Americas Zoos Entertainment To Conservation Essay Example For Students

Americas Zoos: Entertainment To Conservation Essay Americas Zoos: Entertainment to Conservation The children run ahead, squealing with delight. Their parents lag behind holding the childrens brightly colored balloons and carrying the remnants of the half-eaten cotton candy. The family stops to let the children ride the minitrain and take pictures together under the tree. They walk hand- in-hand toward the exit, stopping first at the gift shop where they each splurge on a treat to remind them of the days adventure. Although this may sound like a typical scene from the local amusement park, its actually the city zoo. All that forgotten was walking from cage to cage watching the anxious animals pace back and forth in their closed-in prisons (Hope, 1994). Their cages feel cold and desolate. The concrete floor provides no warmth and the atmosphere is sterile. The animals do not appear very happy in this closed-in environment. Just who are these anxious animals? They are the common everyday animals any child could name: the bears, the tigers, the elephants and the monkeys. What about the rest of the worlds unique creatures? Hundreds of species are endanger of becoming extinct, and conservation is in need. Extinction is a permanent issue. The treatment of all our animals and their rights is important as well. As concern for the worlds animals becomes more prominent in the news, our zoos rise up to meet the challenge. Animals rights and their treatment, regardless of species, have been brought to attention and positive movements made. While the number of endangered species grows, zoos attempt to do their part in conservation. Both in and out of the park, zoos and their scientist do their best to help these species. Efforts out in the field within the United States as well as other countries are currently in progress. The question lies in the worthiness of these efforts. Is the conservation successful? Are these efforts being done for the right reasons? Will zoos remain as a form of family entertainment or will the enjoyment of the patrons become unimportant? While it is obvious that things are changing, the eventual goals might not be so clear. As the concern shifts from entertainment to conservation, the zoos efforts are examined, both in the park and beyond, and their motives judged. As cities became more and more urbanized, it was harder to still have first-hand contact with nature. Time schedules were busier and no one could really afford to spend an entire day to drive out to the countryside. City zoos took over that connection to nature, especially for the cityfolks. Afternoon visits to the zoo became a fun form of family entertainment (Arrandale, 1990). Even though the bars separated the two worlds, it allowed the people to see the animals. When this interaction began to take place, people examined these institutions for their concern for the animals. The intentions were obvious, to provide the public with the ability to be around these creatures, but were their methods ethical? Animals were displayed for the general publics enjoyment (Diamond, 1995). As one critically judges the physical environment of these animals they can personally decide whether ethics were compromised. Some argued that the zoos provided a safe home and regular meals for the animals, and for this they should be happy. On the flip side, these creatures were caged and unable to thrive in the wild (Burke, 1990). Under observation, zoos are examined for the humanity with which they treat the animals. Animal welfare has become a concern within our country. This group is not to be confused with the animal rights movement. Without the use of violence, one of the animal welfare movements goals is to improve the way these institutions, like the city zoos, provide for these animals (Burke, 1990). .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b , .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .postImageUrl , .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b , .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:hover , .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:visited , .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:active { border:0!important; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:active , .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7476a49080b23c61262fa319be0e828b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Key to Freedom Essay Honoring the conservation efforts, they simply want to make sure the animals are cared for with the highest levels of concern, both physically and nutriently (Diamond, 1995). Human rights are established in the written form of laws, and these activists speak on behalf of the animals rights (Burke, 1990). While some views, like fighting for the equality of animals and humans, might seem extreme, no one can argue that the animals rights need to remain an important issue when providing care at the zoos (Burke, 1990). The days of a zoo simply providing a recreational place for a family to spend their afternoon together are over. The purpose of zoos has changed considerably since their formation. The switch from pure entertainment to education and conservation is a direct result of the growing .