As a child we all must have dreamt about visiting a zoo.
During our visit we all might have teased the animals in the cage, or gave them some food to eat. We all might have made fun out of those innocent animals or even laughed at them. Often those animals behind the bars are treated as amusement and entertainment source by most of the visitors. But have we ever thought of those animals there? Have we ever dared to find out the reality as so why such guiltless creatures have to face such harsh punishment of being in captivity through out their lives?The answer could simply be no.
If people had realized, they would not have supported such institutions which prevents animals to live with freedom. In zoo, animals not only loose their independent life but also loose their natural habitat. They are forced to live in small enclosures cages without environmental enrichment. This hampers both their physical and mental health which in most of the cases results into early deaths.
Also, many animals loose their appetite as the diets provided in the zoo are unnatural.Unnatural in the sense that those animals do not have to labor for their food. Many of us think that animals have easier life in zoo as they get adequate meal and proper protection. But actually the stress they endure in the zoo is greater then what we think.
We normally imprison them who commit crimes or offend rules and regulation. But what crimes have such innocuous animals committed? Is this because these animals couldn’t be more superior than us or is it because we humans cannot stop showing our domination over other creatures?These animals are certainly being used for human motives. When animals are captured from their wild habitat and are taken to zoos they must serve for the zoo until they die. Not only they will have to live in captivity but also have to face harassment of several visitors passing by.
Operation of zoo has always supplied money to the owner but the owners of the zoo have never bothered to think how it might feel to live in a prison. If owners of the zoos can’t imagine themselves being displayed in a cage, they have no rights to lock poor animals behind the bars.Even if zoos say that they operate for educational purpose, in most of the cases it seems that the people who visit zoos are not at all interested in learning about the animals. They use zoo as a favorite pass time.
Even if zoos conduct breeding programmes and protect endangered species, it certainly doesn’t free them. Also zoological parks Zoos argue that they use animals for biological researches to study about diversity of life. But is it fair to destroy ones life for the sake of study? Today many zoos have constructed enclosures that replicate natural habitat so that animals feel like home.But can this environment really match animal’s natural habitat? So I think that animals should not be kept in captivity.
They belong to wild and they should be freed in the wild. The only way to prevent animals from being caged is not visiting zoos. Such animals should be moved into wild safari parks or national parks. There, animals will not only get protection against poachers and hunters but also will be able to live with freedom.
Hopefully with the organization like AAPN Asian Animal Protection, Networkand PETA the dream to see those innocent animals in the wild is still alive and hopeful.
