Picture being confined within a cramped metal enclosure with nowhere to go and no one to be with, like a prison, except their own actions aren’t the reason they’re there. Psychologically, feeling frustrated and longing to be freed into their appropriate setting. To an extent, animal captivity has both pros and cons. The animals we view as a form of entertainment can be seen as “trapped”. However, are they kept entertained in a “tame” environment?
Animal captivity is defined as a situation in which an animal is kept someplace and not able to leave. It has become more popular as attractions such as zoos, aquariums, and circuses stay open to the public eye. Us humans validate these circumstances the animals are in by feeding into the appeal aspect of entertainment for the youth. The gaze of the public is what keeps these places open and the animals in cages, but digging deeper into the situation there are some questionable qualities that apply to captivity in general. To an extent, animal captivity has its pros and cons. But where can we draw the line?
To begin, animal captivity can apply to sanctuaries and rehabilitation facilities that capture endangered or hurt animals to heal or protect those who need it. This can be seen as a plus since they’re trying to help animals that most likely cannot survive in the wild due to injury or outside circumstances. Some facilities can even engage in breeding programs of the endangered species to increase damaged populations, but that isn’t always the case unfortunately. According to an ecologist, “I’m very skeptical that a lot of these captive breeding programs have any practical relevance to conserving species..” said Mickey Pardo.
Although some zoos may say they engage in this activity, it may not always be the complete truth. Captive breeding is a difficult process because the replication of natural circumstances such as those in the wild may not be introduced. The limited housing space and high cost also plays a huge part since animals in captivity typically have a much smaller amount of space compared to in the wild.
Even though zoos and similar facilities can give animals certain healing needs the wild cannot, the one argument you cannot disagree with is the amount of limited space the animals have. For example, lions and tigers that can be typically found in zoos have around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would have in the wild. Polar bears which are used to colder temperatures yet are found in zoos in tropical places such as Florida have about 1,000,000 times less space in captivity than in the wild. Also to mention, there are some wild aspects such as icebergs or jungle-like features that cannot be replicated in a captive setting.
Looking back into the positives of captivity, many animals have been seen to have a longer lifespan than in the wild. Why is that though?
Animals in captivity are found to have longer life spans due to protection from external sources such as natural weather events, predators in the wild, and in cases of injury they can be treated urgently. This can be seen as a pro to animal captivity, however it does neglect the idea of their “wild” tendencies.
Experiencing several different locations, specifically in the state of Florida has opened my eyes to the world of captivity. Locally, to Marco Island Academy, “The Naples Zoo”, which I have visited, houses up to 70 different species of animals and offers rehabilitation for animals that may need it. This includes a rather tragic story of a panther named “Uno”, who survived a shotgun blast to the face and could no longer survive in the wild. In circumstances such as that, this is where animal reserves such as “The Naples Zoo” come in handy to have in this area, especially since panther populations are depleting and it is important to care for these animals.
On the other hand, while I was looking around the zoo, I noticed the inadequate space these animals have in each enclosure. For example, the lion’s cage which I would assume was around 300 square feet. Which as stated previously is far too small for that creature. This goes back to the cons of animal captivity.
Going back and forth between what is right and what is wrong can last till eternity. Understanding the issues with supporting facilities that are using the animals for entertainment and others that rightfully healing endangered animals in need is important to acknowledge. After all, these animals are just like us, except they don’t get a voice.
