Ethics and Sustainability of Modern Zoos and Aquariums

Topic: Business Ethics
Words: 2209 Pages: 9

Introduction

Zoos have been necessary for our mankind’s set of experiences from the earliest starting point when early people started archiving what befell them. However, there are many discussions about whether there are ethical standards in the organization and maintenance of zoos and aquariums. As a rule, numerous creature defenders accept assuming animals are held by unnatural day-to-day environments, and their conduct will change over the long haul. Animals are regularly treated ineffectively in zoos and aquariums and need to consent to the principles of office attendants (Fobar, 2019). Numerous zoos and aquarium owners treat animals as a kind of revenue and some portion of their business, tormenting them and disregarding their necessities (Fobar, 2019). This sort of demeanor shows the young age treats animals as property as opposed to carrying them nearer to nature.

Nonetheless, not everything about the zoo is negative; indeed, there are benefits of zoos and aquariums that offset their damages. At the zoo, visitors get to find out with regards to different types of animals they would not, in any case, get to see very close in the wild (Learmonth, 2020). Guests to zoos can draw near to animals that may be perilous or so uncommon that seeing them right at home may be unimaginable. Zoos can bring issues to light our ecological issues, and they are vital to shield jeopardized species from elimination. I agree zoos and aquariums are unique places, and they do provide respite care for jeopardized species.

Individuals can see colorful animals without the requirement for voyaging and may act eco-more amicable subsequent to going to the zoo. Zoos and aquariums not just offer us the chance to see a wide range of animals, but they are likewise significant according to an instructive viewpoint. Many individuals who live in large urban areas frequently lose their association with nature (Godinez & Fernandez, 2019). Zoos offer them an exceptional chance to see various fascinating animals without the need to make a trip to numerous intriguing nations (Godinez & Fernandez, 2019). This can set aside a lot of cash as well as critical measures of time (Learmonth, 2020). By diminishing the number of individuals who travel to see wild animals, zoos and aquariums help to lessen the fossil fuel by-product.

Individuals who frequently work in requesting office occupations for extended periods and do not invest energy in nature any longer. Going to the zoo or aquarium can be a great method for investing energy in something else entirely (Learmonth, 2020). It tends to be essential to go to the zoo and to see a large number of animals to recall how significant ensuring our current circumstance truly is (Learmonth, 2020). In this way, zoos can likewise be essential to bring issues to light worldwide natural issues to secure our animals as best as could really be expected.

Numerous youngsters love to go to the zoo or aquarium, and it can likewise be an extraordinary area for school journeys. Going to the zoo is somewhat hazardous-free, and instructors might not need to stress a lot because of that (Powell & Watters, 2017). The creature reproducing offices can likewise teach kids about the significance of acting eco-accommodating, which is pivotal to guaranteeing a decent future for themselves and for the following ages (Cronin, 2016). Staff from a zoo trip to neighborhood schools to make introductions, offer extraordinary projects on the zoo grounds, and join forces with local area suppliers to stretch out instructive freedoms to everybody (Cronin, 2016). Based on the foregoing, it is necessary to emphasize that zoos are an ambiguous aspect of social life. Therefore, it makes sense to take a closer look at the issue of ethics and the meaning of the use of zoos by society and corporations. The main point is to understand the ethics and sustainability in zoos as in organizations.

Protection from Extinction and Pouching

A few zoos offer a permanent place to stay for some very colorful species that are scarcely existent in the wild any longer. Consequently, particularly for uncommon species, zoos can be very significant for analysts since they are frequently the central spot where researchers can investigate those species close to extinction. Research on these species is very important since, provided that we get to find out about them, people will actually want to shield those species from elimination over the long haul (Kuehn, 2002). Zoos can assume a significant part in protecting numerous animals from risk or even from death. Because of living space obliteration and numerous other ecological issues, numerous species have become imperiled over the many previous years (Fobar, 2019). To save those species from elimination, they need to allow them to raise in safe conditions like in zoos to shield them from other hunter species (Pierce & Bekoff, 2018). Thus, chances might build that we can shield numerous creature species from termination. At the same time, there is an alternative point of view, the essence of which is that animals are in zoos as in prisons, where they are forced to deviate from biological norms.

Animals that are kept in captivity often have problems that they do not encounter in nature. Living in a zoo, they do not search for food, do not track down, do not catch up with their prey and do not fight with it (Kagan et al., 2018). They do not need to hide or run away from enemies, and do not need to show observation, ingenuity and knowledge of the situation in order to survive. Much of what makes up the life of most animals in nature, to which species have adapted over the centuries of evolution, is simply absent in captivity. Animals are bored if they do not have the opportunity to show their unique species abilities, they experience discomfort from this. In part, the natural environment can be imitated by the complex interior of the aviary. To do this, they are equipped with both natural elements: logs, snags, stones, reservoirs, and special devices: shelves, climbing systems, ropes, hammocks, artificial rocks and caves (Kagan et al., 2018). Various shelters, comfortable places for rest, places for observation, difficult terrain – all this creates a comfortable environment for animals, even in a limited area.

It is more difficult to provide animals with other essential attributes of wild life. On the one hand, this is the complexity and variability of the natural environment – in the life of animals in the zoo there is not enough variety and unpredictability, the conditions are so stable and monotonous that they can lead to mental disorders (Kagan et al., 2018). On the other hand, in captivity, animals lack freedom – the ability to decide when and what to eat, where to rest, with whom and when to communicate, and so on. Often they are deprived of the opportunity to avoid interaction with an aggressive member of the pack, or hide from the constant attention of the public. This can lead to anxiety and even chronic stress in animals.

Something else that many individuals do not know about practically all zoos is that their principles of care are continually being refreshed and examined by huge accreditation bodies. Practically all zookeeping positions require the managers to have an undergraduate degree in science or zoology and are amazingly serious (Godinez & Fernandez, 2019). This seriousness implies that zoos can be very fastidious with regards to people they enlist and recruit the best to deal with their animals (Kuehn, 2002). These accreditation bodies consider zoos responsible for their offices just as their guidelines guarantee that all animals in these authorized offices are getting a similar degree of care no matter how individual looks at it (Learmonth, 2019). Zoos in the created world should go through an accreditation interaction to keep up with activities. Reviews that incorporate living space tidiness, accommodating practices, and legitimate consideration happen consistently. Assuming a zoo cannot satisfy those guidelines, they might conceivably lose their accreditation, and their animals will be moved to a zoo that meets them.

Research Opportunities

One of the fundamental advantages of zoos and aquariums is that they offer enormous help to worldwide preservation endeavors through hostage rearing projects just as exploration programs. AZA and other accreditation bodies regularly give research awards to zoos so they can do important exploration on their hostage populaces that might help the wild populaces of similar species (Kagan et al., 2018). Approaching hostage populaces of animals can be very helpful to analysts. They do not need to go gallivanting around the wilderness and other possibly unavailable conditions to view the creature and likewise effectively control conditions (Kuehn, 2002). Numerous zoos have rearing projects set up to assist with avoiding hereditary defects, particularly when managing an imperiled species.

In a steadily changing world confronted with worldwide difficulties, for example, environmental change and living space misfortune, preservation endeavors are urgent. They guarantee that jeopardized and extirpated species do not arrive at the place of elimination and keep on flourishing in their normal environments for a long time into the future (Kuehn, 2002). Experts can guarantee all zoo animals will be protected from hunters and will approach satisfactory food, water, and clinical consideration (Kuehn, 2002). Admittance to these conveniences frequently implies that zoo animals will live far longer in bondage than they would in the wild (Pierce and Bekoff, 2018). This is particularly clear for animals where environmental change and natural surroundings misfortune are providing residing in the wild increasingly more troublesome as time passes (Powell & Watters, 2017). All zoos endeavor to make their displays as near the creature’s common habitat as they can, just as attempting to guarantee the creature is invigorated both genuinely and intellectually.

Economic Benefits for Local Communities

From the one hand, zoos are not just vital to shield imperiled animals from elimination. From the other hand, they are additionally significant according to a monetary viewpoint for some neighborhood networks from one side of the planet to the other. Particularly in helpless agricultural nations, numerous locales depend on zoos to make extra payments to work on the daily environments of the overall population (Cronin, 2016). Zoos can likewise be a significant pay hotspot for some individuals in helpless animals of planet.

Zoos and aquariums around the nation create huge monetary advantages locally, provincially, and broadly, as indicated by another investigation. In Texas, the review verifies that licensed zoos and aquariums produce $884.2 million in monetary movement every year for the state (Reiser, 2017). They additionally utilize around 9,000 individuals and give more than $300 million in compensations and wages (Reiser, 2017). Yearly spending by zoos and aquariums for activities and capital undertakings create critical financial advantages for their host wards (Powell & Watters, 2017). These advantages work from the underlying expenses, as they are re-spent across the expansiveness of the economy.

Conclusion

In the end, it is necessary to re-emphasize the ambiguity of organizations such as zoos. The fact is that in addition to the well-known facts about violence against animals, exposing them as a form of leisure for people, they often carry out nature conservation activities. So, such organizations pay special attention to combating genetic failures and shortcomings in the code of animals, contribute to the preservation and increase of populations of some species. Finally, most zoos are guided by scientific principles when working with animals, which predetermines not only careful, but also extremely careful attitude towards different species. The creators and leaders of zoos take as many actions and mechanisms as possible to ensure maximum comfort for the inhabitants, without disturbing important biological needs. In addition, zoos are inspected and reviewed by independent individuals who commit to correct potential violations or harm to animals.

Answers

How much time did you spend revising your draft?

It took about four days to edit the project, and the main principle for making changes was not only referring to the professor’s comments, but also a critical analysis of the written text. Such strategies made it possible not only to correct or eliminate some errors, but also to understand their essence in order to avoid similar problems in the future.

Three concrete revisions and strategies.

The first and most important change was the removal and editing of unnecessary information that interferes with the analysis of the general theme and idea of ​​the text. To do this, the text had to be read aloud several times in order to identify the cause-and-effect relationships arising from one idea to another. The next change was the introduction of a more scientific and objective language in those aspects where it was required. For this it was necessary to give the text the character of an analysis, and not my ilk story. The third change is the work on the sources, the essence of which was to check both the reliability and relevance, and in direct connection with the topic under consideration.

Writing process.

Based on the above work, the nature of the research work, the essence of which is a full-fledged, clear and impartial review of the controversial aspects, became more clear to me. If we talk about my personal experience, it becomes clear that I need to practice and pay attention to the comments of the mentors in order to improve the already existing level.

References

Cronin, A. M. (2016). Does keeping animals captive help kids learn how to respect them? One Green Planet. Web.

Godinez, A. M., & Fernandez, E. J. (2019). What is the zoo experience? How zoos impact a Visitor’s behaviors, perceptions, and conservation efforts. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(1746), 1-8. Web.

Fobar, R. (2019). Hundreds of zoos and aquariums are accused of mistreating Animals. National Geographic. Web.

Kagan, R., Allard, S., & Carter, S. (2018). What is the future for zoos and aquariums? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 21(1), 59-70. Web.

Kuehn, B. M. (2002). Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Web.

Learmonth, M. J. (2019). Dilemmas for natural living concepts of zoo animal welfare. Animals, 9(6), 318. Web.

Learmonth, M. J. (2020). Human-animal interactions in zoos: What can compassionate conservation, conservation welfare and duty of care tell us about the ethics of interacting, and avoiding unintended consequences? Animals, 10(11), 2037. Web.

Pierce, J., & Bekoff, M. (2018). A post zoo future: Why welfare fails animals in zoos. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 21(1), 43-48. Web.

Powell, D. M. & Watters, J. V. (2017). The evolution of the animal welfare movement in the U.S. Zoos and aquariums. Der Zoologische Garten, 86(1-6), 219-234. Web.

Reiser, D. (2017). Will the Ark Sink? Captive Wildlife, tourism and the human relationship to nature: Demystifying zoos. Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism, 263–272. Web.

Reflection

Question 1

One example of when I have used materials to support my argument is when I have integrated the factual income of a particular state earned from visitors and guests of zoos and aquariums. The material by Reiser (2017) assisted me in strengthening the idea that well-regulated animal keeping facilities support local communities’ economies. The usage of the sources showed the numerical evidence of how many people were hired for the work in zoos and their average salaries.

Question 2

The current situation in animal parks and other similar animal breeding places is an ongoing topic of discussion. The data on the new regulations and their effects is relatively new, and most of the existing sources are mainly about the disadvantages of zoos and aquariums as the past regulations or the lack of them made the practice unethical. Hence, there is a need for further research on my area of study to make my assumptions more relevant and credible. That is why, I would need some feedback on the way how I use the provided reference, considering that many recent data are in the forms of websites and newsletters.