Wang1 Lydia Wang Kristen Foster CO150.

403 22 November, 2013 Physical Needs and Mental Health of Zoos Animals Should be Improved We all know zoos are one of the best places for dating, field trip, or even killing time. As for families with children, they come to the zoos for educational purpose. We all have had happy memories spending time in the zoos. However, how many of us have noticed the living environment that animals living in the zoos have? Or are they supplied with sufficient and appropriate food? Couple weeks ago, I visited the Denver Zoo. I found that majority of the animals only have small spaces to live. Coincidentally, my friend just asked me a related question. She was struggling with the problem whether we should keep animals in the zoo. It is true that nowadays, the undersupplied and improper food leads to animals death. Furthermore, a fixed space cant meet the land requirement as the amounts of animals growing in the zoos, and overbreeding induces available space as well. Therefore, not only physical needs like living space and food, but also mental health of the animals in the zoos should be improved. The earlier people know about the deteriorating circumstances that zoos have, the sooner the animals can have better lives. In recent years, people start paying attention to animals welfare. However, many zoos do not meet the minimum requirements of the Animal Welfare Act that they supposed to do (Horton 3). People walk on the streets to blame that the researchers shouldnt use animals in experiments in order to show their anger. This reveals that typical population is not satisfied with the modality that animals are living. Insufficient and improper food is a common problem in zoos. Zebras starved to death and red pandas died after ingesting rat poison at the National Zoo in

Wang2 Washington D.C. (Horton 3). Furthermore, from November 2009 to February 2010, it was proven that eleven northeast tigers died of long-term high malnutrition, which means they died of hungry, in Shenyang, China. The remaining animals are also in the condition that nobody is feeding and attending to them (Cui et al. 1). From the examples above, we can find that the quality of zoos management is low, and this can no longer use limited cost to explain. The zoos not only lost several precious lives, but peoples trust. According to the International Journal of Biology, the reason why the condition of the zoos is deteriorating appears for zoos taking economic profits as their priority. Even though we know without profits, it would be hard for zoos existence. However, the main part of operating cost in zoos is the feeds and maintenance of the animals. Once there is a problem in the process of marketing, the first action that marketers would make is to reduce the cost. This then leads to food shortage, and this is something that should not happen. In reality, most visitors in zoos only spend a few seconds at each display, and they do not fully understand the animals. What these visitors really care about is whether animals do anything entertaining, or new-born baby animals. Zoos breed animals to bring in visitors and money (Peta), but the unnatural propagation leads to overpopulation. Nature has a mechanism that balances the ratio of the animal population and the land amount. However, once the balance breaks, the countermeasure will be selling surplus animals not only to other zoos, but also to circuses, canned hunting facilities, and even for slaughter (Lin). In 2002, four rare marmoset monkeys in Cambridge were even sold to a Belgian animal dealer (Captiveanimals 3). Those can stay in the zoos are forever parts of the zoos. People in charge of the zoos might argue that letting animals mate and have offspring is the way to make sure the existence of population.

Wang3 However, it is because the zoos cant provide animals with the environment that is similar to their original habitat, so once that they feel uncomfortable, they will reduce the birth rate. As common visitors, we can notice the most obvious problemanimals living environment. It is true that most of the zoos are lacking of space. Overpopulation caused by overbreeding even worsens the circumstance. For example, the average enclosure size for mammals in UK zoos is one hundred times smaller than their minimum home range in the wild (Whiting). Even people without sufficient biology background know that this kind of condition makes the animals feel stressful and easily causes their harm. Not even mention that captive animals are deprived of freedom and everything that is natural and important to them. Watching these animals that are bored and lonely spending their days shuffling, swaying and pacing back and forth with their eyes sad and empty makes me feel sorry for them. If you have witnessed that condition as well, you might have seen the firsthand of the disease starts. It is a mental illness called Zoochosis, which is caused by bored and lonely. Because this condition is so rampant in zoos that some zoos give animals a mood-altering drug, and it obviously violate morality (Carr). According to a research paper, zoos in Turkey are designed in such a way that they cannot provide animals with their basic needs such as ecological environment, shelter and nutrition (Yilmaz et al. 2). Although people in charge of the zoos might argue that because of the lack of space or the limited cost, they have no choice but to do so. However, if they only have limited cost, why dont they keep small amount of animals, so that each animal can have a bigger and high quality living space. From the initial to the present, the major reason of the zoos existences is for educational purpose. The more similar the living environments are close to nature, the more the purpose can fulfill. On the other hand, if they really make efforts on constructing animals living environment, visitors can feel it and will not think zoos only care about profits,

Wang4 but animals. Firstly, it can bring positive comment; the OKC Zoo study demonstrated that teenagers had significant positive affective change in conservation attitudes as a result of coming to the zoo (Randall 15). Secondly, the counterflow of the tourists will increase. Animals have their own social network. However, because of the space restriction, only a small population of animals can be placed in the zoos. Whats worse, the federal Animal welfare Act only establishes the most minimum standard for cage size, shelter, etc. For example, the enclosure must provide sufficient space to allow each animals to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom (Lin). Have they ever thought about minimum standard also means the physical and mental stimulations will be induced? What I am trying to say is that animals dont have enough space to exercise and receive sufficient stimulation to have sound development. Elephants typically walk up to thirty miles a day. But Lucy, the elephant at the Edmonton Zoo, is locked inside a barn when the zoo is closed and during Edmontons frigid winter months (Carr). So thats why at least one study has shown that elephants in the zoos cant live as long as those in the nature (Lin), and why many people are claiming getting elephants out of the zoos. The mental disorders are more severe than physical harms. As a director of Nature Conservancy in Illinois state, Carr claimed that she once thought that if animals be kept in person would be neat, but the truth is these animals are suffering. There was an example that a gorilla feeling unhappy tried to escape, and was fatally shot by the police at the Dallas Zoo. The reason was later found that teenagers were taunting him by throwing rocks (Carr). Primates are the closest living relatives of human beings and so like us in so many ways. It is no wonder a new study shows that captivity may be fundamental as a causal factor in abnormal behaviors (N.A). Zoo keepers might argue that they have tried their best to prevent these conditions happening, and the solutions to the illness are followed by veterinarians direction. However,

Wang5 most veterinarians receive minimal training in the health of wildlife, especially exotic animals. In Australia, once these animals become ill, the zoo management often seeks advice from specialist veterinarians who may be hundreds of miles away (Young). From the example, we can know the better way to improve the condition might be establishing a management that takes care of animals mental health. Furthermore, specialist veterinarians are employed to make every change under control. We cannot glimpse the essential life of a caged animal, only the shadow of its former beauty. - Julia Allen Field (Whiting). Zoos do have some problems, such as insufficient or improper food, overbreeding condition, lacking of spaces, and mental and physical illness. However, were it not for the existence of the zoos, we would not have the chance to explore and learn all kinds of animals at the same time. Paying more attention to animals needs and the management can improve the situation of the zoos and the health condition that already have deteriorated. So, people in charge of the zoos should no longer take seeking profits as their priority.

Wang6 Works Cited Carr, Michelle. The Reality of Zoos. People for ethical treatment of animals (2013). Web. 17 November 2013. Captiveanimals. Sad Eyes and Empty Lives. Captive Animals Protection Society (2008): 1-4. Google Web. 20 November 2013. Cui, Bingbing, and Dezhong Jiang. The Problems and Countermeasures of Animal Protection in Zoos--Take Shenyang Glacier Zoo for Example. International Journal of Biology Vol. 3, No. 1 (2011): 136-139. Google Web. 17 November 2013. Horton, Jennifer. Are zoos good or bad for animals? Animal Planet (N.D.): 1-4. Google Web. 17 November 2013. Lin, Doris. Arguments For and Against Zoos. About.com (2009). Google Web. 17 November 2013. N.A. Chimps Suffer Mental Illness in Zoos. OneKind (2011). Google Web. 21 November 2013. Peta. Animal Rights Uncompromised: Zoos. People for ethical treatment of animals (2011). Google Web. 17 November 2013.

Wang7 Randall, Teresa. Assessment of Change in Conservation Attitudes Through Zoo and Aquarium Education. Journal of The International Zoo Educators Association Number 48 (2012): 13-16. Google Web. 17 November 2013. Whiting, Amy. Zoos. Animal Liberation Victoria (N.D.). Google Web. 17 November 2013 Yilmaz, Serap, Sema Mumcu, and Ali zbilen. Effects of Spatial Differences on Visitor Perceptions at Zoo Exhibits. Scientific Research and Essays Vol. 5(16) (2010): 2327-2340. Google Web. 17 November 2013. Young, Euan. Zoos. Animal Liberaion (2004). Google Web. 21 November 2013.