Written by Do you think animals should or should not be held in captivity? Some people say that animals should be in the wild to do whatever they want, and have other animals that can do whatever they want to try to “have them over for dinner.” They should have blissful days not being in captivity, and they should be able to roam free right into somebody’s house! Animals shouldn’t be in captivity because apparently, Turtle Back Zoo, and The Smithsonian National Zoo are apparently downright terrible places. However, I think they should be held in captivity.
The first reason why animals should be held in captivity is because not all zoos are bad. There is a difference between a roadside zoo and an honest-to-goodness animal sanctuary. A sanctuary, or a rescue zoo, keeps animals in captivity to protect them. They give animals who were endangered, abandoned, or mistreated in the past a safe place to call home. Some skeptics may argue that there is no comparison between the two, but nevertheless, it turns out that there is a significant difference.
Another reason why animals should be held in captivity is that zoos have saved entire species by keeping them in it. According to the YouTube channel “Above the Noise” and their video “Should Zoos Exist,” “We thank zoos for still having animals like the bison, black-footed ferret, the golden lion tamarin, and the red wolf.” They also add, “Zoos can take at-risk animals, breed them in captivity, and then introduce them into the wild. This will save them from extinction by helping to restore their population.”
The most important reason why animals should be kept in captivity is because you may be holding an animal in captivity right now and like it. Do you own a pet? Odds are, you do. If you don’t, you are likely to have had one before, because research shows that about 66% of Americans have or had a pet in their household (These statistics are as of the year 2024). Well, did you know that owning a pet means that you’re keeping an animal in captivity?
Now you know why animals should be held in captivity. Most zoos are good, they’ve saved entire species, and having a pet means you’re keeping an animal in captivity! You’ve seen the side of the well-known debate about animals in captivity, and you might have thought it was wrong before. Now you’re ready to make an informed decision of whether or not you think animals should be kept in captivity. Thank you, dear reader, for seeing the good side of the debate. I think you’re now ready to make the right choice in this decision.
Vote and comment below with your thoughts!
