ANIMALS LIFE IN ZOO

CAGED AND SAFE OR WILD AND FREE?

THE FUNDING CRISIS AT MANY ZOOS HAS REOPENED TH E DEBATE OVER THE VALUE OF ZOOS AND WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXIST AT ALL .
PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FAVOUR OF ZOOS ARGUE THAT THEY PERFORM A SPECIAL ROLE IN CONSERVING THE RARE ANIMAL SPECIES. CONSERVATIONALISTS ESTIMATE THAT TODAY ATLEAST 1000 SPECIES OF ANIMALS ARE THREATENED . OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS ZOOS HAVE DEVELOPED PROGRAMMES DESIGNED TO HELP PRESERVE TO HELP ENDANGERED SPECIES . THIS INVOLVES BREEDING ANIMAL IN CAPTIVITY - IN " CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMMES " - AND THEN REINTRODUCING THEM INTO THEIR NATURAL HABITS TO REPLINISH THE NUMBER LIVING IN THE WILD.

WOBURN ABBEY , FOR EXAMPLE , SAVED A SPECIES CALLED THE PERE DAVID'S DEER . THE SPECIES WENT LARGELY UN RECORDED IN CHINA FROM 1920 . BUT THE FEW OF THE ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT TO EUROPE BY A FRENCH MISSIONARY [FATHER DAVID] . RECENTLY WOBURN ABBEY AND OTHER ZOOS BEGAN RETURNING BREEDING COUPLES OF PERE DAVID'S DEER TO THE WILD IN CHINA .

ZOOS CO-OPERATE WITH EACH OTHER IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THEIR BREEDING PROGRAMMES . ANIMALS ARE PASSED FROM ONE ZOO TO ANOTHER IN ORDER TO PREVENT IN BREEDING - BREEDING FROM CLOSELY RELATED ANIMALS . IF ANIMALS THAT ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER MATE, THERE IS A DANGER THAT THEY WILL PRODUCE DEFORMED OFF SPRING .
SUPPORTERS OF ZOOS ARGUE THAT THEY HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN EDUCATING CHILDREN , MILLIONS IF WHOM VISIT ZOOS EVERY YEAR . TELEVISION - VIEWING IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ENCOUNTERING REAL ANIMALS , THEY ARGUE. ZOOS ALSO CARRY OUT IMPORTANT RESEARCH , FOR EXAMPLE ON THE BEST CONDITIONS FOR THE RARE ANIMALS TO REPRODUCE .

IF ZOOS WERE FORCED TO CLOSE IT WOULD BE DISASTROUS  FOR WORLD CONSERVATION , ZOOS SUPPORTERS SAY . AND MOST ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY WOULD HAVE TO BE KILLED . ' IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH IMAGINATION TO REALISE THAT THE CLOSURE OF ALL ZOOS WOULD MEAN THE DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION OF WILDLIFE ON A SCALE NEVER BEFORE WITNESSED' THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF ZOOS SAYS .
OPPONENTS OF ZOOS ACCEPTS THAT SOME SPECIES HAVE BEEN SAVED FROM EXTINCTION BY " CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMMES " . BUT THEY ARGUE THAT THIS OFFERS NO SOLUTION TO THE WORLDWIDE CONSERVATION CRISIS .
THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS PROTECTED BY ZOOS IS TINY COMPARED WITH OVER - ALL PROBLEM.IT COSTS MILLIONS TO SAVE THE ARABIAN ORYX FROM DYING OUT; BUT COULD THAT AMOUNT BE FOUND FOR EVERY SPECIES THAT IS ENDANGERED ? THE VALUE OF ZOO BREEDING PROGRAMME IS ALSO QUESTIONED AS SOME SPECIES SUCH AS AFRICAN ELEPHANT COULD NOT REPRODUCE WELL IN CAPTIVITY .
CAPTIVE ANIMALS ARE ALWAYS KEPT IN POOR AND INHUMAN CONDITIONS , OPPONENTS SAY . IN THE WORST ZOOS , ANIMALS ARE STILL DISPLAYED FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE PUBLIC. WHERE ANIMALS ARE PLACED IN IMPOVERISHED AND UNSUITABLE SURROUNDINGS, THEY OFTEN BEHAVE IN ABNORMAL AND NEUROTIC WAYS . IT IS COMMON FOR POLAR BEARS TO CONSTANTLY PACE UP  AND DOWN OR TWIST THEIR HEADS AND CIRCLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN . THIS BEHAVIOUR IS NOW RECOGNISED BY THE SCIENTISTS AS A SIGN OF STRESS AND FRUSTRATION .

WHEN CHILDREN VISIT ZOOS WHERE ANIMALS ARE ACTING IN NEUROTIC AND ABNORMAL WAYS, THEY ARE NOT BEING EDUCATED . INSTEAD OPPONENTS SAY, THEY ARE BEEN GIVEN AN INACCURATE PICTURE OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR . A MORE PRECISE AND INFORMATIVE IMPRESSION IS AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN EVERY DAY - THROUGH WILDLIFE PROGRAMMES ON TELEVISION.