My name is Natalie Quinn and I am a zookeeper at The New Zoo in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Citizens hold many different opinions about zoos. Some people say that zoos are cruel and that animals should not be contained for “recreational entertainment”. I am here to tell you the positives of zoos and how I believe the positives outweigh the negatives.
The number one beneficial aspect zoos provide is the message of conservation. Many zoos spread the conservation message by having live animal programs, pamphlets, and donation boxes. Many people know little or nothing of conservation efforts, and most zoos do a great job informing citizens about how they can help.
Zoos also provide great educational opportunities. In a classroom setting, it is hard to learn about something that you never get to see. Viewing animals up close and sometimes even meeting them in person really aids in the learning process. Many zoos also provide hands-on learning experiences, activities, and educational programs to the public.
Another important aspect (not well known to the public) of zoos is the research they participate in. Many zoos have employees out in the field collecting research. The more we know about animals and their environments, the more we can do to help (by preserving and conserving). Research can be very important and beneficial to animals and even to the human population.
In addition, some zoos have a rehabilitation license. This allows them to practice rehabilitation of animals on their premises. Rehabilitation is very valuable and beneficial to ecosystems and to species in general (especially if the population of the injured animal is low).
I understand that holding animals in captivity is a controversial issue, but zoos do their very best to provide the animals not only with necessities, but also naturalistic enclosures and great enrichment. Most zoos provide the very best care to their animals. I also understand that conducting live animal shows is another controversial topic. Many people feel the animals should not be “forced” to perform. It is true that attending a live animal show is a popular recreational activity, but most live animal shows are based on learning (in both the animal and human sense). Live animal shows are held not only to show the public the intelligence of an animal, but also to engage/involve the public. Furthermore, while most shows are taking place, a narrator/speaker informs the audience of interesting and fun facts about the animal. I believe training animals to perform keeps the animals engaged and can be a form of enrichment in their everyday lives (especially with the use of positive reinforcement). Live animal shows are a learning experience for animals as well as the public.
I will admit that some zoos of lower-quality have undesirable attributes, but the same goes for restaurants, gas stations, clinics, and even nursing homes. There will always be exceptions, but for the most part, zoos are very beneficial and crucial in the understanding of wildlife and of the animal kingdom in general.
2 comments:
I also view zoos to be very beneficial especially to children in sparking their interests in learning about animals and the environment. I grew up in Green Bay and spent a lot of time at the NEW Zoo which encouraged me to continue learning about wildlife and the natural resources. Another thing I think most Zoo's should have that the NEW Zoo has is the hiking/skiing trails and fishing ponds for people to interact with wildlife in their natural habitat.
Before reading this, I never thought of zoos as being a bad thing. I guess I just thought that I expected the people working there to be experts and provide the best care possible for the animals. I've always loved going to zoos and hearing people talk about the animals. They always talk about animals being injured and how they plan on bringing them back to good health, and maybe even release them back into the wild someday. I can understand that some people may be upset that the animals are trapped in cages all day, but in the end it's usually for the good of the animals.
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