ARTICLE 3
In Favor of Zoos
by K.N. Brock
Oct 1, 2019
One hundred years ago, most zoos bore little resemblance to zoos of today. In the past, zoos were created for entertainment purposes, and animals lived alone and were confined to small cages. Today, zoos still entertain and educate us, but most zoos also focus on conservation, help endangered species and conduct important scientific research.
Zoos educate and entertain people of all ages. Zoos spend millions of dollars teaching visitors about wildlife and wildlife conservation. Seeing an animal in person is much more impactful than seeing an animal in a video or on TV. Studies have shown that people are more likely to help animals that they have learned about and observed up close. Also, many zoos also offer educational outreach programs where they visit schools to make presentations and teach about wildlife.
There are some species that would be extinct if it weren’t for zoos, and that in itself is a great reason for zoos to exist! Most zoos have a mission to protect endangered species. Many have breeding programs, where they breed at-risk animals, then release them to the wild to repopulate the species. The red wolf, black footed ferret and the Amur Leopard are just a few animals that have been saved from extinction by zoos.
Another benefit of zoos is that they offer scientists a controlled population of animals to study. Studies are conducted in zoos that would likely be impossible to perform in the wild. Researchers from a variety of disciplines (animal behavior, animal diet, animal reproduction) often work at a single zoo and so are easily able to share their findings with each other. Much of our understanding about animal behavior, health, dietary needs, biomechanics, social structures is thanks to scientific studies conducted at zoos. Knowledge gained from this research not only helps zoos provide better care for their captive animals, but it also helps scientists learn how to protect animals in the wild. Humans also benefit from research performed at zoos. Recently, blood samples from zoo alligators and Komodo dragons were used to help scientists learn how to better treat human disease, and tissue collected from deceased zoo gorillas has helped scientists learn how Alzheimer’s disease develops in people!
References
“The Future of Zoos.” Junior Scholastic, 13 May 2019, https://junior.scholastic.com/issues/2018-19/051319/the-future-of-zoos.html?language=english#1090L. Accessed 17 February 2023.
“How Zoos Embrace Education, Research and Conservation.” Pet Hospitals of Hawaii, https://www.pethospitalsofhawaii.com/blog/how-zoos-embrace-education-research-and-conservation.html. Accessed 12 February 2023.
Lazure, Louis. “Science at the zoo.” Concordia University, 18 February 2022, https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2022/02/18/science-at-the-zoo.html. Accessed 30 January 2023.
“Research at the zoo.” Oregon Zoo, https://www.oregonzoo.org/conserve/research-zoo. Accessed 30 January 2023.
“Research in the modern Zoo.” Zoo Atlanta, 10 February 2021, https://zooatlanta.org/research-in-the-modern-zoo/. Accessed 18 February 2023.