Do Zoos Live Longer Than Captive Elephants?
Did you know that wild elephants live longer than captive elephants? This is one of the reasons that I believe that zoos are bad for elephants. Zoos often shorten elephants’ life span. Zoos are also bad because they take elephants away from their natural habitat. Finally, the floors of zoo enclosures can cause foot infections that can injure and kill elephants.
To start things off, elephants in the wild live longer than elephants in zoos. In the article, “Do Elephants Belong in Zoos,” Jeffrey Cohn wrote that wild elephants can live into their seventies and most zoo elephants only live to their forties. Wild elephants also live longer because they are in their natural habitat. This is because they are used to where they are from, and the zoo …show more content…
It is better for elephants to stay in the place where they belong. In the article, Jeffrey Cohn wrote, “At issue is whether zoos can provide enough space to properly exhibit and care for elephants.” Wild elephants have more space where they come from in Africa and Asia. Zoo enclosures also cause problems such as foot infections.
Clearly, foot infection is a problem for zoo elephants. Foot infection in zoo elephants can be caused by the concrete floors in enclosures. Zoo floors are not the same as the ground in the wild, and elephants can have trouble adapting. Michael Hitchens, a former AZA director said, “They need to walk throughout the day for exercise and muscle tone.” A lot of zoos don’t have the space for elephants to move around as much as needed. Foot infection can also be a cause of death for elephants. So as you can see, foot infections are bad, but they can be prevented.
Some people would argue that zoos are better for elephants. I disagree, but they have their reasons to believe that. There are no poachers in the zoo. Poaching is one of the main causes of drop in elephant population. People also believe that elephants are safer from human conflict when they are in zoos, Jeffrey Cohn, author of “Do Elephants Belong in Zoos?” said that wild elephants are often poached in retaliation for raiding crops. These are some of the problems that people have with wild
To start things off, elephants in the wild live longer than elephants in zoos. In the article, “Do Elephants Belong in Zoos,” Jeffrey Cohn wrote that wild elephants can live into their seventies and most zoo elephants only live to their forties. Wild elephants also live longer because they are in their natural habitat. This is because they are used to where they are from, and the zoo …show more content…
It is better for elephants to stay in the place where they belong. In the article, Jeffrey Cohn wrote, “At issue is whether zoos can provide enough space to properly exhibit and care for elephants.” Wild elephants have more space where they come from in Africa and Asia. Zoo enclosures also cause problems such as foot infections.
Clearly, foot infection is a problem for zoo elephants. Foot infection in zoo elephants can be caused by the concrete floors in enclosures. Zoo floors are not the same as the ground in the wild, and elephants can have trouble adapting. Michael Hitchens, a former AZA director said, “They need to walk throughout the day for exercise and muscle tone.” A lot of zoos don’t have the space for elephants to move around as much as needed. Foot infection can also be a cause of death for elephants. So as you can see, foot infections are bad, but they can be prevented.
Some people would argue that zoos are better for elephants. I disagree, but they have their reasons to believe that. There are no poachers in the zoo. Poaching is one of the main causes of drop in elephant population. People also believe that elephants are safer from human conflict when they are in zoos, Jeffrey Cohn, author of “Do Elephants Belong in Zoos?” said that wild elephants are often poached in retaliation for raiding crops. These are some of the problems that people have with wild