Debate
Arguments
1. Animals in zoos develop diseases from confinement, stress, boredom, etc. One particularly common disease they developed is zoochosis, which is very similar to human OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder. This is caused by separation from natural habitat, loss of life in normal social groups, drugs and medical fertility control, caging in an alien environment, and direct control by humans. Zoochosis causes animals to continually do actions that have no specific function or point, such as swaying, head bobbing, tongue-playing and bar biting, pacing, twitching, neck twisting, and excessive grooming. This is just one of many diseases animals can get from being confined in a zoo. Evidence: One very prominent and concerning example of animals developing zoochosis and other health issue from zoos is collapsed dorsal fins on the orca whales in Seaworld. Hundreds of visitors to Seaworld have noticed collapsed dorsal fins on the orca whales and Seaworld is claiming that this is normal, but no whales with collapsed dorsal fins have been found in the ocean. Or a whales are also on the endangered species list. This shows that Seaworld is only trying to get money and that zoos are becoming extremely dangerous for animals, as collapsed dorsal fins are a sign of an unhealthy mammal.
Rebuttals:
1. Education to kids- -teaching kids that it is ok to treat animals as if they are just property used for entertainment and money. -National Parks are great alternatives, as they are educational, but instead of pulling animals from their habitat, they just create a reserve there and watch over the animals with harming them, interfering with their lives, or getting involved in any way.
Arguments
2. Animals in zoos have shorter life spans in zoos. This is most likely caused by not being free as it was made to be in the wild. Evidence: According to scientific research done in Europe, elephants in the wild lived twice as long as those in zoos. Researchers found that the average life of an African elephant in a European zoo was 16.9 years, and the average life for African elephants in the Amboseli National Park in Kenya was 56 years. This suggests that National Parks are a great alternative to, since national parks don't interfere or interact with animals at all, they just protect and watch them without getting involved in any way.
Rebuttals:
2. Zoos help repopulate endangered species - animals in zoos have shorter life spans, so it is actually killing the species faster by putting them in zoos -forced breeding can cause genetic issues and damaging, therefore it doesn't work. Forced breeding at zoos can cause genetically weaker offspring, who are more prone to disease, and grow slower, which means these animals will die fast. Natural breeding between animals doesn't complicate this process and animals in the wild would live longer.
Arguments
3. Zoos can't provide basic, specific animals needs, and zoos also interfere with the natural way of life of animals by forcing animals away from their families and homes, forcing animals to breed, and forcing animals to live in a tiny enclosure and provide entertainment to humans. Evidence: For example, on average, elephants walk about 50 kilometers a day in herds of 30-40 elephants. Elephants in zoos on average walk about a couple acres, and if they are lucky, have one or two elephants with them. Zoos simply can't accommodate to animals needs for obvious spacial reasons.
Closing:
Animals are not meant to be put in zoos; they were created to live freely and in the wild and they have that right. Zoos are not safe places for animals to live at all, and should be boycotted and banned so that animals can have their best chance at survival and happiness.
Opening Statements
Zoos are harmful and should be banned. Zoos claim to be helpful, but by atrempting to care for the animals, zoos actually are doing the opposite and hurting them. Zoos can not accomodate to the specific, natural needs of animals, and also, living in a confined, artificial habitat takes it toll on the animals.
