PHOTO BY Nour Wageh
Zoos: Profit-driven Entertainment Over Conservation
THE DARK REALITY OF CAPTIVE ANIMAL VENUES AND THEIR LIMITED COMMITMENT TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
While some captive animal venues claim to prioritize conservation efforts, their main focus remains on exploiting animals for entertainment and financial gain. The majority of zoos and aquariums engage in questionable practices, justifying breeding baby animals to be confined in cramped enclosures, used for rides, or made to perform in shows, with no hope of ever returning to the wild. The origins of zoos date back to archaic practices of poaching exotic animals, initially established as status symbols by wealthy individuals. Despite their historical roots in animal study during the Age of Enlightenment, modern zoos now emphasize entertainment over education.
Over the last fifty years, the global wildlife population has dwindled by 68%, with approximately 15,000 animal species currently listed as endangered or threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite claims of conservation, zoos fail to make a substantial impact on this alarming trend. Shockingly, most animals held captive in zoos are not endangered in the wild. An analysis of reputed zoos revealed that they housed only 3.5% of the animal species on the IUCN Red List, while a significant 62% comprised animals of “least concern,” and a mere 25% represented threatened species.
Even among the endangered species in their care, zoos rarely devote sufficient effort to prepare animals for reintroduction to the wild. Captive-bred animals often lack the essential survival skills required for successful reintegration and frequently suffer from zoochosis, a psychological trauma induced by captivity, rendering them unfit for survival.
No gorillas, polar bears, rhinos, elephants, tigers, pandas, or chimpanzees born in zoos will ever be released into the wild. Some zoos support mass poaching to get wild animals, and in 2019, both China and the U.S. pushed to import wild elephants.
THE CAPTIVE BREEDING PRACTICES IN ZOOS FURTHER DISREGARD FOR ANIMAL WELL-BEING
Animals do not get to choose their mates naturally; instead, they are often subjected to artificial insemination to produce offspring for sale or trade to other zoos. This process frequently results in miscarriages, infant deaths, or maternal rejection, causing distress and suffering. Additionally, constant breeding leads to an excess of animals, known as “surplus,” which zoos may dispose of or dissect publicly, as seen with Marius the giraffe in 2014.
While some zoos boast about their contributions to in-situ conservation efforts (preservation of animals in their natural habitats), a closer examination often reveals the meager extent of their support. A fraction of the funds invested in refurbishing zoos could make a substantial impact on protecting animals from poaching, habitat destruction, and exploitation in their native environments.
No gorilla, polar bear, rhino, elephant, tiger, panda, or chimpanzee born in a zoo will ever be released back into the wild. Some zoos continue to support the mass poaching of wild animals for lifetime captivity, merely to satisfy visitor demands. Shockingly, even as recently as 2019, zoos in China and the United States sought permission to import dozens of wild-caught African elephants.
True wildlife conservation happens in the wild—not in cages. Zoos must stop prioritizing entertainment and start funding real, on-the-ground efforts. Their claims of supporting conservation often mask the reality: profits come first, and animals come second.
