On the Morality of Zoos

Introduction:

Zoos are a controversial matter. They are criticised for being an unethical concept, but are justified as being ways of conservation, research, and education about animals. I found this contrast interesting, how such seemingly noble reasons exist with horrifying claims of animal cruelty over the same plane. There are many stakeholders as well, whose opinions contradict others'. This dynamic makes zoos amorphous, as there is not one concrete ruling on it. This is what I found interesting - the various scientific and moral aspects, which I wanted to explore in order to make a more definite delineation of zoos.

Analysis of Perspectives:

The role of zoos has fluctuated in the past, with them originally being menageries for the wealthy, status symbols within the aristocracy. Eventually, these menageries transformed into hubs for scientific research. Finally, in the 20th century, the opening of the London Zoo, led to a surge of institutions that sought to entertain and simultaneously educate the people while providing good living conditions for its animals.

A viewpoint on zoos used to justify them, is that they help prevent extinction. This is true to some extent, for they have. For example the Arabian Oryx was exploitatively hunted, and nearly wiped out entirely, but was miraculously saved because of the conservation efforts of the Phoenix Zoo. The Corroboree Frog, that was on the brink of extinction due to a fungus disease, was able to repopulate through the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.[1]

A study conducted by Newcastle University and BirdLife International, researched into the number of bird and mammal extinctions that conservation efforts were able to save from extinction, and how establishing an official goal affected the progress. Results showed that extinction rates would have been 12-26 times higher for 2010-2020 if not for conservation efforts.

The study proved that an established sense of direction, by an unquestionable authority on a matter, such as the UN, boosts effectiveness. Though, the phrase, ‘conservation efforts’ is rather open-ended. While one cannot deny the role of zoos in conservation efforts, one also cannot necessarily assume zoos to have been the champions for the cause. It cannot justify the keeping of other birds and mammals whose population are not thinning out, that would still have a thriving habitat to return to. This raises a point, as to the folly in the claim of saving endangered species, and its impact on other stable species. According to Damian Aspinall, a British conservationist, 70-75% of animals in European Zoos, are not threatened in the wild, and only 5% are critically endangered.[2]

Born Free and Freedom for Animals, are respectively, an international charity that campaigns against the keeping of wild animals in captivity and an organisation that has supported the abolition of zoos for several decades. Upon studying zoos in England and Wales, they concluded that only “a small percentage of their animals were endangered, and only about 15% are threatened”.[3] Hence, these statistics do make one wonder the legitimacy in the claim of conservation, for it would serve as an excuse to garner a larger variety, therefore garner more visitors and attraction. Moreover, a large number of zoos and organizations are ‘non-profit’. Though many provide community activities, aimed for the general betterment for the education of people and well-being of the animals, the evidence does point to the perspective of whether the phrase ‘non-profit’ is to an extent, a façade, for at the end of the day all these groups must make revenue.

One viewpoint used to justify zoos, is the case of education of the general public; to spread awareness about animals’ welfare, habitat loss, and conservation. Contrary to this perspective, a report published in the ‘Conservation Biology’ (a scientific journal) researching how much children truly absorb after a trip to the zoo, displayed different overarching patterns.[4] 2,800 children, following visits to the London Zoo, were surveyed, about what they learned, which resulted with 38% showing positive outcomes, and 16% showing negative learning. The 22% difference is good yet the 46% of children still remain unaffected. It points to the experiential factor of education in zoos being almost obsolete.

Dr. Chris Draper, the Head of Animal Welfare and Captivity of BornFree said, “Today, people get more from a TV nature documentary than they will ever get from seeing animals in zoos. In captivity, an elephant or a giraffe is out of its natural environment and probably in an unnatural social grouping. Television or the internet are much better resources for understanding animals.” The formerly mentioned, Damian Aspinall, also believes similarly, stating, “David Attenborough’s programs are far more educational than a day trip to a zoo.” On the other hand, Attenborough disagreed, to an extent. “There is no way you can appreciate the quiddity of an elephant except by seeing one at close quarters,” he said. Attenborough added, “People ought to be able to see what an animal looks like.”. He feels that zoos are justified as long as they are scientific, selective (being aware of a species’ compatibility in the context of a zoo, and focusing on threatened species for breeding programs, and not blindly showcasing animals), and that they provide the highest possible standards.[5]

However, zoos aren’t always committed to well-being of the animals and maintain only a semblance of high standards . A respected organisation that unites zoos and aquariums globally, WAZA, (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums), was accused of 75% of its approximately 1214 members, allowing for at least one visitor interaction that is damaging mental and physically to the creatures. The report wrote of performances, observed from 12 of WAZA’s zoos, for example, elephants performing in shows with props in Japan,[6] and being ridden in Canada, to orangutans in human clothes, being used as a photo prop in the Philippines. WAZA denied all claims made. This displays the perception of animals, simply existing as modes of entertainment.

From the national perspective, zoos aren’t well maintained. In 1982, the Delhi Zoo was given the status of National Zoological Park, deeming it the model zoo of the country. However, a study from 2019 showed the animal mortality rate from 2018-2019 was more than double of 2018. It is also nearly 4 times the globally accepted mortality rate of 5%.[7] Moreover, a series of discrepancies was shown, when it was uncovered that the annual mortality count sent to the Central Zoo Authority, India’s government body for the oversight of zoos, stated 75 animals, when in reality it was 91.[8] Along with further discrepancies in reports, the number of animals missing or dead not mentioned is over 50. This highlights the failure to maintain standards in zoos. While this may not be the case for all zoos at the national level, this information shows a worrying lack of care for the animals.

Now, for arguably the most important perspective - the animals’. In good zoos, animals may very well be happy, as they have all the resources they need. But the fact is that zoos are not their natural habitat, hence they can’t behave as they would normally. That leads to major stress, and negatively impacts their mental and physical state. This leads to a mental illness known as ‘zoochosis’, which is essentially the stereotypic behaviour of animals in captivity characterised by a paradigm of invariant actions with no goal. Examples are rocking and circling, to self-mutilation and coprophilia.[9]

From that perspective, perhaps releasing these animals back into the wild would make sense. But things are not that simple. In the wild, animals are in a constant game of survival, where they must continually search for food and water (unlike in zoos), and are paired with the brutally rigid nature of the wild. Moreover, animals in zoos are not just picked up from the wild, if that were true, reintroduction would work, as they’d have their natural instincts and would know how to implement them and survive. But nowadays, animals in zoos are transferred from other zoos. They breed, are born, and live their entire lives in zoos. They are conditioned to being dependent on humans, hence their survival instincts are numbed.

Courses of Action:

Zoos have existed for so long, that trying to reset it, is very hard. Therefore, reintroduction is a precarious path to choose. Especially since each species is different, thus they must be conditioned differently. For example, it is possible with lions, but the scenario of polar bears is problematic.[10] Hence, one course of action would be to sort the compatible species, and investigate the technicalities of reintroduction. It would take an enormous amount of effort to make viable, thus, only possible in the long term.

Zoos should focus on being a safe haven for animals, and not a source of entertainment for humans. To combat the variation between zoos, a single standard must be established, to make sure all maintain a level of care and devotion to the animals, so that they can lead somewhat fulfilling lives and not be ill-treated. They should be highly selective in the animals that live there, preferably hosting threatened species, and if any others, those that are of least concern, according to the IUCN’s red list, and would be able to lead healthy lives in a zoo

Investment should be made in the promotion of wildlife reserves and sanctuaries, and the transition of animals to national parks, and the aforementioned kinds, so that they do not break the food chain, but can still be monitored and researched, even better in fact for they would be closest to their natural state.

Source Analysis:

All the studies and papers from universities, maintain some sense of neutrality, as they have no reason to have biases or vested interests. The study by Newcastle University, was extremely thorough and primarily based all analysis strictly on the data.

Several of my sources, such as the report on children’s absorption of information from zoos, are studies conducted by experts. All the authors had academic training in their fields and their expertise makes the sources more reliable.

However, a number of sources I have used are from organisations that promote animal welfare, hence a large proportion were against zoos. This means there are likely heavy biases, that could have affected the content. On the other hand, majority of the information utilised were facts, that could be proven to be correct.

The oldest source was a study about the educational impact of zoos.[11] The relevance of the study’s results may have diminished in the 7 years post its publication. But other than the aspect of its time, the methods and analysis were all very thorough, hence still adding some legitimacy to the arguments made.

Conclusion:

In the beginning, I did have a strong bias against zoos. However, it did reduce, not as a result of support for zoos, but out of the realisation that the scenario is such that zoos must be part of the solution. They have existed for too long, and their roots grow too deep into today’s world, to simply be ripped out. Doing so, would have detrimental effects.

Personally, I believe that zoos are not entirely bad in concept if executed to their full potential - where conservation, research and animal welfare are priorities. Animals can be happy if they are cared for and respected and if they aren’t thought of just as means of entertainment. Unfortunately the line between zoos and menageries are blurred, which cannot be excused.

To conclude, yes, I believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. However, condemning zoos, is only damaging to those few organisations that have tried to respect and care for animals to the highest degree and utilise the opportunity to research animals and their unknown characteristics. Then again, the amount of zoos that are cruel and disobey the concept of being humane is staggering. But change can only take place, when people understand the right, the wrong, and the gray areas of each problem.

Works Cited:

Aspinall, Damian, The Independent, 14 August 2019, ’Zoos are outdated and cruel – it’s time to make them a thing of the past’, www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/zoos-cruel-wildlife-conservation-species-a9056701.html. Accessed 04 April, 2021

BBC, ‘Port Lympne's gorilla Djala and family join wild primates in Gabon’, 25 June 2014, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-28002427. Accessed 04 April 2021

Bolam, Friderike C., et al, Newcastle University and BirdLife International, How many bird and mammal extinctions has recent conservation action prevented?, 09 September 2020, www.conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12762. Accessed 26 March 2021

BornFree, ‘Stereotypic Behaviour: Zoochosis’, www.bornfree.org.uk/zoochosis/. Accessed July 08

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Zoo". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Feb. 2020, www.britannica.com/science/zoo. Accessed 20 June 2021.

Cormier, Zoe, BBC Earth, ‘Can captive animals ever truly return to the wild?’, 14 April 2021, www.bbcearth.com/news/can-captive-animals-ever-truly-return-to-the-wild. Accessed 22 April

Fobar, Rachel, National Geographic, ‘Hundreds of zoos and aquariums accused of mistreating animals’, 15 August 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/waza-zoos-accused-of-mistreating-animals-wap-report. Accessed 15 April 2021

Jensen, Eric, Conservation Biology, ‘Evaluating Children’s Conservation Biology Learning at the Zoo’, March 2014, www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Jensen-4/publication/261254556_Evaluating_Children%27s_Conservation_Biology_Learning_at_the_Zoo/links/59d41c5c0f7e9b4fd7ffc9d7/Evaluating-Childrens-Conservation-Biology-Learning-at-the-Zoo.pdf?origin=publication_detail. Accessed 8 April 2020

Johnson, Amy, Yahoo News, ‘Sir David Attenborough on why he believes some zoos can be 'justified', 19 December 2020, www.uk.news.yahoo.com/david-attenborough-zoos-a-perfect-planet-bbc-070400427.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLmluLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAK3YYOlhAgtznAoCx9P4vXz1VocIYoxe6obBCh3Ww7tGCGiODl37uw3jKjKW9DEwFrpTEp7DTit2SYw2tjefXevZT9mrC4BjCDNkIrrLUJeLizWH9A9uF5OxGlnFBb-g7lBiAVLIn1VqsojD4BxM4Qn8juMhHHYhNKUofpJHgbgz. Accessed 04 April 2021

Mazoomdaar, Jay, Indian Express, ‘To dress up its report card, Delhi Zoo buried at least 50 animal deaths’, 23 May 2018, www.indianexpress.com/article/india/to-dress-up-its-report-card-delhi-zoo-buried-at-least-50-animal-deaths-5187472/, Accessed 18 April 2021

McKie, Robin, The Guardian, ‘Is it time to shut down the zoos’, 02 February 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/02/zoos-time-shut-down-conservation-education-wild-animals. Accessed on 04 April 2021

Singh, Kinkar Ram, India Today, ‘Why Delhi zoo is losing its rare species’, 30 October 2019, www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/why-delhi-zoo-is-losing-rare-species-1613912-2019-10-30. Accessed 18 April 2021

Taronga Conservation Society Australia, ‘10 endangered species saved from extinction by zoos’ 02 May 2019, www.taronga.org.au/news/2017-05-22/10-endangered-species-saved-extinction-zoos. Accessed 25 March 2021

United Nations, ‘Convention on Biodiversity’ 22 May 2021, www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day/convention, accessed 22 May 2021

World Animal Protection, ‘The Show Can’t Go On’, www.worldanimalprotection.org/waza. Accessed 15 April 2021

[1] Taronga Conservation Society Australia, ‘10 endangered species saved from extinction by zoos’ 02 May 2019, www.taronga.org.au/news/2017-05-22/10-endangered-species-saved-extinction-zoos. Accessed 25 March 2021

[2] Aspinall, Damian, The Independent, 14 August 2019

’Zoos are outdated and cruel – it’s time to make them a thing of the past’, www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/zoos-cruel-wildlife-conservation-species-a9056701.html. Accessed 04 April, 2021

[3] McKie, Robin, The Guardian, ‘Is it time to shut down the zoos’, 02 February 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/02/zoos-time-shut-down-conservation-education-wild-animals. Accessed on 04 April 2021

[4] Jensen, Eric, Conservation Biology, ‘Evaluating Children’s Conservation Biology Learning at the Zoo’, March 2014, www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Jensen-4/publication/261254556_Evaluating_Children%27s_Conservation_Biology_Learning_at_the_Zoo/links/59d41c5c0f7e9b4fd7ffc9d7/Evaluating-Childrens-Conservation-Biology-Learning-at-the-Zoo.pdf?origin=publication_detail. Accessed 8 April 2020

[5] Johnson, Amy, Yahoo News, ‘Sir David Attenborough on why he believes some zoos can be 'justified', 19 December 2020, www.uk.news.yahoo.com/david-attenborough-zoos-a-perfect-planet-bbc-070400427.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLmluLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAK3YYOlhAgtznAoCx9P4vXz1VocIYoxe6obBCh3Ww7tGCGiODl37uw3jKjKW9DEwFrpTEp7DTit2SYw2tjefXevZT9mrC4BjCDNkIrrLUJeLizWH9A9uF5OxGlnFBb-g7lBiAVLIn1VqsojD4BxM4Qn8juMhHHYhNKUofpJHgbgz. Accessed 04 April 2021

[6] World Animal Protection, ‘The Show Can’t Go On’,www.worldanimalprotection.org/waza. Accessed 15 April 2021

[7] Singh, Kinkar Ram, India Today, ‘Why Delhi zoo is losing its rare species’, 30 October 2019, www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/why-delhi-zoo-is-losing-rare-species-1613912-2019-10-30. Accessed 18 April 2021

[8] Mazoomdaar, Jay, Indian Express, ‘To dress up its report card, Delhi Zoo buried at least 50 animal deaths’, 23 May 2018, www.indianexpress.com/article/india/to-dress-up-its-report-card-delhi-zoo-buried-at-least-50-animal-deaths-5187472/. Accessed 18 April 2021

[9] BornFree, ‘Stereotypic Behaviour: Zoochosis’, www.bornfree.org.uk/zoochosis/. Accessed July 08

[10] Cormier, Zoe, BBC Earth, ‘Can captive animals ever truly return to the wild?’, 14 April 2021, www.bbcearth.com/news/can-captive-animals-ever-truly-return-to-the-wild. Accessed 22 April

[11] Jensen, Eric, Conservation Biology, ‘Evaluating Children’s Conservation Biology Learning at the Zoo’, March 2014, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Jensen-4/publication/261254556_Evaluating_Children%27s_Conservation_Biology_Learning_at_the_Zoo/links/59d41c5c0f7e9b4fd7ffc9d7/Evaluating-Childrens-Conservation-Biology-Learning-at-the-Zoo.pdf?origin=publication_detail. Accessed 8 April 2020

Image Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/nov/27/roadside-zoos-america-animal-cruelty-welfare