170.6kg vs. 157kg, and the average body weights of captive females were also higher at 86.1kg vs. 79.6kg (Smith et al., 2014). However, the same study indicated that captive gorillas were receiving significantly less levels of fiber than their free-ranging counterparts by about 20g per day (Smith et al, 2014). Keeping this in mind, all other nutrient levels were being met within captive animal diets, compared to their …show more content…
Several animal rights oriented critics of captive breeding and the reintroduction efforts of zoos, such as the advocacy organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), argue that captive breeding efforts are biased toward the breeding of “cute” animals of value to the public, rather than breeding for conservation purposes, and that such practices create surplus animals that are subsequently transferred to inferior facilities and exploited (Minteer and Collins, 2013). Simultaneously, there is a large number of the public that believes zoos are a place where animals are treated optimally, and a place where populations can be conserved (Davey, 2007). The public desires to be reassured by scientific data, in order to constitute the operation of captive breeding programs to improve conservation of the wildlife population (Davey,
Concerns associated with nutrition are extremely significant and involve questions such as: Are the animals receiving nutrients at a level that would provide optimal health and general function? Nutrition is integral to longevity, disease prevention, growth, and reproduction, however, it has garnered insufficient focus in earlier years of zoo conservation efforts (Dierenfeld, 1997). Historically, the diets of captive animals differ comprehensively in nutrient content from diets eaten by their wild counterparts (Cohn, 1992). Findings made by Dierenfeld (1997) and Cohn (1992) have been disputed by (Smith et al., 2014) in a study they conducted in 2014 with captive gorillas. The body weights of captive male and female gorillas, from 24 zoos, were compared to average published body weights of their free range counterparts. Average body weights of captive males were higher than that of their free range counterparts at 170.6kg vs. 157kg, and the average body weights of captive females were also higher at 86.1kg vs. 79.6kg (Smith et al., 2014). However, the same study indicated that captive gorillas were receiving significantly less levels of fiber than their free-ranging counterparts by about 20g per day (Smith et al, 2014). Keeping this in mind, all other nutrient levels were being met within captive animal diets, compared to their …show more content…
Several animal rights oriented critics of captive breeding and the reintroduction efforts of zoos, such as the advocacy organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), argue that captive breeding efforts are biased toward the breeding of “cute” animals of value to the public, rather than breeding for conservation purposes, and that such practices create surplus animals that are subsequently transferred to inferior facilities and exploited (Minteer and Collins, 2013). Simultaneously, there is a large number of the public that believes zoos are a place where animals are treated optimally, and a place where populations can be conserved (Davey, 2007). The public desires to be reassured by scientific data, in order to constitute the operation of captive breeding programs to improve conservation of the wildlife population (Davey,