My personal feelings are that it is the height of anthropocentric egotism and privilege to claim a right to view animals as entertainment. We have no right to consider it ok to enclose animals and ogle at them, there has to be more to animal collections than entertainment, and those things are education and conservation. I feel that private collections that are there just for status and not as part of a conservation effort are pointless, and there should be greater restriction on which animals people can possess. On that, I have an issue with considering animals as possessions, there are 2 cats in my household, they are not pets, I am their guardian, and they are part of the family, keeping an animal in an enclosure to show status is pure hubris.

I would like to see the removal of human hubris and egocentrism from the conservation of animals, the recognition of the intrinsic value of animals beyond a dollar value, and the closure of collections that are not actively involved in conservation programmes. There needs to be more education and understanding about the impact of human conflict and poverty on conservation. Zoos can play an important role in this, and thus could also have far reaching effects in affecting peoples politics, so visitors don’t just learn of ways to contribute to charities and schemes, but also think about how their vote effects conservation, and how they can take political action in ways that don’t, at first look, appear to be related to animal conservation, such as protesting arms sales, and dictatorships. 

The potential of zoos and wildlife parks etc. is huge, and as yet, they are not achieving what they could. 

Animal populations have become at risk of endangered status due to either direct or indirect human interference, therefore morally I believe we have a duty of care to try and conserve species, in most cases the best way this can be conducted is in captivity where majority of their needs can be met. 

Due to government regulations and high standards which are implemented, conservation goals have become the core message and top priority for zoo’s and wildlife parks, with an ethical obligation to preserve at risk species. But not all species thrive in captivity. Personally, species such as Polar Bears and Tigers, should not be kept in zoo’s. Behaviourally, their needs cannot be met. For example, Tigers are solitary animals, roaming for miles through jungle forage, yet time and time again they are seen pacing along the perimeter of their enclosure. 

Zoo’s physically cannot meet all the needs of the animals that they care for. Hunting instinct is stifled, their desire to find, court and breed is chosen for them, potentially suppressing their sexual choices and release, potentially leading to frustration and in turn other negative behavioural effects. 

I cannot deny that I enjoy visiting zoo’s; the chance to witness some of the world’s most endangered animals sparks a need to “do my bit” in helping to conserve them, whether it’s donating or sponsoring. But I do not know what other people are thinking after their visit to the zoo, which I believe to be a second priority for zoo’s as they should have two main mission objectives; firstly, conservation should be at the forefront of everything they do, to preserve endangered species. Secondly, education of the public. Zoos need to have an aim of educating their visitors on their importance to these animals, that we all have a duty of care for the success of individual species populations. They should promote the work they are doing on conservation programmes, success stories and educate people on how everyone can work together to help conserve wild species and their natural habitats. 

I support zoos for the conservation work they do, I believe they are an incredibly important asset in species survival, if they hold conservation and education as their primary focuses.

There are some excellent zoo’s that provide an educational experience that aspire young people to develop an interest in zoology, biodiversity and conservation. Some zoo’s use a proportion of the entrance fee to donate to conservation projects enabling them to continue. Some provide naturalistic enclosures and enrichment to improve the quality of life for the animals within their collection. Some even engage in breeding programmes to aid species recovery, which has resulted in species being brought back from the brink of extinction. The Corroboree Frog, Arabian Oryx, Przewalski horse, and California Condor are all examples of this. 

These zoos are exceptional. Unfortunately, there are plenty of Zoo’s within the UK who do the bare minimum to comply with the Zoo licencing act.  The main purpose of a zoo is to generate an income from entertainment. We find watching animals is enjoyable and will happily pay for the excitement of seeing a tiger or some cute newborn mammal.

Zoo’s have modified themselves in the last 50 years to make enclosures larger with more naturalistic habitats. This change has been led by public demand. The public are more aware of what these animals’ natural habitats should look like due to nature documentaries and there is greater concern over the suffering of animals. The rise in vegetarianism/veganism and the introduction of the 2006 Animal Welfare act (which replaced the 1911 Protection of animal’s act) demonstrate this. 

The zoo’s response to reduced visitor numbers has been to improve its enclosures and offer enrichment. However better enclosure design and enrichment are mitigation measures and we should really be asking ourselves why we are caging these animals. For them? for conservation? or for our enjoyment?

 

Metal bars, grey concrete, drab tiled walls and barren looking outdoor enclosures are my abiding childhood memories of visiting our local zoo.  I don’t actually remember what animals I saw but the overwhelming feeling of the sadness prevailing in that establishment still remains with me. I have been very fortunate and privileged not only to have worked as a veterinary surgeon in Africa but to have visited a number of African countries on different occasions. This has afforded me the opportunity to see wild animals in their natural habitats. I am fully aware that these animals face enormous and increasing challenges to their very existence and I feel that even in the wild, management plans, if not already in place, will have to be implemented.  Having witnessed amazing spectacles in Africa I have had no desire in my adult life, to visit a zoo.  However a recent conversation with a veterinary surgeon working in Belfast City Zoo has been very enlightening to me. The concept of a zoo providing educational, conservational and recreational benefits was quite thought provoking and made me start to realize that my impressions of zoos were somewhat antiquated as modern zoos bear little resemblance to those of several decades ago. I have always supported education and if zoos can provide this, especially for the young, this will reap future conservational benefits by awareness not only of the exotic animals but also of our own indigenous species. Currently Belfast Zoo has a very active Red Squirrel breeding and rewilding programme. I am still struggling with the fact that large animals, such as the elephant, are kept in captivity. Most of these species are not confined because of the threat of extinction but predominately for recreational reasons. Most zoo visitors are not interested in the small, less exciting to look at, species, which may be at greater risk of extinction. Therefore zoos keep these larger animals mainly for human amusement and to provide vital funds. It is imperative that a balance it maintained between paying visitors and education and conservation. I have had no experience of visiting a wild life park and currently there are none in Ireland. Obviously animals have a greater degree of freedom in these parks but transport is required for viewing and the lack of proximity to the animals may not satisfy members of the public.  I intend to visit both Dublin and Belfast Zoos and by undertaking the course work I hope that I will be in a stronger and more informed position to express an opinion on zoos and wildlife parks