Should Animals Be Held In Captivity?
April 11, 2008 - 11:47am — steph-talia XD
Tigers are one of the most beautiful animals on Earth. Three of the nine subspecies are already extinct, leaving the remaining endangered. The Balinese tiger is one of the three subspecies that are extinct. This animal has become extinct for the fact that it was hunted in the wild. This could have been stopped if this animal was in captivity. Animals should be held in captivity so that all of these animals, including the tigers, will not end up this way.
A reason why animals should be held in captivity is because if a specific animal is endangered, scientists or zoologists could breed them to help save the species. These days, many animals are on the endangered list. Biologist Lisa Kish says, “As extinction rates accelerate, biologists seek methods for preserving endangered species. Captive breeding is one such method. Captive breeding focuses on the reproduction of rare animals in captivity. In order to increase the world population of certain species, captive breeding removes the threats to that species breeding in the wild.” Another problem for animals is poachers and predators. Poachers hunt these animals illegally and predators hunt them for survival. If an animal is in captivity, they are safe from so much harm. Animals don’t have to worry about poachers, pollution, disease, proper nutrition and health because in zoos, caretakers regularly check up on the animals.
Many people oppose the thought of having animals in captivity because animals may harm themselves. When in captivity, animals tend to harm themselves or even commit suicide for the fact that they are bored. Animals try to commit suicide or harm themselves by running repeatedly into a tank or biting or injuring themselves. We can fix this problem; if caretakers occupy the animals with new toys and food.
Another reason why people oppose captivity is that many people believe that animals should be raised in their natural habitat. People feel animals should be left out in the wild because it’s their natural habitat and it’s the way God intended it. Many wild life reserves, zoos and aquariums create an exact replica to the animals’ homes in the wild. This gives the animals a sense of comfort without the danger.
To help keep our animals safe, animals should be held in captivity. When animals are on the verge of becoming extinct, biologists should be able to breed the animal in captivity. Animals in captivity get so many more benefits than animals living in the wild. When in captivity, there are no poachers or predators and they can live their lives with no worries.
By Stephanie R. and Talia T.
Editorials