Research!
http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2007/11/circus-animals-abused-and-dangerous/
Definition of a Zoo:
- According to Merriam Websters Online Dictionary, a zoo is "a garden or park where wild animals are kept for exhibition."
- Importance of this definition: This definition means that a zoo could include anything from a small roadside collection of animals to a huge plot of land that hosts hundreds of animals. In today’s society, it is not as much the larger zoos that become the problem but the smaller, roadside ones. The reason for this is because smaller zoos tend to go to drastic measures to keep their zoos open and the money coming in. Most of the time these drastic measures include methods which abuse animals. However, this is not to say that larger zoos are abuse free.
Ways Zoos Abuse Their Animals:
- Lack of Space
- In Time magazine, it mentions that “some animals such as the elephant are even known to travel up to thirty miles a day.” (Lemonick, McDowell, Bjerklie 50). This amount of space will never be provided to any of these magnificent creatures in captivity which causes the animals to have a great amount of stress. According to Animal Liberation Victoria, an online nonprofit organization that strives to see animals be treated properly, “the average enclosure size for mammals in UK zoos is one hundred times smaller than their minimum home range in the wild.” (Whiting. What's Wrong With Zoos?). This means that elephants In the UK could be kept in enclosures as small as 13,000 square feet. That is only three percent of what they would normally get and need.
- Malnutrition
- Especially in the hard economic times, zoos are not always able to bring in enough revenue to keep their animals properly fed. Larger zoos throughout America are funded and managed by the city they are located in. This is a major downfall because of the lack of available funds by these cities and the cutting of almost all city budgets. In turn, this has caused the zoos to cut back on everything including the quality, quantity, and type of feed that has been given to the animals. Unfortunately, that in turn leads to a deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals which can possibly cause disease and/or death.
- Physical Beating
- Some people believe that the only way to get an animal to be tame, to behave, and to listen to commands is by beating them. This sad misconception is what causes the most deaths and injury to the animals in zoos. On top of that, this also leads to animals turning on their trainers. Most of the time, training is needed by certain animals that they use in the zoo’s “educational shows” in order to draw people into the zoo. It is partially because of this point that many animal rights activist’s believe that zoos are only used as a form of entertainment for humans.
http://www.care2.com/news/member/193510781/733469
- Bad Hygiene
- When considering the cause of bad hygiene for animals, most of the problem comes from the caretakers not properly cleaning out the cages and exhibits. As part of the zookeeper’s job, they need to clean out and exchange the bedding on a daily basis. The reason for this is because if not done, the animal can contract deadly diseases. To make the situation even worse, if zookeepers do not properly clean out the animals cages, they can contract zoonotic diseases. "Zoonotic Diseases are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Examples of some of the more infamous zoonotic diseases are tuberculosis, salmonella, pink eye, parasites and allergies." (School of Veterinary Medicine. University of Wisconsin)
- Poor Guidelines for the Public
- One of the most unnoticed forms of abuse happening in zoos is not caused by the zoo itself but rather by the public. People visiting zoos tend to think of animals as toys or non-living objects. This can lead to people screaming at the animals, throwing garbage down at the animals, taunting the animals, and even hurting the animals. The main reason this happens to some of the animals is because they are not necessarily given a designated cage and are able to roam around free. Also, no one ever sets forth official guidelines to how they should be treated.