40 Minute Essay Challenge - Should Zoos Be Shut Down?

All zoos should be shut down and release animals back into their natural habitat

DISAGREE

Points:

• Breeding endangered animals
• Keeping animals safe
• Educational

Zoos are magical spaces where animals are displayed freely. However, some believe that animals are abused in these places, and these zoos should be shut down. I believe this isn't the case. I hold this belief due to zoos breeding endangered animals back to a healthy population, keeping animals that are in danger due to their natural habitat safe, and providing education about wildlife to children. 

The breeding of endangered animals is a very important aspect of zoos, as otherwise these animals would go extinct. Golden lion tamarins, for example, are a species in danger and have been bred in captivity to ensure they can go up to a safer population before going back to the wild; without this procedure, it's likely that these animals would go extinct due to hunting or predators. Until their habitat is safer to live in and they will be protected, these animals will continue to be bred and trained for the wild in the safety of zoos.

The habitats of some animals are extremely dangerous in their current state, so they are captured and kept safe until the coast is clear. In a similar vein to captive breeding, these species are kept safe in zoos to prevent other animals from being able to hunt them. Many bird species undergo this treatment, as the amount of egg-eating predators on the prowl means their young can never be safe. Unless they are held in captivity safely, they will surely go extinct.

Education about the effects of humans on wildlife is extremely important, and zoos help to provide this. Many zoos have explanations about the reason a certain animal is held there - though sometimes it's not for a too serious reason - and these blurbs have the effects of humans on their habitat if applicable. Orana Wildlife Park is an example of this, having short paragraphs about the habitat of an animal and what can be done to improve their living situations to have a safer future. Children and adults alike can learn a lot from visiting zoos, further providing assistance to a range of different animals.

In conclusion, I believe zoos are beneficial to the diverse range of wildlife on this planet, due to the breeding of endangered animals, the safety of animals in similar situations, and the education they provide. Though people can have their beliefs, sometimes they can be misguided and manipulated into being wrong. This text was to prove that zoos do provide good.