Zoos: Protection for Endangered Species

The recent Living Planet Indexreportauthored by the World Wildlife Fund and the London Zoological Society paints a disturbing picture: globally, on average, vertebrate species populations have declined 52% since 1970. Over-exploitation, habitat destruction and alteration, global climate change, and other pressures have created conditions that scientists now suggest signal asixth mass extinctionepisode for our planet. If dire steps are not taken, then the time is not far that we would lose our planet's species.

The existence of zoos is since 2500 BCE in Egypt where records indicate giraffes, bears, dolphins, and other animals were kept by aristocrats.

The oldest still operating zoo in the world, Tiergarten Schnbrunn in Vienna, opened in 1752 which shows that keeping animals is as old as human civilization. Controversy has historically surrounded zoos, whether endangered animals should be kept in zoos or not. I would be discussing about the advantages of keeping endangered species in zoos. How it is useful for these species and how it is beneficiary for mankind to maintain balance in the ecosystem.

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Pros: Zoos educate the public about animals and conservation efforts.

As of April 2019, there are 236 accredited zoos in the United States. The zoos attract over 181 million visitors annually, which is more than the approximately 131 million yearly spectators of NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB combined. According to a study of 26 zoos worldwide published in conservation biology, visitors to zoos increased their knowledge of biodiversity and specific individual actions to protect biodiversity.

obin Ganzert, PhD, President and CEO of American Humane stated, 'zoos provide people especially impressionable children with the opportunity to see these remarkable animals up close.

People won't protect what they don't love, and they can't love what they don't know. So having these animals at zoo is beneficiary for both mankind and animals as people would be aware about these wonderful creatures that are coexisting with us while they would be safe from predators which would be helpful in increasing their count. (procon.org)