Thousands of animals are confined to zoos and aquaria in the United States and around the world. Although many of these facilities attempt to replicate the animals’ natural habitats, Born Free believes that even the “best” captive conditions pale in comparison to life in the wild.
Some facilities, known as “roadside zoos,” house animals in small, cramped cages completely divorced from the environmental and social conditions found in the wild. Other, larger facilities – those accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and other, similar associations – often attempt to replicate the animals’ natural habitats in relatively large, open-air enclosures that include natural elements such as grass and dirt (and, at times, opportunities for socialization and enrichment). While the conditions at roadside facilities are certainly far worse than in AZA-accredited facilities, even the “best” zoo setting can never recreate the complex environment that most species encounter in the wild or simulate all the stimuli which keep the animals active and alert.
In addition, no such setting can account for the family structure that exists in the wild. Like zoos, conditions in aquaria also pale in comparison to the richness, variety, and space of a life in the wild. Almost always in motion in the wild, cetaceans – whales and dolphins – spend only 20 percent or less of their time at the water’s surface. Captive facilities cannot compare to the vast natural environment of wild cetaceans and even the largest facilities are just a fraction of the size of the animals’ natural home range.
The 2013 documentary, Blackfish, revealed the devastating impact of captivity and exploitation on whales and dolphins. When denied adequate space, animals in zoos and aquariums often develop problems, such as abnormal repetitive behavior, aggression, and reduced life expectancy. Moreover, as animals in these facilities age and are no longer in prime “display” condition, the owners must make decisions as to the fate of the animals, which often ends tragically.
One of the most frequently cited arguments in favor of accredited zoos and aquaria is that they benefit wildlife conservation efforts by ensuring a secure, captive animal population that could be used to return a species to the wild, should it ever become extinct.
A few celebrated captive breeding and release projects are regularly cited to demonstrate the success of this kind of intervention, such as the Arabian oryx and the black-footed ferret of the plains of North America. However, closer inspection reveals that the effectiveness of these and many other captive breeding programs is, at best, limited and often end up simply providing new animals for the zoo and aquarium industry. In fact, animals kept in captivity often are not returned to the wild. And, relying on captive breeding can draw vital attention and resources away from protecting wild animals and habitats.
In aquaria, captive whales and dolphins suffer from high mortality rates, low breeding success, and often endure physical and psychological disorders. Cetaceans are frequently captured from the wild and sold into captivity and methods of capture, and subsequent transport, can be extremely cruel and some animals die of shock or injury in the process.
Whenever humans are put into close contact with wild animals, there is always an element of danger, for both the humans and the animals. Zoos invite people to come into very close and potentially dangerous proximity to wild animals with the promise that, due to the construction of animal enclosures and the presence of barriers, the visiting public will remain safe and apart from the animals. Yet, the news abounds with stories of animals responding to the unnatural conditions at zoos, whether by escaping the confines of their enclosures or injuring a human, at times resulting in animals being killed, such as the well-known case of Harambe the gorilla, who was killed after a child entered his zoo enclosure.
Likewise, many aquaria feature shows in which a handler or trainer enters the water with the animal, such as an orca or dolphin, to ride or otherwise interact with the animal. These tricks and behaviors are unnatural, contrary to the animals’ instinctive behaviors, and can create stress and frustration, often causing the animals to react. Numerous handlers have been seriously injured or killed when interacting in this manner with captive animals, like Tilikum the orca, who killed three people: two handlers and one man who gained unauthorized access to the tank.
Wild animals belong in the wild — not in the confinement of circuses, zoos, aquaria, backyards, or homes. In captivity, wild animals are not able to perform their natural behaviors and many lash out in frustration from psychological and physical deprivation. This situation is dangerous for animals and humans alike. Search our interactive database of attacks on humans, attacks on other animals, and escapes by exotic animals in the U.S.
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