By: Jazmin Antinew
A lot of zoos and aquariums have been shut down by the government due to ethical reasons. Animals have been caged for people’s entertainment. As time has passed, people have become aware about how these animals are being treated and are taking action. Zoos prevent the animals from doing many natural things to their full extent like roaming around, flying, climbing and most of all being with their own kind of species. There are lots of animals that were killed due to captivity. An example is “Lolong”, a giant saltwater crocodile that was certified by the Guinness World Records as the biggest crocodile, died because of sickness. The tiny closure and very shallow pond caused the crocodile to endure stress that stopped eating a month before its death according to Rappler.com. It is a pity that animals like these that are not treated properly. Imagine what more animals out there that are captive and have encountered experiences like “Lolong”. Freedom is important to us humans, but also to animals; animals belong in the wild and not in cages. Like humans, animals too can have behavioral problems. A well known disorder called Zoochosis is the repetitive, disturbed behaviors that animals do in zoos. It’s said that it is similar to OCD such as bar biting, swaying, pacing, neck twisting, excessive grooming, vomiting and more which is stated by the Statesman. In zoos, lions spend 48% of their time pacing, a commonly noticed indication of behavioral problem. This shows that animals not only suffer physically, but also mentally. Wild animals in zoos die earlier rather than in the wild, due to isolation, and animals have limited space to move around. Most wild animals are chained in place and receive little exercise. They frequently become depressed and overweight making them unhealthy. For example, elephants in captivity die 40 years younger than elephants in the wild who can live up to 60-70 years according to One Green Planet. It’s ironic how people complain that animals are becoming extinct when we are also affecting their existence. The government did the right thing by closing the zoos. Animals are living creatures and not toys for anyone’s entertainment. Just like humans, they should have the right to be free.
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