Should we put animal in the zoo or in the nature?

Question

and do you like elephant? why?

Answer 1

Without zoos that assist in SSP and conservation programs many animals would be extinct today.  So yes, there should be zoos but only if they are working towards helping and not just some road side c**p fest that could care less about their animals.

It would be nice if the world did not need zoos, but due to the amount of habitat loss and poaching... well its impossible unless we want them to go extinct.

Side note, very few animals are taken out of the wild and placed into zoos.  Most a bred in captivity.  For the most part the only wild born animals in zoos you will find are those that have been injured and cannot stay in the wild or are orphans.

And yes, I like elephants.

EDIT: to the person who said they breed poorly in captivity and live short lives...  ~rolls eyes~  Try telling that to our elephants who are extremely healthy adults and our one female who is expecting for the second time in four years.

EDIT 2: My opinion is not based off of just the zoo I work at.  Yes it is the only zoo I have worked at but I have been to many, know people all over the world who work at them and have been working in such a orginization for over 15 years.

Also you said they breed poorly but your "facts" states that only 35% fail to breed.  That really is not that much.  You also have to understand that not every female elephant in captivity is allowed to breed.  The AZA, SSP programs and other groups say who is and who isnt allowed to breed.  It might seem cruel but they monitor blood lines very close to prevent genetic issue or over population.  So the 35% is not as much as you might think.  That stat only covers those that are allowed to breed and not the entire population.  (side note i would like to know how old that stat is)

Look at it this way too... it has been a VERY long time since elephants have been taken out of the wild and shipped to the US for captive reasons.  Even though it has years there are hundreds of elephants in the US.  Check out isis.org and you can see how many elephants live in just those zoos.  That does not even factor in facilities, resuce centers and any circus that might have elephants.  Clearly with that many breeding is not as big of an issue as you might think.

EDIT 3: The Pitt Zoo has had TWO baby elephants born in July.  Oregon Zoo just had one so did the Maryland Zoo, Animal Kingdom, and I think San Diego also had one.  Lousiville had one that just turned one a few months back and all are doing very well.  You might want to talk to them about their poor breeding and survival rate.

Answer 2

Uhh... it's kind of a; yes or no answer.

Here is my opinion

(1) Animals SHOULD be kept at the Zoo until they are trained well enough. The zookeepers should provide an environment similar to the wild so they will not have a hard time adapting when they are released.

(2) All endangered species should IMMEDIATELY be transferred to the Zoo and be kept and treated until the zookeepers find a SAFE home in the wild for them to live.

Hope I solved your question.

Oh, and I didn't think I ever saw an elephant, but I like them because they are huge but kinda cute :)

Answer 3

Generally, I'm against putting animals in zoos. There is a definite educational part to it, but they are too often mistreated and poorly cared for.

Many times, though, zoos are a species best hope for continued existence because of something that has affected the animal's natural habitat. Cheetahs and pandas are just two examples where captive breeding programs may be their only hope.

I lived in Tanzania a couple of years and the only animal I enjoyed more was the twiga (you'll have to try Google to see what that was!). While I was there, someone I knew was killed by one. It was just a freak accident, but it's now hard to see one and not think of that.

Answer 4

Well both yes and no. It's kind of ruining their habitat to take them out but if they're endangered species you definitely should take them out and let them grow and then release them again into their habitat because if they're endangered and you just let them be they will turn extinct. Yeah I like elephants. They're so mellow and calm. (=

Answer 5

Nature.

And yes, I absolutely adore elephants.  

Answer 6

Sad eyes and empty lives

In the wild, animals react to their surroundings, avoiding predators, seeking food and interacting with others of their species - doing what they have evolved for. Consequently, even what might seem ‘larger’ or ‘better’ enclosures may be completely impoverished in terms of the animals’ real needs.

Frustration and boredom are commonplace amongst animals in zoos and can lead to obsessive and repetitive behaviours in the form of pacing, swaying, and even self-mutilation. This is known as stereotypic behaviour and such pointless, repetitive movements have also been noted in people with mental illnesses. With nothing to do, animals in zoos go out of their minds. Disturbed maternal behaviour may involve over-grooming and the rejection or killing of young.

Elephants are wonderful and fascinating. Their family relationships are very strong.

Elephants breed poorly in zoos and die young.

EDIT - The Cheshire - your opinion is based only on 1 particular zoo which you happen to work in. i suggest you find out a bit more regarding the overall life and conditions of captive animals.

Zoo breeding programmes also have an abysmal record - 35% of zoo females fail to breed, 15-25% of Asian zoo babies are stillborn, and another 6-18% are rejected or even killed by their mothers. - RSPCA

Life in captivity is torture for these sensitive creatures that require tight social bonds and have strong migratory instincts.

“Although the zoo’s one-acre enclosure far exceeds the zoo industry’s professional standards, it is nonetheless inadequate for elephants, whose social, intellectual, and physical needs exceed those of other large animals.”

–Ron Kagan, Detroit Zoo Director

Answer 7

no zoos are a sad place they abuse an animals right to freedom. If you want to look at animals get on the net.yes I like elephants because I feel an affinity to them, I'm big too.

(Q). Why do african elephants have big ears?

(A). Because Noddy wouldn't pay the ransom.

Answer 8

Zoos are vital for education and conservation. Without captive breeding, many endangered species would now be extinct - for example, the golden lion tamarin, red wolf and Przewalski's horse. I am not for a moment suggesting that we should stop trying to protect animals' natural habitats, but if endangered species were to become extinct in the wild (which sadly seems quite likely in the near future), zoos will have preserved them for future generations, with enough genetic diversity that the possibility for reintroduction to the wild exists. In my opinion it would be unforgivable to allow tigers, pandas and so on to become extinct because they were wiped out in the wild due to hunting, habitat loss, etc., and people did not want to see them in captivity. Would you like to explain to your children or grandchildren that they will never see a tiger except in pictures, because you disagreed with zoos?

It's true that captive conditions in the past were often cruel, the animals being kept in cramped cages and so on, but today all good zoos are carefully regulated - the animals are kept in conditions as close as possible to their natural habitat, with plenty of space, good diets and immediate medical care if they need it. Everything possible is done to ensure that they don't get bored - environmental enrichment is found in all good zoos. The animals will have scenery in their enclosure, things to play with if they're a playful species, and problems to solve in order to get their food, rather than it just being dropped in front of them.

It's important to remember that animals in zoos are captive-bred - they have not been taken from the wild and 'locked up in cages'. They were born in captivity and have known nothing else. They do not miss the wild, since they have no idea such a thing exists, and are certainly not unhappy - if they were, zoos would not achieve the breeding success they do (unhappy or unhealthy animals do not breed). One might even argue that they are better off in captivity, since they do not have to contend with the constant dangers of the wild - disease, injury, predation, starvation, etc.