Why should zoos exist?

Why should zoos exist?

Elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, lions, tigers, and bears are just few of the animals which people can see and have a face-to-face encounter in a zoo. For most people, zoos are a form of entertainment, it provides the public an opportunity to meet vast collections of animals which can only be seen in the wild. This may be true during the old times and in some zoos worldwide, but most of the well-organized zoos nowadays have already evolved and adopted strict rules and regulations in the proper caring and custody of the animals.

Although there are already cable channels that feature different animals in their natural habitat, zoos still play an essential part in our society and in helping the environment. For one, zoos provide the public an opportunity to connect with the animals and to be able to learn and understand more about them: the food they eat, their habitat, behavior in the wild, offspring, etc.

Zoos also play an important role in the conservation of the animal species. As the population of people increase, the more the plants and animals suffer. People build shelter, buildings, and roads, polluting the places where animals used to live, eat and interact with their fellow animals creating damage to the ecosystem. As a result some animals are forced to their extinction while others are currently endangered. This is where zoos come to the rescue. There are zoos that help endangered animals in keeping these species alive. The zoos inform its guests about the dilemma that endangered species are facing and the money that they have collected funds their advocacy.

In addition, zoos also save animals that are hurt or injured by illegal hunters and poachers, or in some case rescue animals that are abused by their former keeper. The zoos provide these unfortunate animals the food and water they need and nurse them back to health. Zoos also provide the suitable environment, health care, protection from fear and distress, as well as the opportunity to express oneself in its most natural way.

So the next time you visit a zoo, think of it as more than just entertaining and educating‚ oneself but also supporting and helping the animals that you love the most.