Assignment 4

1 Throughout history, human activities have changed or destroyed the habitats that animals need to survive. One of these activities has been the construction of roads and buildings in areas that were once wild. Building in these areas has destroyed animal homes, food, or water supplies. People have also cut down trees for lumber, which has destroyed the homes of animals living in those trees. Likewise people have hunted animals for their meat, fur, or other body parts. In addition, pollution caused by humans has affected some of the places that animals live.

2 Due to animals habitats being disturbed as well as other reasons, scientists and researchers track animals in the wild to see if their numbers are changing. When an animal’s numbers decrease until they are at risk of disappearing completely, they may be classified as threatened or endangered. When there are no more of the species left in the world, they are classified as extinct. As some animals become extinct, other animals are affected. Because some human activities can have a negative impact on animals, many people believe that animals must be protected.

3 One way that people have tried to protect animals from extinction is to establish nature parks and sanctuaries. People cannot build or hunt in those areas, and rangers are there to watch over the animals. The public is often allowed to enjoy these animals by driving through the reserves and viewing the animals in a wide-open atmosphere.

4 Many nature parks have programs that keep animals in protected places. By putting them in controlled environments, the animals can live safely, and their numbers can increase through supervised breeding programs. However, in these environments animals many times cannot choose their own mates as they do when living in the wild. Issues with this type of forced breeding have been seen in zoos when a male and female fail to have offspring.

5 In man-made animal habitats, animals are fed on a regular schedule, receive medical care, and are protected from predators and hunters. The goal is to properly care for animals that may not survive in the wild. After time though, some of these animals may be released back into their wild habitats. However, if not handled properly, this release can be dangerous for animals since they will now be forced to hunt for prey and use their instincts and survival skills once again.

6 Keeping animals protected has proven to be beneficial and increase the populations of endangered animals. These programs have helped bring several animals—black-footed ferrets, California condors, red wolves, golden lion tamarins, and others—back from near extinction over the last 30 years.

7 Despite saving animals that were close to extinction, protecting animals in a controlled environment is not always the best plan. When animals are in these environments, they are isolated from other animals, their ability to hunt and their natural diet is limited, and the space they have to roam is decreased. In the wild, animals share their territory with other species, and the idea of survival of the fittest is very apparent. When animals are taken out of the wild, the innate instincts they have to survive are suppressed and, in some cases, completely gone.

8 By allowing endangered animals to live in a protected environment, animals are able to reproduce and be saved from extinction, but it is not a catchall to resolve all of the issues when protecting animals. For those that are released into the wild, the hope is that they can relearn how to find food and take care of themselves. Even though nature parks are trying to mimic the wild, they are not able to do that completely.

1 Zoos have been around for centuries. In the past, zoos were a simple collection of animals in cages. Many animals in early zoos were diseased and treated poorly. Zoos today are very different. Modern zoos pride themselves as centers for scientific study and research. They focus on animal welfare and are on a mission to educate people about animals and protect the animals in the wild.

2 Animals in zoos live longer than animals in the wild. They are well fed, protected from predators, and treated by veterinarians. Seeing majestic animals in a controlled environment creates a sense of amazement and wonder. A study published by the National Science Foundation actually shows that visiting a zoo changes a person’s attitude toward animals. If people are not able to see the animals, they will not be inspired to protect them.

3 However, critics of the modern zoo compare the zoo to a prison. Animals need room to climb, fly, swim, roam, or run. They need room to live a healthy life. When animals are confined in small spaces, it has a negative impact on their behavior and health. Polar bears have been observed swimming in circles. Parrots have groomed themselves until they have no feathers left. Big cats have been seen endlessly pacing. When animals are not behaving as they normally would in the wild, visitors are not observing natural behaviors.

4 Zoos spend millions of dollars to create bigger and better animal enclosures in order to improve the conditions for the animals. Zoos also help to raise millions of dollars to support conservation projects in Africa and Asia. Some of the money is used to create sanctuaries to help protect animals in their natural environment. Although animals should be protected in these nature preserves, some countries do not cooperate. They do not enforce penalties for illegal hunting of protected animals.

5 Nevertheless, not all zoos are created the same. Many organizations, like PETA, oppose zoos because the “homes” made for zoo animals meet only their basic needs. Even with man-made areas to fly, swim, climb, and explore, animals are still restricted in their behavior. These groups feel that zoos and even wildlife parks show cruelty against animals that would thrive so much better if they were allowed to live in the wild and be free.

6 More often than not, zoos cater to what people want to see. That usually means something large, charismatic, or cute is selected to live in a zoo and be on display. Another attraction to zoos is to see baby animals. In order to get more business, some zoos initiate a breeding program to have babies be on display more frequently. This leads to a surplus of animals at the zoo. Zoo enclosures are made for a certain amount of animals, so this overpopulation, even with babies, makes for crowding and a less than idea living situation for the animals.

7 Supporters of keeping animals out of zoos and nature parks, feel it is better for wild animals to live in a natural environment so they can hunt and eat a natural, varied diet. It has been shown that in the wild, animals interact with other species of animals which promotes natural behaviors. Wild animals roam over long distances in search of a mate, food, or water. Also many animals are a part of a social group or live in communities. Living within a community allows them to interact normally and create a social order where a dominant animal can emerge. Living in a zoo or protected environment can restrict all of these innate or inborn behaviors.

8 It is true that many of today’s zoos are more than just a place to see animals. They have programs to protect endangered species from extinction. Visitors to zoos, or those planning a visit, should also realize that some situations they see are not the best environment for the animals they are planning to see. There are benefits to having zoos, but there are still negative impacts to animal’s lives. Perhaps the best way to help animals is to protect them in zoos for a short time and release them back into nature while they still are wild animals.