Madeline Bungert

Campbell

UWRT 1104

April 1, 2019

Zoos: Animal Asylums

The documentary, ​Blackfish,​ chronicles the life of orca whale Tilikum. At the age of

two, Tilikum was captured in Iceland and shipped to Canada. Tilikum was soon trained to jump,

spin, and dive as a part of the killer whale show. The six-ton whale has been responsible for the

deaths of three people over a span of 18 years. The critically acclaimed documentary sparked

the boycott of Sea World and similar organizations. The movie also explains the psychological

and even physical toll that captivity takes on all orcas. Tilikum’s abrupt and aggressive actions

were the result of years of frustration and poor living conditions. A giant, 21-foot long whale,

the average male orca size, can swim up to 140 miles a day (“Physical Characteristics”). A

quirky article from ​SeaWorld of Hate l​ ists off seven things that are larger than a killer whales

tank at SeaWorld. Probably the most ironic one being the size of the SeaWorld parking lot.

Although the deaths of those three people are tragic, there’s more to be seen from this situation.

As a result of these conditions, animals experience stress, anxiety, and bursts of aggression.

The oldest known zoological collection was discovered during an excavation in Egypt.

The menagerie dated back to 3500 BCE. The collection included ancestors of modern-day

elephants, big cats, baboon, and hippopotamuses. Throughout history, menageries were used to

flaunt wealth and power. Figures like Alexander the Great and King Solomon historically

owned vast collections of animals. One of the most well-known menageries was that of the
Roman Empire. Wild animals were kept in the Coliseum for study and more commonly to battle

“gladiators” in gory forms of entertainment. These influences prompted today’s popularity of

animal parks such as zoos and aquariums (“Zoo”).

The captivity of wild animals often pairs with a diagnosis of “zoochosis.” According to

wildlife zoologists in New Zealand, zoochosis is “repetitive, invariant behavior pattern with no

obvious goal or function.” For example, an ape tracing the panels of the viewing glass with their

fingers, or even lions roaming aimlessly in their enclosure (“Zoochotic Behavior”). These

animals are truly “bored out of their minds.” In response to zoochosis, many parks have

programs designed to minimize the presence of zoochosis. Enrichment activities such as puzzles

and toys have been added to enclosures along with much more complex enclosures, have been

found to reduce zoochosis behaviors 53% of the time (Shepherdson).

Packs are disrupted for breeding purposes. This serves as another stressor for captive

animals. Elephants and gorillas are examples of species that exist in groups. Breeding programs

encourage the separation of families for the sake of keeping the animal collection “fresh and

exciting.” Often times an animal won’t fit in with the already established group and will fail to

breed. The rejected animal can be attacked and even lose a dramatic amount of weight. Animals

can feel both the physical and emotional pain of captivity, just like a human would (Smith).

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, a Harvard-educated author, writes about animal emotions

based on psychoanalysis and Freud’s observations. In his book, ​When Elephants Weep: The

​ asson explains his discoveries about just how similar human

Emotional Lives of Animals, M

emotions are to animal emotions. His biggest point is that animal emotions are not

communicated in the same way that human ones are. This leads to the notion that animals can’t
feel. Which we know is not the case. Masson says, “the standards for defining the existence of

emotions in animals begins with those in common use for humans. One should demand no more

proof that an animal feels emotion than would be demanded of a human-- and, like humans, the

animal should be permitted to speak its own emotional language, which it is up to the beholder to

understand.” Masson uses the word “should” because this is his professional conclusion.

Humans overlook other species and see them as inferior. This common belief justifies the

captivity, in a sense. However, as many studies have shown, animals have a similar brain

structure and emotionally function in similar ways.

In a study on animal behavior in 2003, the researchers, Ros Clubb and Georgia Mason,

conclude that “​t​he keeping of naturally wide-ranging carnivores should be either fundamentally

improved or phased out.” ​With this study​, it is important to note that these conclusions are

outdated. ​A key point in the previous quote was the term “wide-ranging.” With the

environmental changes and population growth of humans, natural habitats are diminishing. Ice

caps are melting, rainforests are being cut down, and their food is running scarce. In short, the

findings of these studies would only be more accurate, had the study been conducted more

recently. According to Clubb and Mason, preventing the natural behavior patterns present in the

wild, can cause stress and frustration. To further the idea of psychological issues, the authors

provide a scientific explanation of what roots these behaviors. Captivity can, “impair the

development of brain regions that are involved in behavioural sequencing, thereby reducing the

animal's ability to behave flexibly and appropriately.” The mean frequency of stereotypic pacing

was calculated. This calculation gave reason to consider if the variation observed in the species

was possibly due to the “differential impact of captivity.” A massive 97% of caged carnivores
expressed stereotypic behaviors related to being in captivity. From the results obtained, the

authors were able to conclude for the first time that, “a particular lifestyle in the wild confers

vulnerability to welfare problems in captivity.” As well as the fact that wide-ranging carnivores

are, in almost all cases, likely to fare poorly in captivity.

Since their creation, zoos have always served the purpose of entertaining humans. Zoos

provide humans with a glance into the wild. Zoos self proclaim that they provide global

experiences and uphold biodiversity. It is true that zoos do have programs that are positive.

They argue that they promote wildlife appreciation that benefits animal conservation. The

defense that zoos offer educational benefits is valid and accurate. However, zoos also give off

the notion that humans are superior to animals. Zoos also claim to increase the life expectancy

of animals. This statement is often in retaliation to the fact that animal enclosures are smaller

than habitats in the wild (Smith).

Dr. Dave Hone, a paleontologist, writes about the importance of the aspect of research

that zoos make possible. It is very true that zoos and zoo veterinarians work to understand and

educate about animals. Everything known about an animal is based on research. Dr. Hone

strongly believes that the research involved with zoo programs is a large enough pro to defend

the captivity of animals. In a blog post on ​The Guardian, ​Dr. Hone states, “​with the ongoing

global threats to the environment it’s hard for me to see zoos as anything other than being

essential to the long-term survival of numerous species.” Hone is accurate in saying that global

threats harm the survival of many species. But this wasn’t always the case. Animals thrive in

their environments thanks to years of evolution and adaptation to their environments. Humans

have created the so-called “global threats.” What good does having the research to help save
populations, if humans won’t be fixing the issue? The distinction is that humans have to take

action to save the species. A species cannot exist entirely in zoos (Dunlap). Nature did not

intend for a polar bear to swim in 90-degree heat in Florida. The habitats of some of these

animals can only occur in nature, and the artificial alternatives humans suggest will not suffice.

There are many examples of animal populations being low and conservation attempts failing to

work. According to the International Zoo Yearbook, a book published annually expressing

statistics regarding animals, in 2015, 677 polar bears were born. The polar bear population has

been facing a deficit every year since with 1,373 polar bears dying in 2015. This is more than

double the amount born. Small birth rates are failing to renew the population and polar bears are

on a fast track to extinction. There are many efforts being made to try to save the polar bear

populations, but a lot of times habitats don’t suffice for what the bears have in nature.

There will always be a demand for zoos. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal

community, they certainly do make money. Humans can start by making sure that zoo conditions

are as accurate as the wild as possible (Ranganathan). My hope is that soon zoos will stop

breeding and importing animals. What is the allure of a zoo, if not to see wild animals? These

animals aren’t wild, they are caged and suffering. ​My research has shown me that the

employees, keepers, and veterinarians truly care about the animals. From heartwarming stories

of giraffes accepting affection and kisses from their keeper to videos of baby pandas climbing on

their doctor, captive animals show unnatural behaviors on both ends of the spectrum. The

problem lies in the idea that capturing nature’s creatures and parading them for profit is

beneficial to them. Captivity is what causes the mental issues developed by these magnificent

animals. ​ We wouldn’t take an action that is similarly detrimental to a human, so why do it to

animals? Children see wild animals like big cats, hippopotamuses, and gorillas as scary. The

only thing that’s scary in regard to these animals is their mental health. We need to put an end to

the torture endured by these animals.

 Works Cited

​ ETA. 2018.
“7 Things That Are Bigger Than an Orca Tank at SeaWorld.” ​SeaWorld of Hate. P

https://www.seaworldofhurt.com/things-bigger-than-an-orca-tank-seaworld/​. Accessed 4

April 2019.

Clubb, Ros and Georgia Mason. “Captivity Effects on Wide-range Carnivores.” ​Nature

International Journal of Science. ​Springer Nature Publishing. 2003. ​https://ww

w.nature.com/articles/425473a#ref-link-section-d39713e334​. Accessed 4 April 2019.

Dunlap, Julie and Stephen R. Kellert. “Animal Welfare and Rights: V. Zoos and Zoological

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​ he Guardian. 2014. ​https://www.thegua

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​ SL Publications. 2015.
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Mar 2019.

Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff. “When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals.”

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xNYwJY#v=snippet&q=human%20emotion%20animal&f=false​. Accessed 4 April

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“Physical Characteristics” ​SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. ​ SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment,

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Ranganathan, Romesh. “Zoos Are Prisons for Animals.” ​The Guardian. ​The Guardian. 2017.

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Shepherdson, David J. and Ronald R. Swaisgood “Scientific Approaches to Enrichment and

Stereotypies in Zoo Animals: what's been done and where should we go next?”

Zoobiology. ​Wiley Online Library. 2005.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002 /zoo.20066​. Accessed 1 April 2019.

Smith, Laura. “Zoos Drive Animals Crazy.” ​Slate. ​The Slate Group. 2014. ​https://slate.com/tec

hnology/2014/06/animal-madness-zoochosis-stereotypic-behavior-and-problems-with-zo

os.html​. Accessed 1 April 2019.

​ ikipedia. 2019. ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoo​ Accessed 2 April 2019.

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“​Zoochotic Behaviour - Stereotypic Behaviour In Sight - Out of Mind.” ​Wildlife New Zealand.

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Accessed 1 April 2019.