Born To Be Wild

A zoo or wildlife park is a facility that houses different wild animals, so that people can take a close look at them while avoiding the risk of getting harmed, because as we know, they can be aggressive and may attack people if they feel threatened. A zoo also acts as a conservation facility that helps in increasing the population of endangered species, and a place that educates people to learn about wildlife, as well as the different factors that threaten their existence, such as habitat destruction, pollution, and animal trafficking. Things that we ourselves are the main cause of.

I've only gone to the zoo once in my life. It was on a school field trip when I was elementary, so the memories I have of that time are very vague, aside from the bird exhibition we watched at the end of the tour. During the exhibition, a bird which I believed to be a species of Parrot plays mini basketball, avoiding different obstacles and dunks it into the ring. As a child, I thought it was cool, but now that I've become an adult, I've started to have concerns about whether we should hold wild animals captive or should they remain in the wild.

Zoos may be seen as a safe haven for wild animals since they will be in an environment where they do not have to worry about food or threats from predators and if they get infected with a disease, they can get the treatment they need and as a result, they may live much longer in a zoo than in wild. However, it also resulted for them to become dependent on humans and slowly lose their wild instincts until eventually, they will no longer be able to survive in wild. What will happen then when suddenly, that animal loses that support? For example, a zoo monkey may be able to perform acrobatics, but without knowing how to forage for food in the forest, no amount of acrobatic tricks will help it to survive. At the same time, since they get attached to humans, they may think that every human they encounter will treat them the same, never expecting that they are animal poachers or may hunt them for sustenance.

I was also concerned with how the small spaces provided for each animal are a poor substitute for their natural habitats, leading to boredom and stress, especially when they are constantly watched by people. Like, for example, an aviary may have just enough space to let birds fly, but it can never be compared to a bird that freely flies across the sky, or no matter how big an aquarium is, it can never be compared to the vast ocean.

When it comes to wild animals being a human entertainment, I do not think that zoos can do much for them, because if people were not entertained by watching the animals, people would be less likely to try to educate themselves about wildlife, and also would be less likely to care whether they exist or not. Zoos also need funding so that they can continue to provide for the needs of the animals, so it is understandable that they need to make a profit through showcasing the animals.

However, I do not get why zoos will go to such lengths as exporting animals from other countries. If the only concern were for the conservation of wildlife, wouldn't animals that live naturally in your country be more than enough to educate the people? It's not like having to see a Lion at my local zoo will allow me to effectively help with their conservation, because for me to be able to do that, I first need to be able to fly to the country where Lions are native, so that was more like the job for the people of that country than me. My first priority should be the animals that share the same land with me, since I have more chances of influencing my government to preserve the animals' natural habitat than some foreign nation. Also, since these animals were exported, the chances of them ever returning to their original habitat will be almost zero.