Wild Animals Should Not Be Kept In Captivity
The picture above portrays the horrid, jail-like treatment this elephant is suffering from as they are being held in captivity inside a zoo. This elephant and many elephants held in captivity across the globe suffer severe arthritis as well as other foot infections, due to them standing on unnatural surfaces all day long. They never get enough space to roam, as they would in the wild. It isn’t just elephants that are being held captive. Many different species of animals are being held in confinement, and are being viewed by thousands of people every single day. Their misery has gone unseen and many of these animals are suffering in silence.
The video above shows the tragic reality of how animals in captivity are mistreated and never get to experience freedom, or live how they were destined to. Circuses, theme parks, zoos, and aquariums are all places where animals are confined and can never experience the wild. As the video states, the oldest living orca in the wild is believed to be 104 years old, while the average lifespan of orcas at SeaWorld is only 13 years! That is a sad reality that these precious creatures have to face.
Animals in captivity don’t just harm the animals
Animals in captivity suffer from “zoochosis” which refers to animals psychological problems when they are stuck being captive. They exhibit self-destructive repetitive behaviors, due to the amount of stress they face. All of these factors may also harm the humans that are training or watching over them, since the animals may also turn aggressive as well as suffer from having smaller brains. One of the biggest and most well-known examples of humans being injured or even killed from captive animals is, SeaWorld. In the horrifying video below you can see one of SeaWorld’s killer whales almost drowning a trainer. The video shows how much captivity changes these once gentle creatures into aggressive beasts. How would you feel if you were trapped in a pool the size of a bathtub almost your whole life?
How many animals die in captivity?
It is estimated that around ten thousand large mammals are killed in European Zoos alone, never mind other animals. In just SeaWorld alone, 38 orcas, 58 belugas, and over 100 dolphins have died on their watch. According to the NewYorker, “EAZA has estimated that its members cull between three and five thousand animal deaths a year.” These statistics are just a small portion of how many animals have truly died from captivity.
This timeline displays all of the recorded killer whale deaths, and their causes starting from 1971 and ending in 2019.
Why is this happening?
A big question you may ask yourself is, why isn’t anyone doing anything about this issue? Well, there are only a few federal laws that protect these animals that are forced to be kept in small cages with no room to keep their minds and bodies occupied. In most states, no laws are governing captive wild animals. Captive animals need better laws that can protect them and they need better enforcement of those laws. One of the laws meant to protect captive animals is the Animal Welfare Act, but this law only applies to some captive wild animals. There are a few other laws meant to protect them, but no law fully protects all wild animals kept in captivity.
What can you do to help these animals in captivity?
To help out these animals suffering from captivity, you should not support zoos, aquariums, marine parks, or animal cruises. You can protest against these facilities as well as sign petitions to try and push for more laws that will protect these precious animals. You should also visit animal sanctuaries instead of zoos or marine parks, and tell lawmakers that you support animal-friendly legislation.
